Luttrellstown Castle facts for kids
Luttrellstown Castle is an old castle built around the early 1400s (about 1420). It is located in Clonsilla, which is just outside Dublin, Ireland. Many different families have owned this castle over the years. These include the Luttrell family (who the castle is named after), the White family, and the famous Guinness family. More recently, it has been owned by JP McManus, John Magnier, and Aidan Brooks since 2006.
Luttrellstown Castle has welcomed important guests, like Queen Victoria, who visited in 1844 and 1900. It also became very famous when Victoria Adams married David Beckham there on July 4, 1999. The current owners have turned the castle and its surrounding land into a fancy 5-star resort.
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Exploring the Castle Estate
The land around Luttrellstown Castle is called its "demesne." It used to cover a whole area known as "Woodlands" in the parish of Clonsilla. Today, Luttrellstown Castle Resort is a 5-star place with about 560 acres (2.25 square kilometers) of land. It has a golf course and a country club, all located just outside Dublin.
A small stream flows into the estate, passing under the Royal Canal. Inside the castle grounds, this stream is held back to create a series of beautiful ponds. The stream then leaves the estate and flows into the River Liffey nearby.
Castle Owners Through History
Over many centuries, Luttrellstown Castle has been home to several important families. Each family added to the castle's long and interesting story.
The Luttrell Family's Legacy
The land where Luttrellstown Castle stands was given to Sir Geoffrey de Luterel around 1210 by King John of England. Sir Geoffrey was an important helper to the king in Ireland. His family, the Luttrells, became very powerful landowners in the area by the 1600s.
Sir Geoffrey Luttrell, who was born around 1385, started building the castle itself. Later, Sir Thomas Luttrell was a top judge in Ireland from 1534 to 1554. He was involved in closing down monasteries and gained more land for the family.
Colonel Henry Luttrell (born about 1655, died 1717) was an Anglo-Irish soldier. He was suspected of helping King William III of England during a big battle in 1691. Because of this, he was given his older brother's estates, including Luttrellstown. He became a major general.
Simon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton (1713–1787) was the son of Colonel Henry Luttrell. He became a politician in England and was also the Lord Lieutenant of County Dublin.
Henry Lawes Luttrell, 2nd Earl of Carhampton (born 1743, died 1821) was Simon's son. He was a Member of Parliament and was known for his role in stopping the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Many people in Ireland did not like him. He sold Luttrellstown Castle in 1800. He also owned land in the Caribbean but lived in England.
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His sister, Anne Luttrell (1742-1808), was considered very beautiful. She first married Christopher Horton in 1765. Later, she married Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn, who was the younger brother of King George III. Their marriage happened in 1771.
King George III did not approve of this marriage because Anne was not from a royal family and had been married before. Because of this, he later passed a law called the Royal Marriages Act 1772. This law made it so that royal family members needed the king's permission to marry.
Luke White's Ownership
Henry Lawes Luttrell sold Luttrellstown to Luke White, a very successful publisher. Luke White was a remarkable man in Ireland. He even changed the castle's name to Woodlands to remove the Luttrell name. However, his great-grandson later changed it back to Luttrell Castle.
Luke White started as a book dealer in 1778 with little money. By 1798, he was so wealthy that he loaned the Irish government a huge amount of money. He became a Member of Parliament and was very rich when he passed away in 1824.
The Lord Annaly Era
Eventually, the estate went to Luke White's fourth son, who was given the title Lord Annaly.
Queen Victoria's Royal Visits
Queen Victoria visited Luttrellstown Castle for the first time in 1844. She was on her way to visit the Duke of Leinster at Carton House. She came back in 1900 and even stopped to drink tea near a waterfall on the estate. Lord Annaly marked this special event with a tall stone monument made from granite blocks.
Ernest Guinness Buys the Castle
In 1927, Ernest Guinness bought the estate. It was a wedding gift for his daughter, Aileen Guinness, who married her cousin, Brinsley Sheridan Plunket. Aileen Plunket loved to host big parties and events at the castle. It became a place for many grand social gatherings.
Modern Owners and Resort Life
In 1983, a group of private investors from Switzerland called Primwest bought the castle. Then, in 2006, JP McManus and John Magnier became the new owners. In 2007, they spent more than €20 million to make big improvements. This included upgrading the championship golf course and the clubhouse, turning Luttrellstown into a top-class resort.
