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SCATTERED AROUND IRELAND are the ruins of former big houses, lying in overgrown fields and out of the sight of locals, slowly crumbling as the years progress.
A reminder of Ireland’s colonial past, many of these houses lie in ruins, the story of their former owners gone untold for decades.
Author and photographer Tarquin Blake is fascinated by these mansions, and has been photographing them for years. With the release of his second book, Abandoned Mansions of Ireland II, he captures more of Ireland’s big houses, and the decrepit state in which they lie.
The book displays the ruins of buildings such as Elsinore in County Sligo, where William and Jack Butler Yeats spent many childhood summers, and Gortnamona House in County Offaly, built by the ‘heir to the principality of Ofelia’ in 1803. It also features Auburn House in County Westmeath, which was named after the ‘deserted village’ immortalised by the poet Oliver Goldsmith, whose father was a tenant on the estate.
“It all started out with the photography,” explained Blake. “I was just looking for interesting photos of ruined houses.” As he started exploring these places, he began “having the most amazing adventures”. When people ask him what it’s like, Blake can only compare it to one thing: Indiana Jones.
When you look at the condition many of these buildings are now left in, with vines and crumbling bricks where heavy curtains and ornate living rooms used to be, you can see that the comparison isn’t far off:
New book
For this project, it really was like an adventure film, with Blake looking at old topographical surveys to find locations of mansions, and then setting out with maps and GPS to find them himself. With ruins like these, he compares his search to Alice in Wonderland.
Blake says that it’s “really amazing what you can find out there”, when you go looking.
As I started researching and writing about these places, I found out there’s this whole area of heritage that is really undocumented. It seemed worthwhile to try and get my discoveries published. I started off with website and my first book came out a couple of years ago.
Abandoned Mansions of Ireland II focuses on 47 more lost ‘big houses’ and country estates which were built in the 18th and 19th century. “At that time, something like 95 per cent of the farm land was owned by about 5000 wealthy landowners,” said Blake, and the majority of the land was let to tenant farmers, who were dependent on the Anglo-Irish protestant landowners’ land for their livelihood, and had to pay rent to them for the land.
“The rent payments provided the staple income of the landowner. That’s why you got the huge houses,” said Blake. “These landowners were getting such a vast amount of money.”
In the 19th century, the Great Famine struck Ireland, and the penniless and starving tenants could not afford to pay their rent. This was the beginning of the end for the ‘big houses’, as incomes declined and landowners locked up and left the country. The Land War, agitation against this system, began in the 1870s, while the first Irish Land Act was brought in 1870, beginning the transfer of land back into the hands of the tenants (the final acts were brought in in 1922).
Then, during the War of Independence and Civil War, such houses became targets of the Irish Republican Army, with hundreds burnt out.
Documented
“There are hundreds of these ruins around Ireland,” outlined Blake. “But they’re not well documented.” His book seeks to address this, while also exploring the many eccentric characters that populated these homes.
In his research, he discovered information about landowners who were hated – like the Ballysaggart man whose tenants hired a hit man to kill him – and those who were respected, like the landowner who spent all his money importing food to feed his tenants during the famine.
The mansions he documents are not in State care or looked after by the Office of Public Works, and in some cases lie virtually unnoticed, a far cry from their position in society 200 years ago.
“I’d look at old maps comparing those to Google satellite images and if I saw something interesting there, I would just head off,” said Blake.
I’d just explore, put on walking boots and go on through the fields. Most of them are in the back of beyond, in the middle of nowhere.
He scours libraries for information and has started collecting books and 18th – 19th century topographical guides to pick up more information.
“I love the detective work that goes into it,” said the history enthusiast, who spent two years researching his latest book. He believes his books appeal to people precisely because he’s not a historian or professional photographer (though the quality of his images would certainly make one doubt that).
It’s something I’ve fallen into – it’s presented to normal people, it’s not a boring history book.
As he has such a passion for the physical remnants of Ireland’s past, it’s no surprise to hear that Blake is working on a third book, which is on general heritage sites. With so many locations out there to explore – “people just don’t know what’s out there” - it’s clear it won’t be his last foray into uncovering more of Ireland’s hidden history.
All pictures by Tarquin Blake.
Unbelievable that once grand country houses with so much history can be allowed to crumble into ruins.
Superb photographs though!
I can only second the statements above mine. Stunning photography of amazing properties. This book will now be on my Christmas list. It really highlights the crass contrast from these grand estates sitting empty to the now so popular Legoland estates sitting empty, too.
Instead of funding some of these terrible shows, could “they” not fund a bunch of out-of-work crafts people to restore some of these properties? What a brilliant way to revive “Hands” while simultaneously create employment (for builders, carpenters, roofers, crafters, farmers, etc), revenue and history. Oh, let me at it!
Mandy
These are my thoughts exactly . So much craft could be relearned and training given ,It would be fantastic to see these old mansions restored to their former glory. They are as much part of our history as the ”famine” cottages of old.
Surely An Taisce could get involved ? Then Fas could have a look, ,great potential to employ people here and keep them here . .
Try http://www.abandonedireland.com/ it’s their website lots more of great pictures here, enjoy
I can see a sequel in a few years – Ghost Estates of Ireland. Fascinating look at our history though. Empty mansions, owners emigrating, the divide between the rich and the poor. Has a familiarity ring about it.
And it could be launched in the Fianna Fail tent at the Gaway Races
Very interesting looking book, especially the interior photos on the youtube clip…
Something very sad about all of this, such beauty just left to decay. The stories those houses could tell if they could talk. Might pop this down on my Christmas list… For myself!! :)
Christmas ? Bah humbug !
@Frankie Andrews McNamees on the green
Why wait for Christmas (BBaaahh hhumbuggg) Just enjoy it now, I’ve been watching a programme on Chan4 grand designs. Some fantastic old buildings, towers, windmills been purchased by families that want to hold on to their history. So sad to see these falling down. As a post said above, why can’t young and old learn a new trade, with fas or local stone masons, carpenters etc. I don’t know, I’m sure there’s funding from somewhere.
This is amazing… Wouldn’t mind putting on a pair of hiking boots myself and go exploring some of these interesting sites as well. definitely putting this book on my Xmas wish list.
Intoxicating read I think. Definitely one on my Xmas list this year
here’s an idea – govt funded – get a few master craftsmen and 20 kids in to restore these fabulous old houses and when finished open them up for tourism. The kids will get trades and Ireland will have something to show off to the world – what else do we have? A restored post office and a poxy spike?
Oh hang on it will never happen – too much common sense…
20 kids and a few master crafts men and maybe 5-10 million a piece for each house to be restored. I’m sure that you’ll be able to buy some of these ruined houses for very little money.
Put your “common sense” approach in to practice, get some kids from the local secondary and off you go.
Serious to fu66. Your suggestion has absolutely no common sense to it at all.
You can have so much pleasure by using a little imagination whilst looking at these photos. I could see myself “back in the day” knocking over a lot of ornaments playing and running a muck around these houses/grounds.
Having worked in old gardens it’s crazy that these old houses & grounds are allowed to crumble, especially when the construction industry is still in free fall.
This is a must have book.
Happily, Castle Saunderson outside Belturbet, Cavan has been redeveloped by Scouting Ireland. A few million has been spent developing facilities on the site.
The house isn’t part of the development plans unfortunately. Well not yet anyhow. Would love to see it back to it’s former glory.
There’s one near me. I used to explore it a bit when I was younger. Quite dangerous for a kid actually but it was some spot. 5 stories including basement for servants. Enormous copper beech trees too. Unfortunately the roof was taken off to prove it was not occupied -in order to avoid paying property rates Im told. Thats what really ruined its structure beyond repair Id say.
It was Devalera and Co who caused these places to fall into ruin.
Always amazes me how these houses/cathedrals/castles fall into disrepair I’d like to read the back stories
I was lucky enough to get a tour of Castleboro house in Wexford.
We may be amazed at the majesty of these buildings today but just a few generations ago they were focal points of hatred and rage (perhaps for good reason) which led to their destruction.
Good nesting opportunitys for Barn Owls ..
Fascinating. I live beside a derelict big house, it was burnt down in the 70′s but had been used in films before it was destroyed including the legend of fu man chu so we can see it in it’s original glory. This video of grangegorman is really creepy and well worth a watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXi3Spb_bhA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Interesting video Niamh. It’s remarkable how some of these houses, being the former residences of the the hated landowning elite, went on to serve as homes for religious institutions who buggered and abused our children!
Very true. I read on the abandoned Ireland website that the 6 year old son of the owner of one of the houses ended up in grangegorman for the rest of his life. The child was 6 going into that hell hole and spent the rest of his life there. Poor kid.
The Act of Union at the turn of the 18th/19th century was the great blow to the Big Houses: the seat of power and influence moved within months from Dublin to London, and the inhabitants of the Big Houses moved with it, leaving their agents behind to grind their tenants.
Delighted to see the release of this second book. I’m fascinated with the Big House and still browse through Tarquin’s first book which he was kind enough to inscribe with a quotation for me. Looking forward to getting this book too.
ballysaggartmore gothic entrance is wrong these are ballysaggartmore grand lodges the entrance is further over called the towers………..you enter over a bridge with towers……..my mother lived in the grand lodges in 1939 to 1949..i have a picture of the lodges when the family lived there…with my grandmother standing out front if the auther would like a look he can mail me……………
When I see these fabulous house stand testament to a gone by era, it makes me think of the poem Death the Leveler, as like all things in life, even big houses are just the same as stone in the end…
Much more beauty in nature, in woodlands, bogland, hillside etc in sunrise, sunset, etc. and in the face of every human being and even animals, all living things. Houses are nothing but stone and mortar if not occupied by human beings.
I hope Paradise House in County Clare is featured!
Check out the website http://www.abandonedireland.com that accompanies the book.
Fascinating but also quite sad to see these once great houses fall into ruin.
The houses are beautiful and retain a silent history of what happened within their walls.
It was a sad time in Irelands history with planters and landgrabbers, and these houses represent the inequality that existed at the time.
Even today we have those few landlords still living here off land and entitlement that they probably shouldn’t have (Mount Charles and the Slane Castle brigade is one example)
True. Ill-gotten gains.
who owns these houses?
peter i think its the waterford county council that has a key to an entrance to grand lodges …but my grandmother rented it off lismore castle estates…………in the 40.s
I wonder if the property value of these homes have gone down enough for me to buy one.
I started doing this with old farmhouses around Kildare , firstly to try take nice photos , but the history behind these places is amazing. Very glad to see a second to this book, great work. Will definitely be buying it.
I bought the first one and am awaiting delivery of the second Wonderful publication
Wearing my ‘work’ hat here for the moment just to clarify that these houses are in ruin and can be quite dangerous. Also, they’re often on private property and you will need the owners’ permission to visit. But at least with the books, you’ll get to explore, even if it’s from your armchair :)
Really intresting stuff, if you’re interested in this stuff check out this link about the many mysterious monuments in Ireland: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkjrZWSsw-A
anyone know the who the music is by that accompanies the utube video…shaman seem to be incorrectly identifying it… it’s really powerful piece……
answers on a postcard anybody..??.
This is from a thread on the Irish History section of Reddit. A link to the thread in the article would be nice!
Hey Alan – this article isn’t from a thread on the Irish History section of Reddit. It’s from an interview I conducted with Tarquin Blake after he emailed me about the release of the book, including the video link above, and sent on photos which are also used above.
If we ever use content (etc) from Reddit, it is always credited. None of this is content taken from Reddit.
Thanks
Aoife
Sadly there is zero appetite to restore these houses. Developers see them as a nuisance – as many are listed and can’t be demolished – so end up building all around them and letting them crumble, or worse – deliberately burning them down, which is what happened to Bolton Hall in Ballyboden.
would it be possible to rent one of these properties have some amazing business ideas that would feel right at home in a abandon castle.where would i even start
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