Luttrellstown Castle

Coordinates: 53°22′45.36″N 6°25′2.84″W / 53.3792667°N 6.4174556°W / 53.3792667; -6.4174556
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Luttrellstown Castle
Garden front of castle
Luttrellstown Castle is located in Ireland
Luttrellstown Castle
Alternative namesWoodlands
General information
StatusHotel
Architectural styleGothic, Georgian
Town or cityClonsilla, Dublin
CountryIreland
Groundbreaking1787-94 (for Henry Luttrell)
Estimated completion1810 (extended and remodelled)
Design and construction
Other designersBartholomew Byrne - stucco work (1794)
Quantity surveyorBryan Bolger (1794)
Main contractorG&T Crampton (1985-86)
Website
www.luttrellstowncastle.com
References
[1][2][3]

Luttrellstown Castle is a castellated house located in Clonsilla on the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland dating from the early 15th century (c. 1420).

It has been owned variously by the eponymous and notorious

JP McManus, John Magnier and Aidan Brooks.[4] The castle has hosted visits by Queen Victoria in 1844 and 1900, and its media profile was raised when Victoria Adams married David Beckham
there on 4 July 1999.

Demesne

An entrance to Luttrelestown estate near the Liffey

Luttrellstown Demesne originally comprised the entirety of the townland of "Woodlands"[5] in the civil parish of Clonsilla. Today, Luttrellstown Castle Resort and its remaining 560-acre (2.3 km2) demesne currently form a 5-star resort, with a golf course, country club and unique location just outside the city boundaries of Dublin. A stream rising near the townland of Pass-If-You-Can[6] enters an aqueduct in the townland of Westmanstown[7] and passes under the Royal Canal before entering the north-western corner of the demesne. Within the walls of the demesne, the waters are dammed to form a chain of artificial ponds. The stream exits the south-eastern corner of the demesne at a gate lodge on the Strawberry Beds, passing under the road before falling into the River Liffey 25m later.

History

The Luttrell family

The demesne and adjoining lands were granted to Sir Geoffrey de Luterel about

John of England. Sir Geoffrey served as the king's minister on many missions of state to Ireland from 1204 to 1216. He was the ancestor of the Luttrells of Dunster Castle in Somersetshire, England.[8] The family became the biggest landowners in the district by the 17th century. Robert Luttrell was treasurer of St Patrick's Cathedral and Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1235 to 1245, and married into the Plunkett family.[8]

The castle was started by Sir Geoffrey Luttrell, the 5th Lord Luttrell, who was born about

Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas, 1534-1554, and actively involved in the dissolution of the monasteries. He acquired the lands of St Mary's Abbey at Coolmine.[8]

Colonel Henry Luttrell of Luttrellstown and became Lord Lieutenant of County Dublin.[10]

Main entrance and side of castle

Painshill Park in Surrey
, England.

Luke White

Henry Lawes Luttrell sold Luttrellstown to publisher

Luke White in 1811,[12] described as one of the most remarkable men that Ireland produced and ancestor of Lord Annaly. In 1778 Luke White started as an impecunious book dealer, buying in Dublin and reselling around the country. By 1798, during the rebellion, he helped the Irish government with a loan of 1 million pounds (at £65 per £100 share at 5%). He became M.P. for Leitrim, and died in 1824 leaving properties worth £175,000 per annum. Luke White changed the name to Woodlands[12]
to eradicate the name of Luttrell. Eventually the estate devolved to his fourth son who was created Lord Annaly, peer of the United Kingdom. White's great-grandson, the 3rd Lord Annaly, reverted the building's name to Luttrell Castle.

Queen Victoria first visited Luttrellstown in 1844 en route to the Duke of Leinster at Carton House. In 1900, en route to the Viceregal Lodge she drank a cup of tea near the waterfall, an event commemorated by Lord Annaly with an obelisk made of six granite blocks from the Dublin mountains.

In 1915, Lord Annaly sold the house to a Major Hamilton who soon moved on to Holdenby House in Northamptonshire and died three years later in 1918 when the house was left to his widow.

Ernest Guinness

In 1927 the estate was bought by Ernest Guinness, as a wedding present for his daughter,

Aileen Guinness, who married a cousin, Brinsley Sheridan Plunket. Aileen Plunket entertained on a grand scale. The castle became the site of hunt balls and other lavish social events.[13] Her niece, Lady Caroline Blackwood wrote of growing up in that atmosphere in her book, Great Granny Webster.[14]

Private consortia

Luttrellstown Golf Club House

In 1983 it was sold to the private Swiss consortium Primwest controlled by the French businessman Didier Primat.[15]

In 2006, it was bought by

JP McManus and John Magnier. In 2007, more than €20 million was spent on major upgrade work, including improvements to the Steel and Mackenzie designed championship golf course and the "alpine style" clubhouse. [16]

House contents and furnishings

When the property was sold by Aileen Plunkett, the contents were also sold in September 1983 by Christie's of London.[17][18] Desmond FitzGerald, 29th Knight of Glin, described the sale of the contents as being the Irish sale of the century.[19]

References and footnotes

  1. ^ "Luttrellstown Castle, WOODLANDS, DUBLIN". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Dictionary of Irish Architects". www.dia.ie. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  3. ^ Reeves Smyth, Terrence. "The Country Houses and Designed Landscapes of Fingal" (PDF). www.nihgt.org. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Aidan Brooks". Irish Independent. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  5. ^ Placenames Database of Ireland - townland of Woodlands.
  6. ^ Placenames Database of Ireland - townland of Pass-If-You-Can.
  7. ^ Placenames Database of Ireland - townland of Westmanstown.
  8. ^
    ISBN 9781856355520
  9. ISBN 9780191562433
  10. ^ a b Ball, Francis Elrington, A History of the County Dublin (Abbey-St., Dublin, Alex, Thom & Co. (Limited), 1906; Volume IV.
  11. ^ "AAI | Big Houses of Ireland". 30 September 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  12. ^ a b "WHITE, Luke (c.1750-1824), of Woodlands, (formerly Luttrellstown), co. Dublin and Porters, Shenley, Herts. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  13. ISBN 9780571265817
  14. ISBN 9780307822352
  15. ^ "Luttrellstown Castle makes €4.7m loss". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  16. ^ Kelly, Liam (17 November 2010). "Coghlan vows to put Luttrellstown back on course - Golf, Sport - Independent.ie". Irish Independent. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  17. ^ "Christies hardback catalogue re sale of contents of Luttrellstown Castle, Clonsilla, Dublin on 26-28". www.purcellauctioneers.ie. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Luttrellstown Castle For Sale". RTÉ Archives. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Luttrellstown Castle Contents For Auction". RTÉ Archives. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Luttrellstown Castle.

53°22′45.36″N 6°25′2.84″W / 53.3792667°N 6.4174556°W / 53.3792667; -6.4174556

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Luttrellstown_Castle&oldid=1283916138"