Lismore Castle
Encyclopedia
Lismore Castle is located in the town of Lismore
, in County Waterford
in Ireland
. It was largely re-built in the Gothic style
during the mid-nineteenth century by William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire
.
, an important monastery and seat of learning established in the early 7th century. It was still an ecclesiastical centre when Henry II, King of England
stayed here in 1171, and except for a brief period after 1185 when his son King John of England built a 'castellum' here, it served as the episcopal residence of the local bishop. In 1589 Lismore, was leased and later acquired by Sir Walter Raleigh, who sold the property during his imprisonment for High Treason in 1602 to another famous adventurer, Richard Boyle
, later 1st Earl of Cork.
with only twenty-seven pounds in capital, and proceeded to amass an extraordinary fortune. After purchasing Lismore he made it his principal seat and transformed it into a magnificent residence with impressive gabled ranges each side of the court yard. He also built a castellated outer wall and a gatehouse known as the Riding Gate. The principal apartments were decorated with fretwork plaster ceilings and hangings of tapestry, embroidered silk and velvet. It was here in 1627 that Robert Boyle
The Father of Modern Chemistry, the fourteenth of the Earl's fifteen children, was born. The castle descended to another Richard Boyle, 4th Earl of Cork & 3rd Earl of Burlington, who was a noted influence on Georgian architecture
(and known in architectural histories as the Earl of Burlington).
Lismore featured in the Cromwellian wars when, in 1645
, a force of Catholic confederacy commanded by Lord Castlehaven sacked the town and Castle. Some restoration was carried out by Richard Boyle, 2nd Earl of Cork
(1612
-1698
) to make it habitable again, but neither he nor his successors lived at Lismore.
, Burlington House
, Bolton Abbey
and Londesborough Hall
) was acquired by the Cavendish family in 1753
when the daughter and heiress of the 4th Earl of Cork
, Lady Charlotte Boyle (1731
-1754
) married William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire
, a future Prime Minister
of Great Britain & Ireland. Their son, the 5th Duke (1748
-1811
), carried out improvements at Lismore, notably the bridge across the Blackwater
, in 1775
, designed by Cork-born architect, Thomas Ivory.
The 6th Duke
(1790–1858), commonly known as 'the Bachelor Duke', was responsible for the castle's present appearance. He began transforming the castle into a fashionable 'quasi-feudal ultra-regal fortress' as soon as he succeeded his father in 1811, engaging the architect William Atkinson
from 1812 to 1822 to rebuild the castle in the Gothic style
, using cut stone shipped over from Derbyshire. Lismore was always the Bachelor Duke's favourite residence, but as he grew older his love for the place developed into a passion. In 1850 he engaged his architect Sir Joseph Paxton
, the designer of The Crystal Palace
, to carry out improvements and additions to the castle on a magnificent scale - so much so that the present skyline is largely Paxton's work. At this time J.G. Crace
of London, the leading maker of Gothic Revival furniture, and his partner the leading architect A.W.N. Pugin, were commissioned to transform the ruined chapel of the old Bishop's Palace into a medieval-style banqueting hall, with a huge perpendicular stained-glass window, choir-stalls and Gothic stenciling on the walls and roof timbers. The chimney-piece, which was exhibited at the Medieval Court of the Great Exhibition of 1851, was also designed by Pugin (and Myers), but was originally intended for Horstead Place in Sussex, it was rejected because it was too elaborate and subsequently bought for Lismore - the Barchard family emblems later replaced with the present Irish inscription Cead Mille Failte: a hundred thousand welcomes. Pugin also designed other chimney-pieces and furnishings in the castle and after his death in 1851 Crace continued to supply furnishings in the Puginesque manner.
After the Bachelor Duke's death Lismore remained substantially unaltered. Fred Astaire
's sister Adele
lived in the castle after marrying the Lord Charles Cavendish, a son of the 9th Duke
and, after his death in 1944, continued to use the castle until shortly before her death in 1981. It is still owned by the Dukes of Devonshire, but it is lived in for only a short part of the year. Chatsworth House
is the main family seat and the home of the Dowager Duchess.
The 12th Duke
, who succeeded to the title in 2004, continues to live primarily on the family's Bolton Abbey
estate. His son, William Burlington, maintains an apartment in the castle and recently converted the derelict west range (2006) into a contemporary art gallery, known as Lismore Castle Arts. For most of the year the family's private apartments at Lismore are available to rent by groups of up to twenty-three visitors.
In 2004 The Robert Boyle
Science Room was opened nearby in the Lismore Heritage Centre dedicated to his life and works where students have the opportunity of studying science and participating in scientific experiments.
Recently Lismore Castle was used as Northanger Abbey
in the 2007 ITV
dramatisation of that name during its Jane Austen
season.
The castle's gardens are open to the public and feature contemporary sculptures, including works by Anthony Gormley, Marzia Colonna and Eilís O'Connell. The upper garden is a 17th century walled garden, while much of the informal lower garden was designed in the 19th century.
Lismore, County Waterford
Lismore is a town in County Waterford, Ireland. It is located where the N72 road crosses the River Blackwater.-History:It was founded by Saint Mochuda, also known as Saint Carthage. In the 7th century, Lismore was the site of the well-known Lismore Abbey. It is also home to Lismore Castle, the...
, in County Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It was largely re-built in the Gothic style
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
during the mid-nineteenth century by William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire
William George Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire KG, PC , styled Marquess of Hartington until 1811, was a British peer, courtier and Whig politician...
.
Early history
The castle site was originally occupied by Lismore AbbeyLismore Abbey
Lismore Abbey is a former monastery in Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland, reportedly in its day the most celebrated in the South of Ireland. Its site is now occupied by Lismore Castle....
, an important monastery and seat of learning established in the early 7th century. It was still an ecclesiastical centre when Henry II, King of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
stayed here in 1171, and except for a brief period after 1185 when his son King John of England built a 'castellum' here, it served as the episcopal residence of the local bishop. In 1589 Lismore, was leased and later acquired by Sir Walter Raleigh, who sold the property during his imprisonment for High Treason in 1602 to another famous adventurer, Richard Boyle
Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork
Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork , also known as the Great Earl of Cork, was Lord Treasurer of the Kingdom of Ireland....
, later 1st Earl of Cork.
The Earls of Cork & Burlington
Boyle came to Ireland from England in 15881588 in Ireland
-Events:*28 June - Sir Valentine Browne, Knight purchases estates, including the Lakes of Killarney, from the estate of Donald Maccarty, 1st Earl of Clancare.*Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork and father of Robert Boyle arrives in Ireland as an entrepreneur....
with only twenty-seven pounds in capital, and proceeded to amass an extraordinary fortune. After purchasing Lismore he made it his principal seat and transformed it into a magnificent residence with impressive gabled ranges each side of the court yard. He also built a castellated outer wall and a gatehouse known as the Riding Gate. The principal apartments were decorated with fretwork plaster ceilings and hangings of tapestry, embroidered silk and velvet. It was here in 1627 that Robert Boyle
Robert Boyle
Robert Boyle FRS was a 17th century natural philosopher, chemist, physicist, and inventor, also noted for his writings in theology. He has been variously described as English, Irish, or Anglo-Irish, his father having come to Ireland from England during the time of the English plantations of...
The Father of Modern Chemistry, the fourteenth of the Earl's fifteen children, was born. The castle descended to another Richard Boyle, 4th Earl of Cork & 3rd Earl of Burlington, who was a noted influence on Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
(and known in architectural histories as the Earl of Burlington).
Lismore featured in the Cromwellian wars when, in 1645
1645 in Ireland
-Events:* Lismore town and castle were sacked in the Irish Confederate Wars by a force of the Irish Confederacy commanded by Lord Castlehaven.*20 January - 18 March - Siege of Duncannon, Confederate general Thomas Preston takes Duncannon....
, a force of Catholic confederacy commanded by Lord Castlehaven sacked the town and Castle. Some restoration was carried out by Richard Boyle, 2nd Earl of Cork
Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Burlington
Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Burlington, 2nd Earl of Cork was Lord High Treasurer of Ireland and a cavalier.-Early years:...
(1612
1612 in Ireland
-Births:*20 October - Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Burlington, cavalier and Lord High Treasurer of Ireland .-Deaths:*11 February - Conor O'Devany, 8th Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, executed for high treason .-Publications:...
-1698
1698 in Ireland
-Births:*15 June - George Browne, soldier of fortune, became field-marshal in the Russian army .*Ross Roe MacMahon, Roman Catholic Bishop of Clogher, later Archbishop of Armagh .-Deaths:...
) to make it habitable again, but neither he nor his successors lived at Lismore.
The Dukes of Devonshire
The castle (along with other Boyle properties - Chiswick HouseChiswick House
Chiswick House is a Palladian villa in Burlington Lane, Chiswick, in the London Borough of Hounslow in England. Set in , the house was completed in 1729 during the reign of George II and designed by Lord Burlington. William Kent , who took a leading role in designing the gardens, created one of the...
, Burlington House
Burlington House
Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in London. It was originally a private Palladian mansion, and was expanded in the mid 19th century after being purchased by the British government...
, Bolton Abbey
Bolton Abbey
Bolton Abbey is the estate within which is located the ruined 12th-century Augustinian Bolton Priory in North Yorkshire, England. It gives its name to the parish of Bolton Abbey.-Bolton Priory:...
and Londesborough Hall
Londesborough Hall
Londesborough Hall was a country house in the village of Londesborough in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, close to the towns of Market Weighton and Pocklington....
) was acquired by the Cavendish family in 1753
1753 in Ireland
-Births:*16 November - James McHenry, signer of the United States Constitution from Maryland, third United States Secretary of War .*22 November - Richard John Uniacke, lawyer, politician, member of Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly and Attorney General of Nova Scotia .-Full date unknown:*Gilbert...
when the daughter and heiress of the 4th Earl of Cork
Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington
Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington and 4th Earl of Cork PC , born in Yorkshire, England, was the son of Charles Boyle, 2nd Earl of Burlington and 3rd Earl of Cork...
, Lady Charlotte Boyle (1731
1731 in Ireland
-Events:* 25 June - The Royal Dublin Society , or Cumann Ríoga Bhaile Atha Cliath in Irish, was founded to "to promote and develop agriculture, arts, industry, and science in Ireland"...
-1754
1754 in Ireland
-Births:*15 January - Richard Martin, "Humanity Dick", politician and animal rights activist .-Full date unknown:*William Drennan, physician, poet, educationalist and one of the chief architects of the Society of United Irishmen ....
) married William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, KG, PC , styled Lord Cavendish before 1729 and Marquess of Hartington between 1729 and 1755, was a British Whig statesman who was briefly nominal Prime Minister of Great Britain...
, a future Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
of Great Britain & Ireland. Their son, the 5th Duke (1748
1748 in Ireland
-Events:* Leinster House in Dublin completed as a residence for James, Earl of Kildare by Richard Cassels.-Births:*Alexander Macomb, Sr., merchant and land speculator with Macomb's Purchase in New York .*John Ramage, artist .-Deaths:...
-1811
1811 in Ireland
-Births:*21 January - James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn, politician and twice Lord Lieutenant of Ireland .*10 March - Yankee Sullivan, bare knuckle fighter and boxer .*11 November - John Egan, businessman and politician in Ottawa ....
), carried out improvements at Lismore, notably the bridge across the Blackwater
Munster Blackwater
The Blackwater or Munster Blackwater is a river which flows through counties Kerry, Cork, and Waterford in Ireland. It rises in the Mullaghareirk Mountains in County Kerry and then flows in an easterly direction through County Cork, through Mallow and Fermoy...
, in 1775
1775 in Ireland
-Events:*Henry Flood accepts a seat on the Privy Council of Ireland and becomes vice-treasurer.*Henry Grattan enters the Irish Parliament and becomes leader of the "patriot party".-Births:*3 March - Henry Prittie, 2nd Baron Dunalley, politician ....
, designed by Cork-born architect, Thomas Ivory.
The 6th Duke
William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire
William George Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire KG, PC , styled Marquess of Hartington until 1811, was a British peer, courtier and Whig politician...
(1790–1858), commonly known as 'the Bachelor Duke', was responsible for the castle's present appearance. He began transforming the castle into a fashionable 'quasi-feudal ultra-regal fortress' as soon as he succeeded his father in 1811, engaging the architect William Atkinson
William Atkinson
William Atkinson may refer to:*William Atkinson *William Atkinson , English architect*William Atkinson , politician in British Columbia, Canada...
from 1812 to 1822 to rebuild the castle in the Gothic style
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
, using cut stone shipped over from Derbyshire. Lismore was always the Bachelor Duke's favourite residence, but as he grew older his love for the place developed into a passion. In 1850 he engaged his architect Sir Joseph Paxton
Joseph Paxton
Sir Joseph Paxton was an English gardener and architect, best known for designing The Crystal Palace.-Early life:...
, the designer of The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
, to carry out improvements and additions to the castle on a magnificent scale - so much so that the present skyline is largely Paxton's work. At this time J.G. Crace
John Gregory Crace (designer)
John Gregory Crace was an English interior decorator and author.-Early life and education:The Crace family had been prominent London interior decorators since Edward Crace , later keeper of the royal pictures to George III, established a business in 1768...
of London, the leading maker of Gothic Revival furniture, and his partner the leading architect A.W.N. Pugin, were commissioned to transform the ruined chapel of the old Bishop's Palace into a medieval-style banqueting hall, with a huge perpendicular stained-glass window, choir-stalls and Gothic stenciling on the walls and roof timbers. The chimney-piece, which was exhibited at the Medieval Court of the Great Exhibition of 1851, was also designed by Pugin (and Myers), but was originally intended for Horstead Place in Sussex, it was rejected because it was too elaborate and subsequently bought for Lismore - the Barchard family emblems later replaced with the present Irish inscription Cead Mille Failte: a hundred thousand welcomes. Pugin also designed other chimney-pieces and furnishings in the castle and after his death in 1851 Crace continued to supply furnishings in the Puginesque manner.
After the Bachelor Duke's death Lismore remained substantially unaltered. Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
's sister Adele
Adele Astaire
Lady Charles Cavendish , better known as Adele Astaire, was an American dancer and entertainer. She was Fred Astaire's elder sister. Her birthdate was often given as 1897 or 1898, but the 1900 U.S...
lived in the castle after marrying the Lord Charles Cavendish, a son of the 9th Duke
Victor Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire
Victor Christian William Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire , known as Victor Cavendish until 1908, was a British politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 11th since Canadian Confederation....
and, after his death in 1944, continued to use the castle until shortly before her death in 1981. It is still owned by the Dukes of Devonshire, but it is lived in for only a short part of the year. Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House is a stately home in North Derbyshire, England, northeast of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield . It is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, and has been home to his family, the Cavendish family, since Bess of Hardwick settled at Chatsworth in 1549.Standing on the east bank of the...
is the main family seat and the home of the Dowager Duchess.
The 12th Duke
Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire
Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire, KCVO, CBE , is a British peer. He is the only surviving son of the 11th Duke of Devonshire and his wife, the former Deborah Mitford. He succeeded to the dukedom following the death of his father on 3 May 2004...
, who succeeded to the title in 2004, continues to live primarily on the family's Bolton Abbey
Bolton Abbey
Bolton Abbey is the estate within which is located the ruined 12th-century Augustinian Bolton Priory in North Yorkshire, England. It gives its name to the parish of Bolton Abbey.-Bolton Priory:...
estate. His son, William Burlington, maintains an apartment in the castle and recently converted the derelict west range (2006) into a contemporary art gallery, known as Lismore Castle Arts. For most of the year the family's private apartments at Lismore are available to rent by groups of up to twenty-three visitors.
In 2004 The Robert Boyle
Robert Boyle
Robert Boyle FRS was a 17th century natural philosopher, chemist, physicist, and inventor, also noted for his writings in theology. He has been variously described as English, Irish, or Anglo-Irish, his father having come to Ireland from England during the time of the English plantations of...
Science Room was opened nearby in the Lismore Heritage Centre dedicated to his life and works where students have the opportunity of studying science and participating in scientific experiments.
Recently Lismore Castle was used as Northanger Abbey
Northanger Abbey
Northanger Abbey was the first of Jane Austen's novels to be completed for publication, though she had previously made a start on Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. According to Cassandra Austen's Memorandum, Susan was written approximately during 1798–99...
in the 2007 ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
dramatisation of that name during its Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
season.
The castle's gardens are open to the public and feature contemporary sculptures, including works by Anthony Gormley, Marzia Colonna and Eilís O'Connell. The upper garden is a 17th century walled garden, while much of the informal lower garden was designed in the 19th century.