Rossmore Castle facts for kids
Rossmore Castle, also known as Rossmore Park, was a beautiful castle located just outside Monaghan town in County Monaghan, Ireland. It was built in 1827 in a special old-fashioned style called Gothic. This castle was the main home for the important Barons Rossmore family. Sadly, the castle started to fall apart in the 1940s when the family moved to another house nearby. It was eventually taken down in the 1970s.
Contents
A Grand Castle's Story
Building a Dream Home
Rossmore Castle was a large country house built in the 1800s. It looked just like a medieval castle! The castle was first built in 1827 for The 2nd Baron Rossmore. An Irish architect named William Vitruvius Morrison designed it in the Gothic style. This style often includes pointed arches and fancy decorations.
The castle had a huge square tower with smaller turrets, which are like small towers. It also had special stepped rooflines called crow-stepped battlements. You could see many gables, which are the triangular parts of a wall under a sloping roof. There were also oriel windows, which are windows that stick out from the wall.
A House of Many Windows
In 1858, the castle was made even bigger and changed by another Irish architect, William Henry Lynn. There was a friendly competition between Lord Rossmore and another important family, the Shirleys of Lough Fea. They often tried to have the biggest room in all of County Monaghan!
Because of this fun rivalry, the main drawing room at Rossmore Castle was made longer five different times. In the end, the house had three towers. It also had more than 117 windows! These windows came in at least 53 different sizes and shapes, making the castle look very unique.
Parties and Important Guests
Later in the 1800s, Rossmore Castle was famous for its lively parties and fun gatherings. Even the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII, was a friend of Derrick Westenra, 5th Baron Rossmore. He often visited the castle.
The 5th Baron Rossmore was a very important person in Monaghan. He was the Lord Lieutenant of Monaghan, which meant he was the King's representative in the county. He held this important role from 1897 until he passed away in 1921. His son, William Westenra, 6th Baron Rossmore, then took over as the 6th Baron.
The Castle's Final Years
After the Second World War, the castle faced a big problem. It got something called dry rot, which is a type of fungus that damages wood. This made the castle unsafe. Because of the damage, the family had to leave their grand home.
They moved to Camla Vale, which was a smaller but still lovely Georgian house on the same estate. Rossmore Castle was left empty and slowly fell into ruins. Finally, in 1975, the old castle was carefully taken down.
