homes historical ireland

The famous rebel, Michael Dwyer, was trapped in this cottage by the English in 1799, together with a small group of men. One of these men, Samuel MacAllister, drew the fire upon himself and was killed, but in this way enabled Dwyer to escape. The cottage is two-roomed, with rope chairs, a settle bed, a table with wooden vessels and a churn, a roasting spit, cooking utensils and pikes of the period displayed inside....

Hillsborough Castle is an 18th century historic house, built in the 1770's by Wills Hill, first Marquis of Downshire. It is now the official home of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
The castle is open to visitors on Saturdays during the months of May & June. You can also take a stroll around the magnificent gardens....

Lissadell - "That old Georgian Mansion" in the words of W.B. Yeats - is still owned by the Gore-Booth family. A fine but austere example of Greek-Revival architecture, it is full of many artefacts associated with succeeding generations of the family. Visitors can expect a genuine atmosphere of faded grandeur....

A desire to escape from the formality of country house life during the eighteenth century led to the emergence of small, comfortable holiday retreats known as villas. Undoubtedly the best example of such a building in Ireland is Belvedere - an exquisite house with an unusual elongated plan set in a fine landscape park overlooking Lough Ennell....

IThe Bishops' Palace is adjacent to King's John's Castle, it is the restored home of former Protestant Bishops of Limerick. The Palace has a classical facade and is related to the English Palladian style. The house is currently occupied by Limerick Civic Trust and visitors are welcome....

Located just four miles from Portadown, Monepenny's Lock is the first lock on the Newry Canal. The tranquil setting of this delightful cottage offers the perfect escape from our modern lifestyles to those who venture to walk or cycle along the Newry Canal Towpath from Portadown. A small museum and exhibition are now housed in the Lock House and the adjacent stables and bothy.

Together they provide a wealth of information on the history of Newry Canal that runs from Portadown to Newry and...

This great ruined house with its ornamental stone facade stands clear to be seen on the landscape. Built in 1779, the house was the inspiration for Sommerville and Ross' epic - The Big House at Inver - . The house was burnt down....

A few minutes walk from the town centre lies the Knockreer section of the National Park. Access is via Deenagh Lodge gate which is opposite the Cathedral, and this leads to a pleasant pastoral landscape with fine views of the Lakes and mountains especially from the gardens of Knockreer House. The house, which was the home of the Grosvenor family, is now the field study centre for the National Park....