In 1722, William Connolly, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, began the construction of Castletown House. Then in his 60s, Connolly was one of the wealthiest commoners in Ireland. Originally from Donegal, where his parents owned a bar and mill, he trained as a lawyer and acquired a large amount of land, and with it, political power.
On his death, in 1729, the house was unfinished, though his widow, Katherine, continued to live there for a further twenty years. In 1758, the house passed to Speaker Connolly’s great-nephew, Tom Connolly. Following Tom’s marriage, in his early 20s, to the 15-year-old Lady Louisa Lennox, daughter of the Duke of Richmond, work began again on the house, re-designed and supervised largely by Lady Louisa.
Recent History
The Connolly family remained at Castletown until 1965, when the estate was sold to a property developer, who planned to demolish the house and build housing estates on the land. The furniture and contents were all auctioned.
Many of the items were later recovered by the Irish Georgian Society and in 1967, the Hon. Desmond Guinness, of Leixlip, bought back the house and 100 acres of land. The Georgian Society used it as their headquarters, and partly restored the house. In 1979, it was handed over to the Castletown Foundation, a voluntary, fund-raising organisation, which continues to oversee the interior and contents, though the house itself has, since 1994, been owned by the State, and managed by the Office of Public Works.
Visiting Castletown
Castletown House is open to the public, by guided tour, daily, except Mondays, between mid-March and October. (Adult 4.50 Euro, Senior/Child/Student 3.50 Euro, Family 12.50 Euro). The surrounding parklands can be explored by pedestrians at any time. The house can be reached, on foot from the south-west via a ½-mile, tree-lined avenue from Celbridge, or from a car park accessed from the M4 motorway or from Leixlip to the north-east. Tours begin, hourly, from the visitor reception area in the west wing.
Ground Floor
The 2-storey-tall entrance hall retains its original design, by Irish architect, Sir Edward Lovett Pearce. Here and throughout the house, wherever possible, Speaker Connolly used Irish materials and employed Irish artisans and labourers. The chimney piece, for example, is made from black Kilkenny marble. This hall is now used for concerts.
The cantilevered staircase was built in 1760, under the supervision of Lady Louisa. Its walls are decorated in the rococo style of the Swiss-Italian Lafranchini Brothers, and depict the four seasons, the goddess, Vesta and a bust of Tom Connolly.
The Dining Room was originally two rooms, but again under instructions from Lady Louisa, the dividing wall was removed, the doors lowered and two false doors added for symmetry. Next to this is the Butler’s Pantry, where food from the west wing kitchens was re-heated before serving.
The Brown Study, a small, dark-panelled room, was used as an office. The Red and Green Drawing Rooms were employed for the formal entertainment of guests. Here, as throughout much of the house, the furnishings are partly original and partly brought in from elsewhere, or are reproductions of period furniture. The artworks are mostly on loan from the Rossmore family of County Monaghan.
Also on the ground floor is the Connolly bedroom, where, in accordance with the then fashionable French custom, Speaker Connolly would receive important guests in the mornings. An intimate glimpse into the interests of Lady Louisa, and the cultural image she wished to project, can be seen in the Print Room, which is decorated by monochrome reproductions of paintings, cut out and framed by Louisa herself.
First Floor
The main living quarters of the family, including the bedrooms, are situated on the first floor. Lady Louisa’s bedroom remains completely unrestored, and demonstrates how much the house had deteriorated before its restoration.
The Long Gallery is perhaps the most impressive room in the house. Measuring 27 metres by 7.5 metres, this was the living room, and above its chimney pieces are portraits of Tom and Louisa. The chandeliers, originally candlelit, though electrified in the 1980s, are made of Murano glass, from Venice. On taking delivery of them, Lady Louisa complained that the blue of the glass did not match the blue of the wall coverings. Concerts are held in the Long Gallery.
Connolly’s Folly
From the central window of the gallery, one can look across the fields to the rear of the house, and along an avenue, beyond which can be seen Connolly’s Folly. Also known as The Obelisk, this was built in 1740, on the instructions of Speaker Connolly’s widow, Katherine, to provide employment for local men during the famine. It stands on land that belonged to the nearby Carton estate, of Maynooth, though it is now looked after by the Office of Public Works.
The Parklands
Castletown parklands can be enjoyed by families at any time. The avenue approach from Celbridge is a pleasant ½-mile walk that culminates in a sudden opening out of a view of the house. From the car park, another avenue, also lined with lime trees, leads east, past wheatfields, in which isolated oaks break the uniformity of the crops. After half-a-mile, the track turns south-east to reach the north bank of the River Liffey, along which it continues westward, past the ruins of an Ice House, Bath House and Temple, before swinging back over small stone bridges to return to the house - a pleasant stroll of less than an hour’s duration.
Anthony Toole - I was born and brought up in the English Lake District, where I have walked and climbed for most of my life. I was educated as a scientist ...
