Page 134 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

132  IRELAND REGION B Y REGION

1 Castletown House

Built in 1722–29 for William Conolly, Speaker of the Irish
Parliament, the façade of Castletown was the work of Florentine
architect Alessandro Galilei and gave Ireland its first taste of
Palladianism. The magnificent interiors date from the second
half of the 18th century. They were commissioned by Lady
Louisa Lennox, wife of William Conolly’s great-nephew, Tom,
who lived here from 1759. Castletown remained in the family
until 1965, when it was taken over by the Irish Georgian Society.
The state now owns the house and it is open to the public.

. Long Gallery
The heavy ceiling sections and
friezes date from the 1720s and
the walls were decorated in the
Pompeiian manner in the 1770s.

Red Drawing Room
The red damask covering the walls
of this room is probably French and
dates from the 19th century. This
exquisite mahogany bureau was
made for Lady Louisa in the 1760s.

Boudoir Wall Paintings
The boudoir’s decorative panels,
moved here from the Long
Gallery, were inspired by the
Raphael Loggia in the Vatican.

KEY
1 West wing with kitchen and
visitor’s café.
2 The Dining Room, with a
compartmentalized ceiling, was
designed by Isaac Ware.
3 Green Drawing Room
4 The Entrance Hall is an austere
Neo-Classical room. Its most
decorative feature is the delicate
carving on the pilasters of the
upper gallery.
5 The Boar Hunt, painted by Paul
de Vos (1596–1678).
6 The east wing houses the
renovated stables, conference centre
and audio-visual room.

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp297–8 and pp311–13

132-133_EW_Ireland.indd 132 08/03/17 11:06 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.2)
Date 23rd October 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm