Huntington Castle, Clonegal
Encyclopedia
Huntington Castle, also known as Clonegal Castle, is a castle in Clonegal
, County Carlow
, Ireland.
The structure was originally a "plantation castle",, used for defensive purposes during the plantation
of the area in the early 17th century. The original tower house, which served as a garrison, was built in 1625 for Laurence Esmonde, later Baron Esmonde
. Due to the strategic importance of the village of Clonegal during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
because of its location on the road between Dublin and Wexford
, the castle was captured by Oliver Cromwell
as he marched on Kilkenny
in 1650.
It is now a private house open to the public for guided tours throughout June, July, August and September. It was the setting for Stanley Kubrick's film Barry Lyndon
. Its basement has been the base of a religion, the Fellowship of Isis
, since 1976. The castle hosted the Solas Festival
in August 2008.
or lawns to the side of the house, the fish ponds on either side of the centre walk through the wilderness and the majority of yew trees which comprise the Yew Walk. Larger plantings have resulted in Huntington possessing a number of great Irish trees, including varieties of hickory, a cut leaved oak, Siberian crab
and buckeye chestnut
. A lake at the bottom of the wilderness was built for ornamental purposes but next to it is one of the earliest water turbine
houses in Ireland, providing Huntington with its own electricity as early as 1888. The River Derry
, which forms the boundary between Counties Wexford and Carlow, flows along the bottom of the wilderness, providing a pleasant setting for woodland walks.
Clonegal
Clonegal, officially Clonegall , is a village in the southeast of County Carlow, Ireland. It is in a rural setting, 5 km from Bunclody, County Wexford, 22 km from Carlow and 17 km from the proposed interchange of the N9 and N80 roads at Rathcrogue. It is just over a mile north of...
, County Carlow
County Carlow
County Carlow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Carlow, which lies on the River Barrow. Carlow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland.
The structure was originally a "plantation castle",, used for defensive purposes during the plantation
Plantations of Ireland
Plantations in 16th and 17th century Ireland were the confiscation of land by the English crown and the colonisation of this land with settlers from England and the Scottish Lowlands....
of the area in the early 17th century. The original tower house, which served as a garrison, was built in 1625 for Laurence Esmonde, later Baron Esmonde
Baron Esmonde
Baron Esmonde was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 20 May 1632 for Sir Laurence Esmonde. He had earlier renounced the Roman Catholic faith. However, he married a Roman Catholic woman, by whom he had a son, Thomas. Fearing that her son would be raised a Protestant, Esmonde's wife...
. Due to the strategic importance of the village of Clonegal during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland refers to the conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell landed in Ireland with his New Model Army on behalf of England's Rump Parliament in 1649...
because of its location on the road between Dublin and Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
, the castle was captured by Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
as he marched on Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
in 1650.
It is now a private house open to the public for guided tours throughout June, July, August and September. It was the setting for Stanley Kubrick's film Barry Lyndon
Barry Lyndon
Barry Lyndon is a 1975 British-American period romantic war film produced, written, and directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon by William Makepeace Thackeray which recounts the exploits of an 18th century Irish adventurer...
. Its basement has been the base of a religion, the Fellowship of Isis
Fellowship of Isis
The Fellowship of Isis is an international spiritual organization devoted to promoting awareness of the Goddess. It is dedicated specifically to the Egyptian goddess Isis because the FOI co-founders believed Isis best represented the energies of the dawning Aquarian Age...
, since 1976. The castle hosted the Solas Festival
Solas Festival
Solas Festival is the name used by a number of separate festivals. The Scottish Solas Festival takes place in Biggar, Scotland. This year it is on the weekend of the 24th-26th of June, 2011 - acts such as Iain Morrison Solas Festival is the name used by a number of separate festivals. The Scottish...
in August 2008.
Huntington Castle Gardens
The Esmonde family, who built Huntington Castle in 1625, laid out most of these gardens in the 17th century. This includes the French limes on the Avenue, the parterreParterre
A parterre is a formal garden construction on a level surface consisting of planting beds, edged in stone or tightly clipped hedging, and gravel paths arranged to form a pleasing, usually symmetrical pattern. Parterres need not have any flowers at all...
or lawns to the side of the house, the fish ponds on either side of the centre walk through the wilderness and the majority of yew trees which comprise the Yew Walk. Larger plantings have resulted in Huntington possessing a number of great Irish trees, including varieties of hickory, a cut leaved oak, Siberian crab
Malus baccata
Malus baccata is a species of apple known by the common names Siberian crabapple, Siberian crab, Manchurian crab apple and Chinese crab apple. It is native to most of Asia, but is also grown elsewhere as an ornamental tree and for rootstock. It is used for bonsai in Japan...
and buckeye chestnut
Aesculus
The genus Aesculus comprises 13-19 species of woody trees and shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere, with 6 species native to North America and 7-13 species native to Eurasia; there are also several hybrids. Species are deciduous or evergreen...
. A lake at the bottom of the wilderness was built for ornamental purposes but next to it is one of the earliest water turbine
Water turbine
A water turbine is a rotary engine that takes energy from moving water.Water turbines were developed in the 19th century and were widely used for industrial power prior to electrical grids. Now they are mostly used for electric power generation. They harness a clean and renewable energy...
houses in Ireland, providing Huntington with its own electricity as early as 1888. The River Derry
River Derry
The Derry River rises just south of Hacketstown, County Carlow. It flows southeast to Tinahely, being accompanied by the R747 regional road for the distance....
, which forms the boundary between Counties Wexford and Carlow, flows along the bottom of the wilderness, providing a pleasant setting for woodland walks.