Luttrellstown Castle
| Luttrellstown Castle | |
|---|---|
 An illustration of the castle by Rose Barton in 1898. | |
  | |
| Alternative names | Woodlands |
| General information | |
| Status | Hotel |
| Architectural style | Gothic,Georgian |
| Town or city | Clonsilla,Dublin |
| Country | Ireland |
| Groundbreaking | 1787-94 (for Henry Luttrell) |
| Estimated completion | 1810 (extended and remodelled) |
| Design and construction | |
| Other designers | Bartholomew Byrne - stucco work (1794) |
| Quantity surveyor | Bryan Bolger (1794) |
| Main contractor | G&T Crampton(1985-86) |
| References | |
| [1][2][3] | |
Luttrellstown Castleis a castellated house located inClonsillaon the outskirts ofDublin,Irelanddating from the early 15th century (c.1420).
It has been owned variously by the eponymous and notoriousLuttrellfamily, by the booksellerLuke Whiteand his descendantsBaron Annaly,by theGuinness family,the Primwest Group, and since 2006, byJP McManus,John Magnierand Aidan Brooks.[4]The castle has hosted visits byQueen Victoriain 1844 and 1900, and its media profile was raised whenVictoria AdamsmarriedDavid Beckhamthere on 4 July 1999.
Demesne[edit]
Luttrellstown Demesne originally comprised the entirety of thetownlandof "Woodlands"[5]in thecivil parishofClonsilla.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 ofDublin.A stream rising near the townland of Pass-If-You-Can[6] enters anaqueductin the townland of Westmanstown[7]and passes under theRoyal Canalbefore 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 theStrawberry Beds,passing under the road before falling into theRiver Liffey25m later.
Owners[edit]
The Luttrell family[edit]
The demesne and adjoining lands were granted to Sir Geoffrey de Luterel about1210by KingJohn of England.Sir Geoffrey served as the king's minister on many missions of state to Ireland from1204to1216.He was the ancestor of the Luttrells ofDunster CastleinSomersetshire,England.[8]The family became the biggest landowners in the district by the 17th century. Robert Luttrell was treasurer ofSt Patrick's CathedralandLord Chancellor of Irelandfrom1235to1245,and married into the Plunkett family.[8]
The castle was started by Sir Geoffrey Luttrell, the 5th Lord Luttrell, who was born about1385.Sir Thomas LuttrellwasChief 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,(born about 1655, died 22 October 1717), the second son ofThomas Luttrell of Luttrellstown,was anAnglo-Irishsoldier. He was suspected of betraying the Irish leaderPatrick Sarsfield,either by his precipitate withdrawal of hisJacobitetroops or by giving the army of KingWilliam III of Englandstrategic information about afordof a river, leading to the loss of theBattle of Aughrimin 1691. After the Siege of Limerick, Luttrell brought his regiment into the Williamite cause. For this act, he was rewarded with the forfeited estates of his elder brother, Simon Luttrell, including Luttrellstown, and was made a major general in the Dutch army.[9]He was assassinated in hissedan chairoutside his townhouse in Stafford Street,Dublin,in October 1717.[10]ColonelSimon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton(1713–14 January 1787), was an Irish nobleman who became a politician atWestminster.He was the second son ofColonel Henry Luttrellof Luttrellstown and became Lord Lieutenant ofCounty Dublin.[10]
Henry Lawes Luttrell, 2nd Earl of Carhampton(born 1743, died 1821) was the son of Simon, 6th Lord Luttrell of Luttrellstown. He served as aMember of Parliamentfor Bossiney in 1768, and subsequently was Adjutant General of Ireland, where he became notorious for his role in suppressing theIrish Rebellion of 1798.He was so hated that he sold Luttrellstown Castle in 1800, but in a revenge attack, the grave of his grandfather Colonel Henry Luttrell (died 1717) was opened and the skull smashed. His 'popularity' in Ireland is encapsulated by an incident in which theDublin Postof 2 May 1811 reported his death. Luttrell demanded a retraction, which the newspaper printed, but it appeared under the headlinePublic Disappointment.[11]Luttrell was anabsentee landlordwho also owned an estate in theWest Indiesbut resided atPainshill ParkinSurrey,England. His sisterAnne Luttrell(1742-1808), considered, and written about, as one of the great beauties of the ages. Anne was first married to a commoner, Christopher Horton (or Houghton) of Catton Hall, on 4 August 1765. She later marriedPrince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn,the sixth child of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, and a younger brother ofKing George III.Their marriage took place atHertford Streetin Mayfair, London on 2 October 1771.King George IIIdid not approve of the marriage, as Anne was a commoner and previously married. Due to this, he later had theRoyal Marriages Act 1772passed to prevent any descendant of George II marrying without the consent of the sovereign, a law which remained in effect until the passage of theSuccession to the Crown Act 2013,which, in addition to several other modifications, limited the requirement to obtain royal consent to only the first six persons in line to the throne (rather than all descendants).
Luke White[edit]
Henry Lawes Luttrell sold Luttrellstown to publisherLuke Whitein 1811,[12]described as one of the most remarkable men that Ireland produced and ancestor ofLord 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 toWoodlands[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.
Visits by Queen Victoria[edit]
Queen Victoria first visited Luttrellstown in 1844 en route to theDuke of LeinsteratCarton House.In 1900, en route to theViceregal Lodgeshe drank a cup of tea near thewaterfall,an event commemorated by Lord Annaly with an obelisk made of sixgraniteblocks from the Dublin mountains.
Ernest Guinness[edit]
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 Blackwoodwrote of growing up in that atmosphere in her book,Great Granny Webster.[14]
Private consortia[edit]
In 1983 it was sold to the private Swiss consortium Primwest controlled by the French businessman Didier Primat.[15]
In 2006, it was bought byJP McManusandJohn 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[edit]
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[edit]
- ^"Luttrellstown Castle, WOODLANDS, DUBLIN".Buildings of Ireland.Retrieved19 April2024.
- ^"Dictionary of Irish Architects".dia.ie.Retrieved19 April2024.
- ^Reeves Smyth, Terrence."The Country Houses and Designed Landscapes of Fingal"(PDF).nihgt.org.Retrieved19 April2024.
- ^"Aidan Brooks".Irish Independent.15 January 2018.Retrieved19 April2024.
- ^Placenames Database of Ireland- townland of Woodlands.
- ^Placenames Database of Ireland- townland of Pass-If-You-Can.
- ^Placenames Database of Ireland- townland of Westmanstown.
- ^abcLacey, Jim.Candle in the Window: A History of the Barony of Castleknock,Mercier Press, 2007ISBN9781856355520
- ^Connolly, S. J.,Divided Kingdom: Ireland 1630-1800,OUP Oxford, 2008ISBN9780191562433
- ^abBall, Francis Elrington,A History of the County Dublin(Abbey-St., Dublin, Alex, Thom & Co. (Limited), 1906; Volume IV.
- ^"AAI | Big Houses of Ireland".30 September 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 30 September 2007.Retrieved3 October2017.
- ^ab"WHITE, Luke (c.1750-1824), of Woodlands, (formerly Luttrellstown), co. Dublin and Porters, Shenley, Herts. | History of Parliament Online".historyofparliamentonline.org.Retrieved3 October2017.
- ^MacCarthy, Fiona.Last Curtsey: The End of the Debutantes,Faber & Faber, 2011ISBN9780571265817
- ^Schoenberger, Nancy.Dangerous Muse: The Life of Lady Caroline Blackwood,Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2012ISBN9780307822352
- ^"Luttrellstown Castle makes €4.7m loss".The Irish Times.Retrieved19 April2024.
- ^Kelly, Liam (17 November 2010)."Coghlan vows to put Luttrellstown back on course - Golf, Sport - Independent.ie".Irish Independent.Retrieved29 April2012.
- ^"Christies hardback catalogue re sale of contents of Luttrellstown Castle, Clonsilla, Dublin on 26-28".purcellauctioneers.ie.Retrieved19 April2024.
- ^"Luttrellstown Castle For Sale".RTÉ Archives.Retrieved19 April2024.
- ^"Luttrellstown Castle Contents For Auction".RTÉ Archives.Retrieved19 April2024.
External links[edit]
53°22′45.36″N6°25′2.84″W/ 53.3792667°N 6.4174556°W
