Tyrone House, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway, Ireland

Tyrone House, built in 1779, is in a dominating position by the sea about 2 miles as the crow flyes from the village of Kilcolgan in Co. Galway. The stonework is in relatively good condition and the basic shape of the house remains intact. There are three stories over a basement which combine to give the house an imposing presence.
The 18th century house overlooking the Clarenbridge oyster beds of south Galway inspired Somerville and Ross's The Big House of Inver and WB Yeats's last play. The St George family mausoleum was immortalised in John Betjeman's poem, Ireland With Emily.
It was designed for Christopher French St George by John Roberts, the 18th-century Co Waterford architect who was also responsible for Mayo's Moore Hall. The house includes a walled garden, outhouses and a tower house, believed to have archaeological significance as it predates the other buildings.
The house was abandoned in 1905 and torched by the IRA during the War of Independence in 1920.When it was said to have been used by the Black And Tans. An elderly and bed-bound caretaker was reputed to be inside at the time, but the IRA carried his bed, bedding and furniture downstairs, put him in one of the out-offices and then set the place alight.
The building, which is privately owned, has been the subject of continuous looting in recent years.
Corner stones, original fireplaces, window frames, balustrades and other valuable architectural features have been removed - some of which were recovered during an investigation several years ago

Category:

Education

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• Tyrone
• House
• Galway
• Kilcolgan
• 18th
• century
• house
• Clarenbridge
• oyster
• travel log
• helicopter
• wildlife
• nature
• episode
• offroad
• outdoors

[steo2008]

i would love to go to this place at night.

[larrythelookout]

@steo2008 yep so would i.

[sinhel001]

you can get down to the basement on the left hand side of the house, its hard to notice, beacuse of all the overgrowth, but there are a few steps down into a small tunnelly type thing. brings you to the basment. the basement is unreal.

[larrythelookout]

@sinhel001 looks like then i shall return to this house. Thks

[EmoDeathStar121]

@sinhel001 so true  :D

[KeukaRyder]

It's a shame that it is being looted!

Too bad there isn't a conservancy that would take care of the house.

[britex3186]

very interesting house!