Shanbally Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shanbally Castle |
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Front elevation of the former castle
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| Location | Clogheen, County Tipperary, Ireland. |
| Built | 19th Century |
| Built for | Cornelius O'Callaghan |
| Demolished | 1960 |
| Architect | John Nash |
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Shanbally Castle was a very large house located near Clogheen in County Tipperary, Ireland. It was built around 1810 for Cornelius O'Callaghan, who was the first Viscount Lismore. This grand building was the biggest house in Ireland designed by the famous English architect John Nash.
In 1954, the castle was bought by the Irish Land Commission. This was a government group that managed land in Ireland. Sadly, after a lot of debate and disagreement, Shanbally Castle was destroyed on March 21, 1960.
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Shanbally Castle: A Grand Irish Home
Shanbally Castle was a magnificent building. It showed the style of architecture popular in the early 1800s. The castle was a symbol of wealth and power for the O'Callaghan family. It stood proudly in the Irish countryside for about 150 years.
Who Built Shanbally Castle?
The castle was built for Cornelius O'Callaghan. He was a very important person at the time. He held the title of Viscount Lismore. The architect who designed it was John Nash. Nash was a well-known architect from England. He designed many famous buildings, including parts of Buckingham Palace. Shanbally Castle was his largest project in Ireland.
Why Was Shanbally Castle Demolished?
The decision to demolish Shanbally Castle caused a lot of upset. Many people wanted to save it. These included local people, a heritage group called An Taisce, and some university professors. Even some politicians spoke out against its destruction. For example, Senator Sean Moylan, who was a government minister, was against it.
However, the government at the time, led by the Fianna Fáil party, had different ideas. They were not very keen on keeping large houses that belonged to the old wealthy families, often called the "ascendancy." A local politician named Michael Davern also supported the castle's demolition.
Efforts to Save the Castle
For a short time, it seemed like the castle might be saved. A man named Edward Charles Sackville-West wanted to buy it. He was a theatre critic from London. He loved the Clogheen area because he had known it since he was a child. He agreed to buy the castle and about 163 acres of land.
But the sale did not happen. The Irish Land Commission was cutting down trees on the land he wanted to buy. Because of this, Edward Charles Sackville-West decided not to go through with the purchase. After this, the Irish Government said they could not find anyone else to buy the castle.
The Final Day
In March 1960, a local newspaper called The Nationalist reported the end of Shanbally Castle. The article said, "A big bang yesterday ended Shanbally Castle." Large amounts of explosives were used to shatter the building. The sound of the explosion was so loud that it could be heard up to 10 miles away.
After the castle was destroyed, the Irish Government made a statement. They explained why they had demolished it. They said that the castle had been empty for 40 years, except for a few times when the military used it. This was their reason for not keeping the castle for the nation.
