Country house

The National Monuments Service's description

On bluff overlooking Funshion River to N; on NW side of Mitchelstown. Site of a succession of houses built on or near site of castle (14317). Shown on 1842 OS 6-inch map as 'Mitchelstown Castle', with elaborate walled gardens and orchards; site of church and graveyard (14445, 14608) adjacent to S; ornamental ponds and fish ponds to N. Described by Smith (1750, vol. 1, 345) as a fine house and park, with 'large hall, round which, on top, runs a handsome corridor; the staircase is large and lightsome...Above the hall, is a gallery, 70 feet long, and 20 broad...on E side of house stands a handsome tower...and to N is a fine canal, lately formed, the sides of which being rising grounds, are adorned with pensile gardens'.
New house built in 1776, around core of earlier castle, by Viscount Kingsborough, who also built 'new town' of Mitchelstown (see 14630). Demesne laid out by John Webb, covering 1,240 acres, enclosed by limestone walls 6.25 miles long, much of which survive (pers. comm. B. Power). House replaced in 1823 with one of largest Gothic Revival Castles in Ireland, designed by James and George Richard Pain: 'the building, of limestone ashlar, formed 3 sides of a court, the open side consisting of a number of towers linked by a terrace...south front was plain and massive, with many windows and a square tower in the middle.. east front had a tall gate tower, in the Tudor manner, at its southern end; it was known as the White Knight's Tower and was the main entrance ... a hall led to a gallery 93 feet long, with a ceiling of plastered vaulting' (Bence-Jones 1978, 207). Three coat of arms (Kingston, Fenton and Fitzgerald/Fitzgibbon) were displayed in castle walls and were removed to Newcastle House, Co. Longford when house was being dismantled (1925-30); recently returned to Mitchelstown (B. Power, North Cork News, 4/7/1995). Much of estate sold in 1850s, remainder sold in 1907, castle burnt in 1922 and subsequently demolished; stones from house reused to build church at Mount Melleray Abbey, Co. Waterford. Dairygold industrial plant now occupies site of house. There are fragmentary remains atop bluff on N side of complex: three brick-vaulted rooms (c. 11m E-W; 5m N-S, walls stand to H c. 3m).
On S side of complex are remains of a substantial walled garden, divided into three sections by two parallel walls; most northerly of these now occupied by pitch and put course; central area has stone-built residential house; small turreted gates in outside walls. Also surviving here is front wall of range of 2-storey farmbuildings: deep central breakfront with pedimented; remainder of facade has arcade at ground-floor level. Farmyard, indicated on 1842 OS 6-inch map c. 1.5km to NW on N bank of river, survives: fine stone-built ranges of farm buildings enclose three yards; 5-bay, 2-storey hipped residence and 3-bay, 2-storey hipped manager's house in one range. Many demesne features also survive, including castellated slim entrance piers, ice house (14963), demesne walls and ornamental ponds.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009