Changing Houses

Ireland’s grand houses are pivoting for a new audience.

WORDS BY Tara Corristine

CURRAGHMORE HOUSE AND GARDENS

COUNTY WATERFORD

Curraghmore House in Waterford is the historic family home of the ninth Marquis of Waterford. His ancestors, the de la Poers, came to Ireland from Normandy around 1170. Some 2,500 acres of formal gardens, woodland and grazing fields make this the largest private demesne in Ireland. The grounds were laid out by the first de la Poer Beresford Earl of Tyrone around 1750 and provide a splendid example of an eighteenth century romantic landscape, with the house as its centrepiece. In front of the house is the garden in the French manner, designed by Louisa, third Lady Waterford. Its formal terraces, with balustrades and statuary overlook the manmade lake.

The present day Lord and Lady Waterford live and work in the house. Farming, hunting and breeding horses continues as it did centuries ago. Weekly game shooting parties are held every season and in spring, calves, foals and lambs can be seen in abundance on Curraghmore’s verdant fields. Polo is still played on the estate in summer. Throughout Ireland’s turbulent history, the family has never been ‘absentee landlords’ and still provide diverse employment for a number of local people.

During the summer, the house is open for guided tours, including the gardens and Shell House. Hidden in a shrubbery near the main house at Curraghmore, The Shell House was created by Catherine, Countess of Tyrone, with ‘her proper’ hands in 1754. The decoration of the folly took her 261 days to complete and the intricate patterns of shells from all over the world still glow with colour above a statue of the Countess by John van Nost.

In the past four years a number of buildings have been renovated, some as rental properties, and the Old Estate Offices have been transformed into charming Tea Rooms where visitors can buy local produce and enjoy cakes and pastries produced onsite by the Curraghmore chef. These old buildings are enjoying a new lease of life, housing entrepreneurial startups that foster sustainability and growth opportunities on the estate. The latest project is the introduction of Curraghmore Whiskey, situated in the Ten Stalls, former coach horse stables led by Richard de la Poer Beresford, Lord Waterford’s eldest son.

The estate has embraced change and welcomed new audiences. The summer season now hosts annual open-air theatre featuring period dramas in keeping with the Curraghmore setting. It has hosted country fair days, charity walks and works closely with the local community.

In recent years, the estate has ventured into the world of music festivals, hosting All Together Now (ATN), its biggest event to date. The family was approached by the late John Reynolds, founder of Electric Picnic, who called it, the best venue he had ever been to. The festival, heading in to its third year, has proved very successful and of great economic benefit to the area. Curraghmorehouse.ie

AIRFIELD ESTATE

COUNTY DUBLIN

Home to the Overend family since 1894, Airfield Estate was left in trust to the people of Ireland by Letitia and Naomi Overend in 1974, trailblazing sisters who understood the importance of being self-sufficient and sustainable – and not just with food. These women took on everything from farming and cattle trading to car maintenance. As local figures, they turned heads around Dublin, owning three cars at one stage (unheard of at that time). One of those was a Rolls Royce, an investment they would only agree to if it came with a tow bar for transporting their Jersey cows, and a course on car maintenance so that the sisters could keep it on the road for as long as they needed it.

It was, however, their sense of community and a lifetime of charitable endeavours that the Overends are remembered for most. Tuned in to the social challenges of their time, they opened their home to some of Ireland’s most vulnerable, offering respite care to injured soldiers during two world wars, using their dairy herd and life-saving pasteurisation to donate to the safe milk depot, and funding The Children’s Sunshine Home – a charity better known today as The Laura Lynn Foundation.

Today, Airfield Estate is a social and charitable hub, investing in initiatives that reach every corner of the community, via the house, gardens, farm and award-winning restaurant. The focus of the estate is to ensure that consumers understand the impact of their food choices on themselves, their families, society as a whole and, ultimately, the planet. Using the working farm as the backdrop, it provides education programmes to primary and secondary schools, as well as third-level institutions across Ireland, about seasonality, growing and cooking, sustainability and ecology. As a not-for-profit organisation, the estate is involved in a number of social impact and outreach programmes including partnering with the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute and FoodCloud to create protein-rich soup for the Simon Community Soup Kitchen. The estate’s management team is also part of the crew of volunteers who reach out to Dublin’s homeless every Monday night. Not only is it a beautiful place with a remarkable history, Airfield Estate has reframed itself as a socially and environmentally conscious space at the heart of the community. Airfield.ie

A dish from Overends Kitchen, the restaurant at Airfield Estate

POWERSCOURT ESTATE

COUNTY WICKLOW

Located at the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains, Powerscourt Estate is a modern fable of catastrophe and resurrection. In 1730, the first Viscount Powerscourt commissioned architect Richard Castle to transform a medieval castle into a grand mansion. Powerscourt House was completed in 1741, designed in the style of a great Italian Renaissance villa. Additions and alteration followed throughout the centuries and in 1974 a major refurbishment of the house was completed, readying it to join the gardens as a visitor attraction.

Tragically, one early November morning in 1974, a fire broke out on the top floor of Powerscourt House. All of the principal reception rooms and bedrooms were destroyed and when the flames were doused, the main part of the house was a roofless shell.

The house finally opened to the public in 1997 and today, the estate is one of Ireland’s most popular attractions and was recently voted one of the Top Ten Houses and Mansions Worldwide by the Lonely Planet Guide. Visitors from across the globe flock to see not only the incrediblerefurbishment, but the stunning surrounds. The gardens stretch over 47 acres, with sweeping terraces, statues and ornamental lakes, secret hollows and rambling walks. The Walled Gardens, The Italian Garden, The Dolphin Pond, The Japanese Gardens, Pet’s Cemetery and Pepperpot Tower, are among the features that led National Geographic to declare it the third most beautiful garden in the world.

The custodians of the estate continue to adapt to changing tastes and the house has become a shopping destination, offering Irish-designed crafts, jewellery and homewares, and is also home to an interactive climate action attraction. The Cool Planet Experience connects science, engineering, gaming and drama to inform visitors about Ireland’s changing climate, the science behind it and ways to reduce carbon footprint.

The estate continues to evolve to attract the culturally curious and has added a distillery to its offering. Driven by local man Gerard Ginty who was born and raised in nearby Enniskerry village, The Powerscourt Distillery and Visitor centre combines grainto-cask spirit production with a fully immersive Irish whiskey visitor experience. The Old Mill House, located on the estate and dating back to the 1730s, has been faithfully restored and extended to accommodate a state-of-the-art production plant. Powerscourt.com

The stunning Powerscourt Gardens

Powerscourt Estate has added a distillery to its offering