Castletown House

An architectural gem, Castletown House is built in the Italianate Palace style, with lavish and extraordinary interior decoration, including a double height entrance hall with extraordinary plasterwork by the renowned stuccodore Filippo Lafranchini. Lady Louisa’s exquisite Long Gallery, with its breath-taking Venetian chandeliers and wall decorations, was inspired by publications on the excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as Raphael’s designs for the Vatican. There's a stunning collection of Irish and European furniture throughout the house, plus an extensive range of artworks. 

Once you've finished wandering round the interiors, take a stroll through the 120 acres of restored 18th-century parkland complete with meadows, waterways, a classical temple and Gothic lodge.

Did you know

• Castletown House is Ireland’s first and largest Palladian style house
• William Conolly, for whom the house was made, started off in humble beginnings, as the son of a local innkeeper, who then rose to be one of the wealthiest and powerful men in Ireland
• Despite many vandalisms of the house when it fell to disrepair after the sale of the house in the 1960s, the original chimney pieces remain

Things to see

Entrance hall

One of the finest areas in Castletown, the entrance hall is breath-taking in its style. Two storeys tall, the hall immediately evokes the grandeur present throughout the house. Despite its role as the central atrium of the house, it was filled with furniture and was later used as a reception room thanks to the impressive first impression it gave with its polished chequered limestone floor and marble fireplace.

William Conolly’s state bedroom

Based on the French style at the Palace of Versailles, Conolly wanted his bedroom suites designed for both repose and entertainment with a series of interconnecting rooms allowing him to receive guests as well as retire in private. Although the room was turned into a library in the 19th century, it has since been restored to its original use. Visitors will be able to see 18th-century Venetian chairs as well as a Flemish 17th-century rosewood cabinet.