huntington castle

Its three-storey four-bay castellated front seems hardly to have a straight line anywhere - the side walls gently leaning to one angle and the sash windows lying askew. The old core of Huntington Castle is a tower house built by Laurence, first and last Lord Esmonde between 1625 and 1630. The castle remained largely unaltered until 1849 when the property was inherited by Alexander Durdin whose grand-uncle had married the two daughters and co-heirs of Sir John Esmond, third Bart, as his two successive wives. Alexander Durdin's modifications to the house were continued by his daughter Helen following her marriage in 1880 to Herbert Robertson - formerly Tory MP for Hackney South. Huntington was one of the first country houses in Ireland to have electricity, and in order to satisfy local interest a light was kept burning on the front lawn so that the curious could come up and inspect it. Huntington is indeed a house of profound character, filled with the spirits of the past. Perhaps the most interesting of all rooms is the dining-room, formerly the old hall of the castle. Its granite fireplace has the date 1625 inscribed on the keystone. To the right is a stained glass genealogical window made in 1870 by Powell which traces the family's lineage back to Lord Esmonde, while the medieval atmosphere of the room is further enhanced by Bedouin tent hangings from Tunisia draped across the walls.

Located in the village of Clongal. NGR: S 913607