- Woodstock Estate
The Woodstock Estate is located one mile outside the village of
Inistioge inCounty Kilkenny . The estate was home to the Tighe family who built Woodstock House in 1745.The numerous gardens and walks were constructed from 1840-1900 by William Tighe and his wife Lady Louisa Lennox [ [http://www.gardensireland.com/woodstock-gardens.html Gardens in Inistioge - Woodland Walks - Formal Avenues - Wooded Valley - Co. Kilkenny ] ] . The gardens contain many exotic plants from Asia and South America including the Monkey Puzzle tree and the Noble Fir tree which form two of the walks in the gardens [ [http://www.woodstock.ie/t_wintergarden.asp Woodstock Gardens and Arboretum ] ] and the gardens also include specimens of
Coast Redwood .The house was burnt down on
2 July 1922 during theIrish Civil War after troops from theFree State Army were withdrawn from the premises on1 July 1922 and the house left unguarded. The property had been occupied in 1921 by theBlack and Tans and Auxiliaries which caused much local resentment.The grounds are currently being restored by Kilkenny County Council and open to the public.
The house is a derelict empty shell overgrown with vegetation.
The estate is located on the west bank, and sweeps down to the river
Nore . There is a notable shooting lodge built in the grounds, near the river - the "Red House".The estate hosted the Irish
Jamboree marking 70 years ofScouting in Ireland in 1978. The celebrations were attended by almost 10,000 Scouts from around the world and was opened by PresidentPatrick Hillery .History
In 1737, the twenty six year old
Sir William Fownes commissioned an elegant mansion on the Woodstock Estate he had inherited near Inistioge, in Co. Kilkenny. He hoped thereby to establish himself with the gentry of the area - and ultimately to impress theEarl of Bessborough , whose daughter Elisabeth he planned to marry. Over the next forty five years, Woodstock was the background to a series of dramas that led to the deaths of William, Elisabeth and their son in law William Tighe.References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
