Farmleigh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Farmleigh |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Edwardian |
| Location | Castleknock, Dublin, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°21′54″N 6°21′36″W / 53.365°N 6.36°W |
| Current tenants | Used when Heads of Government and Heads of State visit Ireland. |
| Construction started | 18th century (with significant reconstruction from 1881) |
| Renovated | 1881–1884, 1896, 1901, 1999–2001 |
| Renovation cost | €23 million (for 1999 works) |
| Owner | Government of Ireland |
Farmleigh is a very special house in Dublin, Ireland. It's the official guest house for the Irish government. This means important visitors like presidents and prime ministers stay here.
Before it became a state guest house, Farmleigh was one of the homes of the famous Guinness family. It sits on a hill overlooking the River Liffey. The house is located near the Phoenix Park in Castleknock.
The Farmleigh estate is huge, covering about 78 acres. It has beautiful private gardens with tall cypress, pine, and oak trees. There's also a boating pond, a walled garden, and a sunken garden. You can even find a herd of rare native Kerry cattle there!
The Government of Ireland bought Farmleigh from Edward Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh in 1999. It cost €29.2 million. After buying it, the Office of Public Works (OPW) spent about €23 million. This money was used to fix up the house, gardens, and glasshouses. In total, the state spent €52.2 million on Farmleigh. The estate first opened to the public in July 2001.
Contents
History of Farmleigh
Farmleigh started as a smaller, two-story house in the mid-1700s. It was built in the Georgian style. The Coote and Trench families owned it first. In the 1870s, the Farmleigh Bridge was built. This bridge helped carry electricity from a nearby mill to the house.
The Guinness Family Takes Over
In 1873, Edward Guinness bought Farmleigh. He was a great-grandson of Arthur Guinness, who founded the famous brewery. Edward bought the house when he married his cousin, Adelaide Guinness. He later received special titles, becoming Baron Iveagh in 1891, Viscount Iveagh in 1905, and Earl of Iveagh in 1919.
Edward Guinness decided to make Farmleigh much bigger. He hired an Irish architect named James Franklin Fuller. Between 1881 and 1884, they added a new section to the west of the house. They also added a third floor. Later, in 1896, a ballroom was built. A Scottish architect, William Young, designed it. The lovely conservatory was added in 1901.
When you visit Farmleigh, you can learn a lot about Edward Guinness. The gardens, the classical style of the house, and its balanced design show his taste. There are also old tapestries that he collected during his travels in Europe. The Earl's library has some of the very first books printed in Ireland. Farmleigh stayed with the Guinness family for many years, passing to Rupert Guinness, 2nd Earl of Iveagh, and then to other family members.
Farmleigh Today
The Irish government bought Farmleigh from the 4th Earl of Iveagh in 1999. The main reason for buying and fixing up the estate was for official state use. It is meant to be "an official State guest house for visiting heads of State and dignitaries."
Important Visitors
Many important people have stayed at Farmleigh. These include the Premier of China, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and the King of Malaysia. British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Governor-General of New Zealand have also visited. Even Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and U.S. President Joe Biden have been guests.
While it hosts important visitors, Farmleigh also welcomes many members of the public. For example, in 2009, over 246,000 people visited the estate.
Steward's Lodge
In 2006, the Office of Public Works (OPW) announced that Steward's Lodge, located on the Farmleigh grounds, had been renovated. This lodge has sometimes been used by the Taoiseach (Ireland's Prime Minister) when they are in Dublin. Both former Taoiseach Brian Cowen and his successor, Enda Kenny, have stayed there.
Public Access and Events
Today, the OPW manages Farmleigh. Most of the estate and gardens are open to everyone. The main house is usually open for organized tours. Farmleigh also hosts fun seasonal events, like craft and food markets. It has even been a venue for public concerts, like the RTÉ proms, which took place in a large tent on the grounds.
See also
In Spanish: Farmleigh para niños
