Lisnavagh House

= Lisnavagh House, Rathvilly, Co. Carlow, Ireland =

Lisnavagh Estate lies jut outside the village of Rathvilly in Co.Carlow. Lisnavagh is the family seat of the Bunbury family, Barons Rathdonnell. The first known house at Lisnavagh is thought to have been built by William Bunbury in 1696 in the parklands below the existing house and there were farm buildings fairly close by. The map from the 1840 Ordnance Survey shows the location of this house, grounds and buildings, but there is little else to tell what sort of a house this was, or what style it was in. The map also shows "Foundations of House" to the North West, near the top of the hill, which is where a new house was planned but never completed. There is still a large square hole in the ground there. The new house was actually built nearer to the old house in the end.

In 1847, Captain William McClintock Bunbury commissioned the very reputable Daniel Robertson to build a "New House at Lisnavagh". Daniel Robertson had already proved himself with his designs at Powerscourt Estate and Johnstown Castle, amongst several other places, and Lisnavagh was probably one of the last serious designs that he undertook. As well as the house, which was designed in the Gothic Revival style, he also designed the gardens and pleasure grounds, and the farmyard about a mile away.

In 1952 about two thirds of the house was taken down and the house remodelled to take account of the significant reduction in house staff and the generally bleak financial outlook at the time. Electricity was also introduced into the house at this time. The pleasure grounds and gardens had largely been "let go" in and around the World Wars and much of them became overgrown and abandoned.

In 2005, the house underwent a major renovation project. It is now availaable to hire for private events and a whole new generation are enjoying the house and gardens. In 2007, GQ magazine named Lisnavagh as one of the "Top 100 things in the world."

External links

*http://www.lisnavagh.com