| Drumcar House | |
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| General information | |
| Type | Historic house |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Address | Near Drumcar, Ardee, Dunleer, County Louth, Leinster |
| Country | Ireland |
| Coordinates | |
| Design and construction | |
| Owner | M'Clintock family |
Drumcar House (later: St. Mary's Hospital; currently: Saint John of God Residence) is a manor house in the historical parish of Drumcar in the barony of Ardee, 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of Dunleer, County Louth, Leinster, Ireland. The house was built in 1777.[1] It was home to the M'Clintock family from then to the 1940s, stemming from Alexander M'Clintock (1692-1775), formerly of Seskinore Lodge.[2] One of its best known owners was John M'Clintock (1770-1855), a magistrate for County Louth, and formerly Serjeant at Arms in the Irish House of Commons, who was known to be occupying the estate in 1805 and until his death.[3] The house was sold in about 1903 by the 2nd Baron Rathdonnell to his cousin, Frank McClintock (1853-1924), Rector of Drumcar and Dean of Armagh.[4]
In 1948, it became St. Mary's Hospital, a colony for the mentally ill. Still later, it was converted to Saint John of God Residence, a hospital/infirmary.[5]
The building is now registered with the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (Reg. No. 13901503).[5]
The elegant white Georgian mansion was originally large and rectangular, three storeys over a basement. It was two rooms deep split by a large central hall. A shallow hipped roof was hidden behind a cornice. There was a blocking course that included chimneystacks. The entrance front had five bay windows. The original building had a simple triparite doorcase that was set in a shallow relieving arch, as well as single-storey walls with built-in niches and sunken panels. These joined the main block and included a pedimented carriage arch on each side.[1] The 1837 Topographical Dictionary of Ireland described it as "the seat of J. McClintock, Esq., an elegant mansion, beautifully situated in an extensive and richly wooded demesne, commanding a fine view of the Carlingford and Mourne mountains and the sea."[6] The view extends to Dundalk Bay.[1]
A mid-19th century expansion included a four-columned Doric porch and balcony. Also moulded window surrounds and changes to the ground-floor windows occurred at this time. A later expansion added two-storey, three-bay wings. Another renovation added Mansard roofs.[1]
The interior was entirely remodeled by Kelly & Jones when Drumcar House became St. Mary's Hospital, a colony for the mentally ill, in 1948.[1] The conversion and extension cost approximately £360,000.[7]
A plaque on the portico commemorates 50 years of residence by Saint John of God brothers.[5]
The grounds are large and there are a number of single-storey buildings for accommodation and clinics.[5]
