Northern Ireland – ALL I NEED IS MY PASSPORT

County Sligo

Oct 102018

October 9, 2018

You know you are in for an adventure when the guide to the house meets you at the road and tells you how you are about to see the ugliest house in Ireland.

It has more to do with a penny-pinching rich man and an excellent architect not agreeing on a budget.

Lisadell House was designed by Francis Goodwin of London for Robert Gore-Booth. The men were 4000 pounds sterling apart from each other on an agreed overall costs for the building of the house. The owner seems to have won by cutting off his nose to spite his face.

The austere Grecian-Revival house is made of grey limestone (a budget-cutting measure) that makes it so dour from the start. The grey limestone in the commonly grey weather of the area does nothing to improve one’s mood, to say nothing of the fact that limestone never develops a patina, so 200 years later it still looks grey and new.

This portion of the house is actually grey concrete. It only appears yellow as the house was so dark without a flash the true color does not come through

The house today is no longer in the hands of the family, a very interesting one at that, so shows neglect and houses such a mish-mash of furniture that the dourness continues on the inside.

The plaster ornamentation of the ceiling

The ornamentation inside is simple and dour as well. The plaster ceilings look industrial, almost as though the plasters weren’t being paid enough and decided to play a joke on the owner.

The Butler

Count Casimir Markievicz, the artist son-in-law of the 5th Baron, painted the pilasters early in the 20th century with a full-length series of portraits of members of the family, as well as the games keeper and butler.

The Bear:

From Sir Henry Gore Booths diary 1807

“We were making a beeline for the camp…when there was revealed the fresh track of a bear…

I put in Lassie and she took up the trail briskly. Thomas( Kilgallon) carried the cartridges and telescope. Of a sudden I observed Lassie at the foot of a hillock…when the bear without any warning appeared at the top of the hill.

I delivered a bore from the express rifle…the bear subsided on his tail with a growl. We had tracked the bear three miles and had been obliged to run most of the way.

The bear which we skinned where he lay turned out to be an unusually large one and appeared to be a great age”

The Baron did not want to ever see the servants so the came onto the property through a sunken trail through the woods

Part of that journey was through this tunnel

The view from the parlor window

A few more ornamented columns

An over-the-top, wonderful fireplace.

The organ is one of the few things that were original to the house.

At least the fireplaces still worked, the house is very cold

The two cabinets that flank the door were so perfectly Victorian, holding shells, and shells and more shells.

There were four harps in this one room all with just a few broken strings.

Looking up at one of the more ornamented rooms of the house

The ornamentation in the Billiard Room

Lissadell was bleak, but our guide was a ray of sunshine and here is to his retirement, something he will accomplish this year. It is appropriate that his grandmother and mother both worked in the home, giving him a knowledge he imparted on us that was spectacular.

MARKREE CASTLE

Lunch was laid for us at Markree Castle. This was originally a 17th-century home, it was rebuilt in the 18th Century as a three story block house.

This highly ornamented room is what it would have looked like in the Coopers time.

This highly ornamented room is what it would have looked like when it was built.

In 1802 Joshua Cooper commissioned Francis Johnston to enlarge the house and transform it into a castle of the early symmetrical kind.

The entry way

This ceiling covers you as you walk up the grand entry stairway

During the renovation and change to a hotel, this fireplace and its lovely surrounding tiles were found in a box in a shed.

While many of the original wood floors are now protected by carpets the beautiful woodwork pokes it head out here and there.

A view from the bar window

The chapel has undergone several changes, but remains accessible to guests and is just gorgeous

The servant’s entry to the chapel

Johnston extended the front of the house to more than twice its original length to form a new garden front and an Irish-battlemented tower.

Mrs. Alexander, the hymn writer, stayed at Markree. It is Markree she was possibly thinking of when she wrote of The rich man in his castle in All Things Bright and Beautiful.

The castle has since been tastefully turned into a hotel keeping the same lines, and ornamental plaster, but none of the furniture.

DRUMCLIFF CHURCH

Drum Cliff Church is where William Butler Yeats and his wife Georgie are buried. Yeats Grandfather was rector of the church. Yeats died and was buried in France in 1939. He was moved to Drumcliff in 1948 as he had originally wished.

Yeats grave is marked with a simple headstone with the inscription, “cast a cold eye on life, on death, horseman, pass by.” This was Yeats’ self-penned epitaph together with the instructions that the grave consist of “no marble, no conventional phrase”.

A ruined 10th or 11th century round tower, the only one known in County Sligo, The round tower was struck by lightning in 1396.

The High Cross (on the right of this photo) dates back to the 11th century. On the west face, the subjects include the Presentation in the Temple and the Crucifixion. The east face bears Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Daniel in the Lions’ Den and a Lion in high relief. At the head is possibly Christ in Glory. The stonemason seems to have portrayed a camel on the cross which is an unusual feature. The narrow edges are also richly carved with ornament and figure carving. The south side of the shaft features the only icon of the Virgin and Child on an Irish High Cross.

PARTING SHOTS

Saint Patricks of Armagh City

Northern Ireland

Oct 102018

October 8, 2018

Armagh is the site of two cathedrals, both on hills and both named after Saint Patrick. Considered the spiritual Capital of Ireland for 1500 years it is the seat of both Church of Ireland and Catholic archbishops.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of St Patrick, (Church of Ireland) sits on the hill in the city where it gets its name – Ard Mhacha – the Height of Macha. Macha, a legendary pagan tribal princess, is also linked with the nearby Emain Macha (The Navan Fort), a major ritual site occupied from late Neolithic/early Bronze Age time regarded as having been the ancient royal center of Iron Age Ulster.

Bear with me as this gets terribly confusing, as all Irish politics are: The church was historically the center of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, having been transferred to the Protestant Church of Ireland by the British government during the Irish Reformation. Following the Henrician Reformation in Ireland, the cathedral became increasingly associated with the then Established Church and has been definitively in Anglican hands since the reign of Elizabeth I. A Roman Catholic cathedral was built on a neighboring hill in the nineteenth century. Cordial relations exist between both cathedrals, which I understand are improving with every new administration.

The church itself has been destroyed and rebuilt 17 times. The edifice was renovated and restored at the start of the sixteenth century after a devastating fire in 1511. It was substantially restored between 1834 and 1840 by architect Lewis Nockalls Cottingham.

Catholic Saint Patricks

The seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Armagh is Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh. He is also the primate of All Ireland. It was built in various phases between 1840 and 1904 to serve as the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Armagh, the original Medieval Cathedral of St. Patrick having been transferred to the Protestant Church of Ireland at the time of the Irish Reformation, (as mentioned above).

The most amazing feature of the church are the mosaics on both the floors and the walls. Originally the walls were painted murals, but due to the damp climate, they deteriorated after a few years.

The material is Italian pottery in small cubes with glass cubes for the gilt portions The sections were put together in two workshops in London and were glued, face down, on strips of paper. These were then applied to a fresh coating of special cement on the walls similar to hanging wallpaper.

The tile murals were done by Italian painter, Oreste Amici (1872–1930), who had been trained at the Institute of Fine Arts in Rome, The ceilings are painted in oil.

The organ at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church

PARTING SHOTS

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In Northern Ireland, you will hear the saying it isn’t about religion, it is about land. And this is true, but the reason it is about land is that it is about religion. In 1695 England forced the Penal laws upon Ireland. In a nutshell, all land in Ireland – IF you were a Protestant, was handed down to the first born son. However, if you were a Catholic, your land had to be divided evenly amongst all of your sons. It didn’t take but a very few generations before Protestants held large tracks of land, and Catholics were subsistence farming on their own tiny patches of land. These laws were not rescinded until 1920.

The Ridiculous and The Sublime

Northern Ireland

Oct 092018

October 8, 2018

Castle Leslie

John Leslie (later to become Sir John Leslie, 1st Baronet of Glaslough) had studied art in Rome and was an excellent pre-Raphaelite painter. He built the castle.

Many of Sir John Leslie’s paintings are still in the house, and they are exquisite.

Designed by the architect W.H. Lynn. It is described as grimly earnest Scottish Baronial castle, part dream-chateau and part Belfast City bank. It is filled with items collected when John Leslie did the “Grand Tour”.

A fireplace said to have been created by Della Robbia

Sir John Leslie, 2nd Baronet, married Leonie Jerome, whose elder sister Jenny married Lord Randolph Churchill, Winston’s father. There are many of the Churchill’s ‘hand me downs’ in the Castle. This Sir John Leslie also fancied himself a painter and did such a horrible series of murals in the hallway I could not bring myself to photograph it.

Winston Churchill’s christening gown

The cloisters, based on those by Michelangelo at Santa Mari deli Angeli, are said to have been designed by John Leslie.

The cloisters, which are lovely, are based on those by Michelangelo at Santa Mari deli Angeli.

A portrait of Churchill’s mother hangs under the stairs.

Castle Leslie Estate is now run by Samantha Leslie as a hotel and wedding venue. The family history is rather extensive and filled with “interesting people”, it is worth a read and can be found on the Castle’s website.

The view from the drawing room

The Jonathan Swift once wrote of the family: (while being a guest in the home)

Robin (Robert) to a beggar with curse
Will throw the last shilling in his purse
But when the coachman comes for pay
That rogue must wait another day.

Here I am in Castle Leslie
With rows and rows of books upon the shelves
Written by The Leslies
All about themselves.

BESSMOUNT

This home was originally a conventional Georgian house with two stories over a basement. It was remodeled in 1869 by Mr. and Mrs. Willian Henderson and transformed into a Victorian Gothic chateau, with the addition of a third story, water tower, turrets, church, and vestry.

What captured me, was the stonework, beginning at the front door.

Isabell Hatchell Henderson graces the front of the portico at the front, her husband is on the right.

This wonderful mythical creature greats you from atop the portico

This wonderful mythical creature greets you from atop the portico

The highlight, however, is the column capitals, on one side, are woodland animals and on the other are wild animals. This stonework has been ascribed, but not documented as Fitzpatrick’s of Belfast.

See the owl peeking out from under an acorn.

Inside the home has wonderful plaster, and two fireplaces surrounded in Minton tiles, depicting scenes from the Bible, and classical fables.

Pierced plaster of Bessmount

There is also a small conservatory that runs along one side of the house, providing a delightful place to sit and rest.

Roof finials. Notice the handblown glass balls.

A pair of lions grace the front stoop

CASTLE COOLE

Our last stop of the day was Castle Coole, no pictures are allowed inside, and the sun had set before we arrived so I was only able to snap these two photos.

Castle Coole well after dark, and in the rain.

This is one of the most palatial late 18th century houses in Ireland. It is neo-classical in architectural style, Castle Coole was the work of two Georgian period architects who did not collaborate. Richard Johnston, an Irish architect, was initially commissioned and completed the basement. Johnston was dismissed in favor of the popular and fashionable English architect James Wyatt, who, rather than starting over, began where Johnston left off and completed the mansion on the same footprint. Wyatt adhered closely to the Neo-classical ideal of restraint, symmetry and meticulous proportions, with architectural features carefully scaled.

The beautifull cut Portland stone, was shipped to Ballyshannon, taken overland to Locke Erne and shipped to Enniskillen over 2 miles in bullock carts, a horribly expense process. English plasterers worked on the interior under the supervision of Josph Rose, and it is absolutley gorgous.

It is a National Trust property and excellent photos of the building can be seen on their website.

Doric colonnaded wings extend either end of the main block of the house.

County Armagh

Northern Ireland

Oct 082018

October 7, 2018

THE ARGORY

The Argory got its name from the Irish ‘ard garraidhe’, meaning hill of the garden.

It was built between 1819 and 1824 by Walter McGeough, who assumed the additional name of Bond in honor of the family of his deceased grandmother.

This odd lion sits above the entry door

McGeough’s decision to build the house was a result of his father’s will. His father stated that 400 pounds would be left to the oldest son William with the bulk of the fortune going to Walter and his three sisters. However, there was a caveat, once Walter married he was no longer allowed to live at the family home, Drumsill ( outside of Armagh) as long as his two sisters remained unwed. Although one sister died early, Walter had the good sense to know that he needed to build his own home, which was prescient, as his other sisters remained unmarried.

This new home was designed by Dublin based architects John and Arthur Williamson. Sadly, most of the original plans were lost in an 1898 fire.

The house was designed as a single block with the north wing added later. It is faced in ashlar in a restrained classical style.

The staircase hall has been described as one of the most exciting interiors of its date in Ireland. It has a cantilevered staircase with brass banister supports and does have an amazing WOW factor.

In 1906 the owner, Captain Shelton, installed acetylene gas lighting. It was easier to install than electricity or a coal-gas-system, and cheaper to run. Acetylene gas lighting was ideal for country houses as it required little maintenance and could be “left to the charge of the most unskilled attendants” (though there was a small matter of the risk of explosion which is why the generating plant was located a ways from the house).

The main lamp in the lobby of The Argory has been removed for thorough cleaning and conservation, which is expected to last approximately two years. In its place is a new piece by Kevin Killen, paying homage to the last owner, Nevill Bond, who collected modern art.

This Steinway rosewood grand piano was bought in 1898.

An acetylene chandelier in the offices of Nevill Bond

One of the many dog sculptures that grace the house

A knife sharpening machine found in the servant’s area.

The dining room

In the dining room, much of the furniture was purchased from the Glasgow firm of James Whyte and Sons in 1827.

Wilkie prints line the second-floor landing

Sir David Wilkie (1785 – 1841) was a Scottish painter, especially known for his genre scenes. He painted successfully in a wide variety of genres, including historical scenes, and scenes from his travels to Europe and the Middle East. His main base was in London, but he died and was buried at sea, off Gibraltar. He was sometimes known as the “people’s painter”.

This cabinet barrel organ sits on the second-floor landing. It is considered to be the most important of its kind in existence. Recently restored, it was commissioned in 1822 from London organ builder James Bishop. It originally had six barrels, only three survive. Samuel Wesley, son of the great hymn writer Charles and nephew to John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church was employed to consult on the music prepared to be pinned onto these barrels.

The Argory and most of its contents were given to the National Trust in 1979.

MARLACOO HOUSE

This late classical Georgian house was built by a Robert Boyd around 1815. the present owners are only the 4th, and while the insides are modern the house maintains its wonderful bones.

The owner of the house, Edward Wilson, explaining the call system on the side of the house. The home was once in the hands of a doctor, and the bell and speaking tube allowed his patients to wake him in the middle of the night in case of an emergency.

Fall had definitely arrived when we visited

The folly at Marlacoo House is so very appropriate as Primrose Wilson, our fabulous hostess, is Chairman of the Follies Trust, tirelessly working to preserve and restore the many follies of Ireland before they are lost to history.

PARTING SHOTS

A mantel clock in The Argory

A cozy sitting area in The Argory

A sweet marble on the landing of The Argory by Irish sculptor, Thomas Kirk

Gardens at Marlacoo House

Clandeboye House and more of Belfast

Northern Ireland

Oct 072018

October 6, 2018

There are no photos allowed inside of Clandeboye, but take it from me, it is a museum. There is a video of the home, and it is used for many photo shoots, so you might catch a glimpse here and there if you know what you are looking for.

Clandeboye was first settled in 1674, but the Clandeboye House of today dates from 1801, Designed by Robert Woodgate it incorporated elements of the previous building and was built for the politician Sir James Blackwood, 2nd Baron Dufferin and Clandeboye. It was then known as Ballyleidy.

The parklands were originally laid out by the 1st Marquess, with the guidance of James Frasier. The 1st Marquess was also responsible for the addition of the banqueting hall to the house in 1898.

The Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava taking our photo

As a result of the work of the 1st Marquess, Clandeboye is home to the largest area of broad-leaved woodland in Northern Ireland, consisting mostly of oak, birch, and beech. The estate is also home to a large variety of animal species and home to the Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland.

The back of the House

A dovecote in the center of the “Courtyard” which was once the stables but is now the public area.

The Courtyard

A side note: This sculpture sits in front of the Belfast City Hall. It was done by Frederick Pomeroy and Sir Alfred Thomas Brumwell, the architect of City Hall, it was unveiled in 1906. As you have read, Frederick Temple the Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, and through a number of diplomatic roles worked in India, Canada, Russia, Turkey, Rome, and Paris. The sculpture shows the Marquess depicted in the robes of the Order of St Patrick below a canopy surmounted by the winged figure of Fame. On each side are figures representing Canada and India

This sculpture of Marquess of Dufferin and Ava sits outside of the Belfast City Hall.

Canada is represented by a trapper. A country where Marquess of Dufferin and Ava served as Ambassador

India is represented by a Raj

BELFAST

St George’s Market is the last surviving Victorian covered market in Belfast. It is located on May Street. Belfast Corporation (now Belfast City Council) commissioned the building of St George’s Market, which was built in three phases between 1890 and 1896. Before 1890 St George’s Market was an open market and most likely contained a slaughterhouse and a meat market.

Today the market is part flea market part farmer’s market

After the heavy bombing of Belfast by German aircraft in World War II, St George’s Market was used as an emergency mortuary. Approximately 900 were killed during the bombing raids; 255 bodies were brought to St George’s Market in an attempt to identify them. Not all of the bodies were identified, so a public funeral for the unclaimed dead took place on April 21, 1941. There were separate Catholic and Protestant services.

THE PRINCE ALBERT CLOCK

Designed by W. J. Barre at a cost of 2,500 pounds or approximately 196,000 pounds in today’s sterling, it was a bargain. It is built of sandstone by Fitzpatrick Brothers in the French/Italian Gothic Style.

A statue of the Prince in the robes of a Knight of the Garter was sculpted by SF Lynn. Inside is a two-ton bell.

Since the clock was built on wood piles on the marshy land around River Farset the tower leans four feet of the perpendicular.

Some of the ornamentation around the clock

SCOTTISH PROVIDENT BUILDING

The Scottish Provident Institution building, an Italian-Renaissance-style building was built in sections between 1897 and 1902 with a design by Young & Mackenzie and constructed by Rober Corry. It sits on Donegall Square.

The carvings and sculpture were by Purdy & Millard.

On one side of the building are faces representing the continents

This interesting sculpture sits over a corner door of the building. Since the company was an insurance company, one must assume this is of a mother and her children that actually did get a payout from the company.

THE TITANIC

The Titanic was built in Belfast, and there is a huge part of town, with a museum, dedicated to the ship. I did not do the museum, although, architecturally I find it absolutely stunning, this is about the memorial at City Hall.

The main female in the statue holds a black laurel wreath in her outstretched hand above the heads of the three figures below. They comprise two mermaids at her feet bearing a dead seaman above the waves, which emerge from the top of the plinth. The sculpture is by Sir Thomas Brock.

Ballywalter Park

Northern Ireland

Oct 062018

October 5, 2018

The front of Ballywalter Park

This Victorian Italianate Palazzo was built by the present owner’s great great great grandfather.

Ballywalter Park was originally built in 1828 and consisted of 1100 acres. In 1847 Mulholland hired architect Sir Charles Lanyon, to add to the home.

Much of the original home remained. The entrance was changed from south to east where a Roman Doric porte-cochere was added. A second floor was put on at that time and to the south and north new single-story wings were added.

Very soon afterward a new billiard room was added and an enormous stone and glass conservatory.

Looking back at the glass-domed conservatory and the rear of the home

A lovely plaster ceiling in one of the sitting rooms

Cornices and column capitals found in one of the ground floor rooms.

An update to an old library

A Royal Navy rum or “Grog” tub, as used on every British warship up until “Black Tot Day”, 31st July 1970, when the daily rum ration was withdrawn. This ended a tradition that went back to 1655 when Jamaica was taken from the Spanish and rum became a staple on Royal Navy ships.

The glass dome of the conservatory

The stone walls of the conservatory

We were honored to dine with Lord and Lady Dunleath.

Lady Dunleath imparting a fascinating story about the house.

Peeking back at you

The gardens of Ballywalter are a haven for wildlife and a vast spread of green

This haunting gentleman greets you at the entrance to the walled garden

Lord Dunleath (in the red vest) fascinating us with the history of the walled garden

Lord Dunleath (in the red sweater) fascinating us with the history of the walled garden

Greenhouses in the walled garden provide much of the food consumed on the property

Old stable areas

Ballustrades separate the home and drive from the green spaces.

There are not words to express how gracious and delightful the Lord and Lady Dunleath are. They are a fascinating, fun-loving couple that opened their home and we are so very grateful.

Mount Stewart House in Ards Peninsular

Northern Ireland

Oct 062018

October 5, 2018

Mount Stewart was created by the Stewart family (later Vane-Tempest-Stewart), holders of the title Marquess of Londonderry since 1816. Alexander Stewart (1699–1781), bought the estate in 1744 with money from the linen trade. At the time, the house was known as Mount Pleasant.

Alexander Stewart’s son, Robert Stewart, became the first Marquess of Londonderry.

He died in 1821 leaving the house to his son, also Robert, better known as Viscount Castlereagh, one of Britain’s most famous Foreign Secretaries.

It was this Robert that employed the architect George Dance to enlarge the house.

Viscount Castlereagh, as British Foreign Secretary, from 1812 was central to the management of the coalition that defeated Napoleon and was the principal British diplomat at the Congress of Vienna. These chairs are from that meeting and have been upholstered in needlepoint with the family crest of the members of the council on the backs and the country crest on the seats.

Viscount Castlereagh, as British Foreign Secretary, from 1812 was the principal British diplomat at the Congress of Vienna. These chairs are from that meeting and have been upholstered in needlepoint with the family crest of the members of the council on the backs and the country crest on the seats.

The next owner of the house was Castlereagh’s half-brother, Charles, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry (1778–1854). His second wife was Lady Frances Anne Vane-Tempest. She brought a considerable fortune with her and it was this huge new wealth that facilitated the enlargement of the now named Mount Stewart.

The family employed the architect, William Vitruvius Morrison with the original idea to knock down the Dance house and build anew. Instead, Morrison repeated Dance’s north and south elevations on the eastern side, doubling the length of the fronts. He added the Ionic portico, which is wide enough to serve as a porte-cochere. Morrison removed a small porte-cochere that Dance had placed on the south side, with a loggia and pediment that now looks out onto the garden. The contractor was Charles Campbell.

As you enter the house, the first rotunda (the second having been removed) has been remodeled to hold marble sculptures, this is of one of the family members and her son.

Hambletonian, was one of the best Thoroughbred racehorses of the late 18th century. His victories included two Doncaster Cups in the late 1790s and the St. Leger Stakes at Doncaster in 1795. He was owned by Sir Harry-Vane-Tempest. The painting is by George Stubbs and hangs on the landing heading to the second floor private apartments.

Much of the house is maintained the way that Edith Helen Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry lived in it.

Much of the house is maintained as it was when Edith Helen Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry lived in it.

In 1914, after the outbreak of World War I, Edith Helen Vane-Tempest-Stewart was appointed the Colonel-in-Chief of the Women’s Volunteer Reserve (WVR), a volunteer force formed of women replacing the men who had left work and gone to the Front. The WVR was established in December 1914 in response to German bombing raids on East Coast towns during the First World War. You will find the crest of her volunteer force all around the house.

The headboard of the bed in the Genoa Room restored in 2017-18

Genoa, Turin, Geneva, Pisa, and Leghorn were the private and secluded rooms used by Charles and Edith, 7th Marquess and Marchioness of Londenberry from 1920-1959.

The crest of Lady Londenberry’s Women’s Volunteer Reserve on the underside of the canopy of the bed.

The crest of Lady Londenberry’s Women’s Volunteer Reserve on a lamp shade in the bedroom

The Irish Elk is found on the coat of arms of Northern Ireland

One of many stunning rooms throughout the course

The interiors have shades of both Dance and Morrison.

The Dining Room

An excellent example of the fine plasterwork throughout the house

The doors and windows of the library are covered with the spines of actual leather-bound books.

Marquetry doors, chairs, and chair railings and the floor grace one room, all with the same pattern.

The private chapel is still consecrated and used today.

The Temple of the Wind

Mount Stewart’s Temple of the Winds while inspired by the one in Athens, is not an exact copy. It is faced in local Scrabo sandstone, it does not have a frieze running around the upper walls, and the side porticos are not pedimented but have balconies to take advantage of the breathtaking views of the lough and the Mourne Mountains.

The tower on the far hill, Scrabo Tower, is a 19th-century lookout tower It was built as a memorial to the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry and was originally known as Londonderry Monument.

In the back of the building is a domed three-quarter-round extension surrounding this stunning spiral staircase. The building has three stories. A service basement, the ground floor receiving room and an indescribably beautiful third floor with a marble fireplace by London carver John Adair, a plaster ceiling by Dublin plasterer William Fitzgerald and a marquetry floor composed of mahogany, walnut, sycamore, box, and bog oak, that perfectly complements the ornamental ceiling.

During the 1920s, Lady Londonderry created the gardens at Mount Stewart. She added the Shamrock Garden, the Sunken Garden, increased the size of the lake, added a Spanish Garden with a small hut, the Italian Garden, the Dodo Terrace, Menagerie, the Fountain Pool and laid out walks in the Lily Wood and rest of the estate. This dramatic change led to the gardens being proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1957, after the death of her husband, she gave the gardens to the National Trust. They are regarded by Heritage Island as being one of the best gardens in the British Isles.

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This Bay Tree was 30 years old when Lady Londenberry planted it over 50 years ago. It is the oldest Bay Tree in Ireland.

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On the left, in the red sweater, is the beautiful Lady Rose, the present occupant of the home, daughter of Lady Rose Lauritzen.

Our hostess, the beautiful Lady Rose Lauritzen (on the left, in the red sweater), is the present occupant of the home and granddaughter of Edith. Her husband, Peter Lauritzen is the gentleman in the sunglasses on the right.

California Camelias Magazine graces the table in ******

American Camelias Magazine graces the table in Edith’s study

A rather whimsical chandelier in Edith’s study

The house was given to the National Trust, with an endowment, by Lady Mairi Bury in 2009.

Wandering Belfast

Northern Ireland

Oct 042018

October 4, 2018

The name Belfast is derived from the Irish Béal Feirsde, which was later spelled Béal Feirste. The word béal means “mouth” or “rivermouth” while feirsde/feirste is the genitive singular of fearsaid and refers to a sandbar or tidal ford across a river’s mouth.

BELFAST CITY HALL

Belfast City Hall

In 1888 Queen Victoria granted Belfast the status of city. It was decided a new and grander City Hall was required. The new City Hall opened its doors on the first of August 1906, when Belfast was celebrating unprecedented prosperity and industrial strength.

This City Hall was designed by Alfred Brumwell Thomas in the Baroque Revival style and is constructed out of Portland stone. The building cost £369,000 to complete, the equivalent around 128 million pounds, or well over $166 million today.

Viscount William Pirrie who was Lord Mayor in 1896-1897 just before City Hall’s construction was also managing director of Harland & Wolff Shipyard. He is the man credited as having the idea for both the building of city hall and of the Titanic. He used many of his skilled workmen in City Hall which is why the interiors of city hall are considered an insight into the finish of Titanic’s lounges and suites.

The work of local artist John Luke, the mural shows the granting of Belfast’s royal charter in 1613, as well as some of the industries Belfast is famous for.

Fredrick Richard Chichester – the last Earl of Donegall and a patron of the arts – on his death bed accompanied by his loving mother.

Fredrick Richard Chichester – the last Earl of Donegall (Earl of Belfast) and a patron of the arts – on his deathbed accompanied by his loving mother.

The pediment sculpture was designed and created by Frederick W. Pomeroy.

The subject is the patron goddess of Ireland (Hibernia) actively promoting the business and artistic activities of the City of Belfast; she is attended by the Roman goddess Minerva (suggestive of weaving specifically, but industry in general), and the symbolic figures of Labour, Industry, Liberty, and Commerce, who hold appropriate instruments: harps, torches, bolts of linen, and spinning-wheels.

SAINT MARK’S CHURCH
East Belfast

St. Mark’s, also known as the Lion on the Hill was designed by William Butterfield, a well known English architect of churches around the world. The nave, aisles and the tower were built by McLoughlin and Harvey of Belfast and completed in 1878 at a cost of around 10,000 pounds, most of which was paid for by wealthy linen merchant William Ewart. After he died his family paid the cost of the rest of the building. It is built in Tudor style with red brick walls, green Norwegian slates, wood-paneled rooms, and timber mullioned windows.

The entry door.

Tile floors

Mosaic walls

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St. Mark’s has an interesting connection with C.S. Lewis. Lewis’ grandfather, the Reverent Thomas Hamilton was the first rector of the church, his parents were married in the church and he was baptized by his grandfather in the church in 1899.

This stained glass window was installed in 1993. It was donated to the church by the children of C.S. Lewis in memory of their parents. The window shows from left to right, Saint. Luke, Saint. James, and Saint. Mark.

On the road to Saint Mark’s, you will pass this statue of Lewis in C.S. Lewis park.

SAINT MALACHY CHURCH

In 1840 Thomas Jackson of Waterford was charged with designing a new church for the Catholic Diocese of Belfast. On November 3, 1841, the Feast day of Saint Malachy, the foundation stone was set. The church was to hold 7000 people, but as the Great Famine took hold, the building funds were used to help the suffering of the people of Belfast. The church was remodeled to serve as a small local church and is regarded as on the finest examples of late Georgian-Tudor Revival churches in Ireland.

The Fan Vaulted Ceiling of the church is a reason to make sure to step into the church.

THE CROWN LIQUOR SALOON

The Crown Liquor Saloon, also known as the Crown Bar, is a pub on Great Victoria Street. Refurbished in 1885, and at least twice since, it is an outstanding example of a Victorian gin palace, and one of Northern Ireland’s best-known pubs. It is owned by the National Trust and is leased to Mitchells & Butlers who run it as a Nicholson’s pub.

The terra-cotta throughout the building is exquisite

The terra-cotta inside and out of the building is exquisite

This building once housed the Castle Restaurant

One of the more historic buildings downtown burned down in August 2018. At the time of my visit, they were still weighing the chances of restoring it.

The Mayfair was four-story red brick building with sandstone detailing including banded quoins and an interesting corner treatment. Constructed as a commercial building, with offices on the upper floors. Blackwood & Jury was formed in 1901 by William Blackwood and Percy Jury and operated under that name until 1973. The sculpture is the Spirit of Belfast by Dan George.

Riddel’s Warehouse was built in 1865-67 by Thomas Jackson and Son. The ground floor is built on a plinth of Newry granite, with rounded arches delightfully carved with water-lilies, ivy, columbine, and shamrocks. The upper levels are of White Glasgow Brick. With the onset of the Troubles, it became impossible for Riddells to carry on business in Ann Street. The warehouse sat empty for years until it was acquired by the Police Service. It is owned by Hearth Historic Building Trust with the hopes of turning it into an arts center.

The iron columns and heavy wood beams of Riddels Warehouse

This flat iron building was built in 1868 and was originally called the Shakespeare, reflecting its theatrical clientele.

Otto Jaffe erected the Jaffe Memorial fountain in 1874 to commemorate his father, who had funded the building of Belfast’s first synagogue on Great Victoria Street.

The center of Victoria Square Shopping Center is this glass dome with elevator and stairway going to the top

Row houses that have survived urban development in Belfast.

THE ORMISTON HOUSE

Ormiston house was designed by David Bryce of Edinburgh and built in 1867 for James Combe, a Scots-born iron-founder and linen manufacturer.

It is a Scottish-Baronial style mansion house with crow-stepped gables, a bartizan turret, and gargoyles. There is a central three-story tower-house with two-story wings on each side; a pitched slate roof; pedimented dormers; and a decorated, pedimented doorway.

The property was sold to the shipbuilder Sir Edward Harland 1880, who lived there until 1887, when it was acquired by his business partner William, later 1st Viscount Pirrie.

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The house became a boys school, and then left abandoned for years. It has just undergone a 5 year restoration by the family that now lives there.

Hillsborough, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Oct 042018

October 3, 2018

Hillsborough Castle is a beautiful late Georgian mansion built in the 1770s by Wills Hill, first Marquis of Downshire it was later remodeled in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Today, it is a working royal palace functioning as the official residence of the Royal Family when they are in Northern Ireland, and it has been the home of the Secretary of State since the 1970s.

Wills Hill was an Irish peer and served as an MP from 1742 to 1756, before becoming the Earl of Hillsborough. As Secretary of State for the American departments, he was responsible for the “loss of the colonies”.

Wills Hill famously hosted Benjamin Franklin, but contrary to popular myth, when they met at Hillsborough in 1771, the two men got along well together. Despite this, America went on to fight for, and win independence.

Entering Hillsborough Castle you are first taken aback by the Richhill gates, originally part of Richhill Castle.

They were constructed by Thornberry Brothers of Armagh in 1745 and topped with the Richardson coat-of-arms.

It is believed they were removed at the start of the Second World War, as metal was being melted down to make armaments.

They were installed at Hillsborough Castle, after its renovation following the fire in 1934.

The entry to the home is a compact room with a lovely fireplace. The rooms are rather dark, not only because of the common overcast weather but also due to protective glazing on the windows, making photography a tad difficult.

After a fire in 1934, the house was redecorated in a more official way. At this time the circulation of the house was changed with double doors and long strings of connected rooms.

The role of Governor was abolished in 1973, which is why it is now the home of the Secretary of State whenever she or he is in Northern Ireland.

The present interiors date from a remodel done between 1987 and 1993, although two of the rooms had recently been redone before this visit.

These Irish Elk Horns, found in a bog, are over the front door. The Irish elk is also called the giant deer or Irish giant deer, is an extinct species of deer and is one of the largest deer that ever lived.

Although most skeletons have been found in bogs in Ireland, the animal was not exclusive to Ireland and are not related to any species of living elk.

The throne room was conceived in 1934. The thrones are representative of the Queen and are no longer used.

The Georgian staircase is one of the only items left that survived the fire.

Guard boxes on both sides of the Richhill gate.

The gardens are a true highlight of the house.

The Greek Doric Summer home, under restoration

Looking back at the house from the garden

A lovely folly can be seen in the distance as you enter the garden

The roses were seeing their last at the end of September.

Across the way is the Hillsborough Fort, it is an artillery fort built in 1650 by Colonel Arthur Hill. It was remodeled in the 18th Century for feasts and entertainment. It was covered in scaffolding for an event while I was there so the following picture is from the Discover Ireland website.

A mile marker along the walk to St Mallachy's church from the Castle

A mile marker along the walk to St Malachy’s church from the Castle

ST. MALACHY’S CHURCH

The box pews have a door to keep the heat in when there was no central heating in the cold of Northern Ireland. It also reflected the fact that individual families paid pew rent to have their own seat.

St Malachy’s, one of the best Georgian churches in Ireland, was completed in 1772. Few alterations have taken place over the years. It took about 100 years for heat to be introduced, and 50 more before there was electric light. The Parish known as St. Malachy’s, takes its name from a reforming leader of the 12th-century church.

The town of Hillsborough is a lovely town to wander, albeit, just a few blocks long.

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Our day was made all the more pleasant due to a lovely lunch hosted by Ms. Simone Mackie Beach at her home, Ballydugan House. We were served by her friends, a delicious lunch on fine china and linen tablecloths, it was a real treat.

Ballydugan House and the family dog.

The house is a typical 18th-century Irish Georgian country house. Ms. Beach also lets rooms and hires the grounds for events.