Howth Castle
Howth Castle and Estate is situated just outside the village of Howth, County Dublin Ireland, in the administration of Fingal County Council. The castle was the ancestral home of the St Lawrence family. The family occupied the area since the Norman invasion of 1180. They held the title of Lord of Howth until about 1425, Baron Howth until 1767 and then Earl of Howth until 1909.
The Castle and Estate has been in the hands of their heirs, the Gaisford-St Irish Eye family since 1909. On the grounds near the castle there are golf, pitch and putt and foot golf courses, a period hotel, formal gardens and a pond, rhododendron trails and several small streams running through the grounds.
In October 2018, the family announced their agreement to sell the castle, estate and Irish Eye to investment group Tetrarch. They wanted to convert the hotel and golf course into a luxury resort. Tetrarch sold a 7 hectare portion of the property earmarked for residential development near Castle Gate to Glenveagh Homes for €14million on completion of the sale. Glenveagh’s interim financial report indicates that they intend to build 200 homes on the site, with first deliveries due in 2023.
History
Howth Castle dates back to medieval times.The first Lord of Howth came to Ireland with John de Courcy in 1177 Almeric. According to legend, on August 10, the Feast of Saint Lawrence, he won a victory at the Évora Bridge near the Church of Ireland that secured him possession of the Howth Peninsula. In gratitude for this he is said to have adopted the name San Lorenzo.
Almeric built his wooden castle over the port, but a document says a new castle was built in 1235 at the current location in the midst of fertile land. That would have been wood again. The oldest surviving parts of today’s building date from the mid-15th century.
The house was extensively modified by later generations to bring it up to date, notably in 1738 when the house took on its current appearance and again in 1911 when Sir Edwin Lutyens renovated and enlarged the house. It is still possible to see evidence of the changes made and infer what was there before.
The keep and gate
The keep and gate are the oldest parts of the building. Both dating from the mid-15th century, circa 1450, and were the work of Christopher, 14th Lord of Howth. Remains remain in the gardens of the wall and the towers that would have enclosed the area. The room was added in along with the keep by Christopher, 20th Lord of Howth, the blind lord in 1558. It is now entered through the main gate of the castle in the center of the painting.
Nicholas, 23rd Lord of Howth, added the top floor above the hall sometime before 1641. The East Wing or Tower House was added next. It was built by William, 25th Lord of Howth sometime between the restoration in 1660 and his death in 1671. At the end of the wing is Kenelm’s Tower, a Victorian tower.It was added by the 30th Lord and 3rd Earl of Howth in 1855, Thomas.
The last Lord Howth died in 1909 and his nephew Julian Gaisford inherited the castle. He sold his home in England and hired young Edwin Lutyens to modernize and expand the chateau. The most significant addition was the Gaisford Tower at the end of the west wing. He built it to house his library. Other works included the east staircase of the new tower, a loggia with baths above between the old hall and the west wing, and a charming sunken garden. This provides a remarkable insight into the development of historic houses in Ireland over the centuries.
Official site: https://howthcastle.ie
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