Abandoned Opulence.
In Ireland, there aren't many properties like this left. Most have crumbled, been demolished, or were destroyed in the great fires of the 1920s. This one had been on my bucket list for over 20 years, and well, I can confirm it was worth the wait!
The large Victorian mansion was built towards the end of the 1700s, and walking into this entrance today was still breathtaking; I can't imagine how fabulous it would have been when it was brand new.
The house underwent numerous renovations and enlargements, none of which were without detail. The mansion has been abandoned for nearly 50 years, during which time it has been subjected to several fires and vandalism.
Anything of value has been stripped from the building but thankfully the ornate plaster work is still in place and it still gives that wow factor to whoever walks below.
According to the 1911 census, the house had 52 rooms, 26 of which were bedrooms.
Another thing that drew my attention was the fact that there were only three people living here at the time. I can't help but imagine how lonely it must have been to live here.
There are rumours of the house being haunted, although nothing concrete or consistent has been recorded so I think this is just hearsay. We all assume the big houses have ghosts, but I believe that's not always the case.
The house survived the big fires of the 1920s, but it wasn't completely spared.
The Lord who lived here during that time had received threats from the IRA. On the back of this he fled to London and lived in exile for some time. He returned after the civil war had ended to find the house had been ransacked and vandalised.
There have been various Earls and Lords and who have occupied the house. The last to live in the house sadly is said to have committed suicide on the grounds for reasons unknown.
All the owners who lived here had great power and wealth. This shows even in the smaller rooms and the ceiling above.
Below to the basements were a lot of the servants would have roamed. Check out the arched ceilings.
When the house was at its busiest they say up to 300 servants were working here at one time. The hustle and bustle in these lower quarters must have been phenomenal.
