Accommodation

Country Houses & Mansions

Ireland

In Ireland the country house scene is very much having a renaissance whereas in mainland Britain, from the 15th century as political stability and unification brought peace, local warlords were able to forsake their fortified castles in favour of comfortable and elegant country houses. However, in Ireland, where the population never fully accepted English rule, the dynamics differed. More often than not, the country houses were not built by an indigenous local warlord reborn as a country gentlemen, but by politically selected landlords, given land confiscated from its former Irish owner and regarded by the native Roman Catholic population as alien. As a consequence, Irish country houses were seldom perceived as the bedrock of rural society, which was the case in England.

In 1800, Ireland contained 4,000 landed estates presided over by a country house but two hundred years later, less than 100 remain. Many of these architecturally important houses were built by Anglo-Irish landlords during a period of prosperity in the 18th and early 19th centuries. For political and social reasons, during the 19th century, they came to be regarded with mounting resentment by the native Irish population. From 1920 to 1923 a total of almost three hundred of these "big houses" were destroyed during the Irish War of Independence.

Today, attempts are being made to rehabilitate Ireland's remaining great houses and have them regarded as an important part of Ireland's cultural heritage. Today, less than fifty remain in the hands of the families which built them, with their collections intact, and many of these are in poor condition - houses such as Russborough and Lismore Castle are very much a minority. The last political destruction of a country house was Tynan Abbey, in Nothern Ireland, which was destroyed by the IRA in 1981.

The great houses of Ireland may be few in number but they are rich in quality, architectural importance and intrinsic social history. Their owners, be they the original families or those who have stepped in to rescue historic buildings, are making it possible for visitors to this great island to enjoy their very own slice of magic and to be able to do so in the greatest possible comfort. The 5 star luxury country house accommodation is very much alive and kicking in the Ireland of today and it a selection of these homes which LTR offers its guests.

Country Houses and Mansions for hire in Ireland:

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