Rathfarnham Castle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1 Origins
2 Civil war
3 The eighteenth century
4 New ownership
5 Preservation
6 Trivia
7 References

[edit] Origins

Rathfarnham Castle

Rathfarnham Castle, in Dublin, was originally an Anglo-Norman castle built to defend the Pale from the Irish clans in the nearby Wicklow Mountains. Up to 1583, it was owned by the Eustace family of Baltinglass, but the castle was confiscated because of their involvement in the Second Desmond Rebellion.

The current building was designed by James Stewart and William Chambers and is believed to have been built around 1583 for Adam Loftus, then Lord Chancellor of Ireland. Originally a fortified and embattled structure, extensive alterations in the eighteenth century carried out in a Grecian style of architecture give it the appearance of a modern house. When it was bought by Loftus in 1583 Rathfarnham was described as a "waste village". His new castle was not long built when in 1600 it had to withstand an attack by the Wicklow clans during the Nine Years War (Ireland).

[edit] Civil war

Archbishop Loftus left the castle to his son, Dudley and it then passed to his son Adam in 1616. During Adam's ownership, the castle came under siege in the 1641 rebellion. It was able to hold out against the Confederate army when the surrounding country was overrun. Adam Loftus opposed the treaty of cessation in order the stop the fighting between the Irish Confederates and the English Royalists. As a result he was imprisoned in Dublin Castle.

During the subsequent Irish Confederate Wars (1641-53), the castle changed hands several times. From 1641 to 1647, it was garrisoned by English Royalist troops. In 1647, Ormonde, commander of the Royalists in Ireland, surrendered Dublin to the English Parliament and Parliamentary troops were stationed at the castle until 1649. In 1649, a few days before the battle of Rathmines, the castle, which was garrisoned by the Parliamentary forces, was stormed and taken by the Royalists The castle surrendered without a fight to Confederate and Royalist troops in 1649, but the Roundheads re-occupied it after their victory in the battle of Rathmines. It has also been reported that Oliver Cromwell held council there during his campaign in Ireland before going south to besiege Wexford. Adam Loftus, who recovered his castle and lands under Cromwell, sided with the Parliamentarians and was killed at the Siege of Limerick in 1651.

After the English Civil War, the Loftus family retained ownership of the castle. In 1659, Dr. Dudley Loftus, great grandson of Archbishop Loftus, took over the castle. During his lifetime, Dudley held the posts of Commissioner of Revenue, Judge Admirality, Master in Chancery, MP for Kildare and Wicklow and M.P for Bannow and Fethard. His body is interred at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

[edit] The eighteenth century

The property, of which the Loftus family had resumed possession, passed by marriage to the Whartons who sold it in 1723 to the Right Hon. William Connolly, speaker of the Irish House of Commons for £62,000.

In 1742, the castle was sold to Dr. Hoadly, Archbishop of Armagh, and on his death four years later it passed to his son-in-law Bellingham Boyle. In 1767, he sold the property to Nicholas Loftus, second Earl of Ely, a descendant of Adam Loftus, the original builder of the castle.

This young man died within a few years, probably as an indirect result of great hardships which he had suffered in his youth, and the estate passed to his uncle, Hon. Henry Loftus, who was created Earl of Ely in 1771. This nobleman was responsible for the conversions of the medieval fortress into a Georgian mansion. The narrow loopholes were enlarged and the battlements replaced by a coping with ornamental urns. A semi-circular extension was added to the east side and an entrance porch approached by steps, on the north. The interior was decorated in accordance with the tastes of the period and the leading artists, including Angelica Kauffman, employed in the work. Writers of the period who visited the house have left extravagant descriptions of its splendour.

Henry Loftus died in 1783 and was succeeded by his nephew Charles Tottenham. He subsequently became Marquis of Ely, and later, as a reward for his vote at the time of the Union, Earl of Ely.

Early in the 19th century, the family sold the estate and removed their valuable possessions to Loftus Hall in Wexford. The lands were then used for dairy farming and the castle allowed to fall into disrepair. In 1852 it was bought by the Lord Chancellor, Francis Blackburne, whose family continued to reside there until 1913. In that year the estate was sold and divided. The eastern part became a golf links. The castle and the south western portion were bought by the Jesuit Order and the north western part was devoted to housing.

The original castle consisted of a square building four stories high with a projecting tower at each corner, the walls of which were an average of 5 feet thick. On the ground level are two vaulted apartments divided by a wall nearly 10 feet thick which rises to the full height of the castle. On level with the entrance hall were the library and reception rooms and above this the former ballroom, later converted into a chapel. To the north of the castle was a long vaulted chamber formerly known as Cromwell’s Court or Fort. This was apparently a barn or storehouse erected in connection with the castle farm and like the castle itself had narrow loop holes in its 5 foot thick walls.

In 1922, it was incorporated in the new retreat house, to which it formed the ground story and its character concealed from the outside by a uniform covering of cement plaster.

Not far from the Golf Club House was an attractive little temple built of stone and brick, another relic of Lord Ely’s occupation of Rathfarnham. It was rather out of repair but if it had been restored it would have added much to the charm of this part of the links. Unfortunately by decision of the committee, it was demolished in 1979.

In 1986, the Jesuits sold Rathfarnham Castle but before leaving they removed the stained glass windows, made in the famous Harry Clarke studios, from the chapel.

[edit] New ownership

The castle was passed down the centuries to the descendants of Dr. Dudley Loftus until it came into the hands of Philip Wharton. The young man spent his inheritance recklessly and in 1724, the castle was sold to William Connolly. Connolly was a famous politician and an excellent speaker in the House of Commons. Connolly is the one who was responsible for the building of the Hell Fire Club.

Rathfarnham Castle remained in the hands of the Connolly family until 1742 where it was then sold to Bishop Hoadley. It stayed in his family until 1763 where the Lofus family regained ownership. The Loftus family constructed another entrance for the castle in the form of a Roman Triumphal Arch. From nearby Dodder Park Road, one can still view the arch.

In 1812, the Loftus family left the castle for the last time and they moved to Loftus Hall, Wexford. The castle then went through many families such as the Ropers (1812-1852) and the Blackburne family (1852-1912). When the property developers Bailey & Gibson acquired the castle in 1912, they used large tracts of its surrounding land for construction and they also built a golf course, the Castle Golf Club.

In 1913, the Jesuits bought the castle and the remaining land. The Jesuits are an order renowned for their education and one of them, Father O'Leary S.J constructed a seismograph. This machine could detect earth tremors and earthquakes from anywhere in the world and for a time, Rathfarnham Castle became a source of earthquake information for the national media.

[edit] Preservation

The castle was sold to Delaware Properties in 1985 and it was believed that the castle was facing demolition. After immense public pressure to save the building, the state purchased it in 1987. At the moment, the castle is going through extensive refurbishment but it is still open to the public during the summer months.

The date of the foundation of the Castle is uncertain, but recent research would suggest 1583 as the most likely date. It was built by Adam Loftus, a Yorkshireman. The Castle has a colourful and interesting history with 18th century interiors by Sir William Chambers and James Athenian Stuart and was declared a National Monument in the mid-1980s. The Castle is presented to visitors as a castle undergoing active conservation. The visitor can see, at first hand, tantalizing glimpses of layers of the Castles earlier existence uncovered during research. (Conservation works are ongoing at the site).

[edit] Trivia

One of the most chilling stories about Rathfarnham Castle is that of the skeleton of a woman found in one of the hollow walls on the middle floor in 1880. It is ascertained that she was there for over 130 years. It is believed that she was locked into a secret compartment in one of the rooms during a ball. Two suitors were arguing over her love and they decided to sort out their differences by way of a duel. The victor would then rescue the fair maiden from the wall. But as it happened, both died - one from drowning and the other from his wounds. The whole affair was conducted in secret so the beautiful maiden was left there entombed in the wall, where she died. The lady of the castle in 1880 had the corpse's silk dress made into cushions. Some believe her ghost haunts the ballroom in the castle.

Admission Charges: F Adult: EUR 2.00 Group & Senior Citizen: EUR 1.25 Child/Student: EUR 1.00 Family Rate: EUR 5.50