Ardgillan Castle
Encyclopedia
Ardgillan Castle is a large country house in Balbriggan
, Fingal
in Ireland
. It is set in the 200 acre (0.809372 km²) Ardgillan Demesne.
Featuring castellated embellishments, the building overlooks Barnageera Beach, the Irish Sea
and Skerries
. The castle consists of two storeys over a basement, which extends under the south lawns. When occupied, the ground and first floors were the living accommodation while the west and east wings were servants quarters and estate offices. The basement was the service floor, the kitchen and stores. The castle has now been restored and the ground floor rooms and kitchens are open to visitors for guided tours. Tea-rooms are located off the main reception area and serving light snacks are open in conjunction with the Castle opening times. Upstairs, the former bedrooms are used for classes and exhibitions including a permanent and unique exhibition of the "Down Survey" colour maps and text. Rooms are also available form small group meetings and workshops.
Ardgillan Demesne is a popular local park, with a mix of woodlands and large grass open spaces. The park contains a walled herb garden, rose garden, Victorian conservatory, tea rooms and an ice house
. A children's playground was added in 2006. Ardgillan Castle provides guided tours and hosts exhibitions throughout the years.
In 1982 the estate was sold to Fingal County Council
, and it is now open to the public.
, her ghost appears and throws you to the ocean, leading to one's death. The bridge was damaged by a truck strike in 2006 and was eventually renovated and reopened in 2007.
In 2005 the estate was host to a number of open air concerts in the summer time. Pop artists who have played here include Moby
, REM, Meat Loaf
and Status Quo. No more concerts have been held at the venue since and it still remains to be seen if the County Council plans to host any in the future.
Balbriggan
Balbriggan is a town in the northern part of the administrative county of Fingal, within County Dublin, Ireland. The 2006 census population was 15,559 for Balbriggan and its environs.- Name :...
, Fingal
Fingal
Fingal is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. With its county seat located in Swords, it has a population of 239,992 according to the 2006 census...
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 is set in the 200 acre (0.809372 km²) Ardgillan Demesne.
Featuring castellated embellishments, the building overlooks Barnageera Beach, the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
and Skerries
Skerries
Skerries is the plural of skerry, meaning a small rocky island.Skerries may refer to a number of geographical locations:-Ireland:*Skerries, Dublin, a seaside town in Ireland*The Skerries, Northern Ireland...
. The castle consists of two storeys over a basement, which extends under the south lawns. When occupied, the ground and first floors were the living accommodation while the west and east wings were servants quarters and estate offices. The basement was the service floor, the kitchen and stores. The castle has now been restored and the ground floor rooms and kitchens are open to visitors for guided tours. Tea-rooms are located off the main reception area and serving light snacks are open in conjunction with the Castle opening times. Upstairs, the former bedrooms are used for classes and exhibitions including a permanent and unique exhibition of the "Down Survey" colour maps and text. Rooms are also available form small group meetings and workshops.
Ardgillan Demesne is a popular local park, with a mix of woodlands and large grass open spaces. The park contains a walled herb garden, rose garden, Victorian conservatory, tea rooms and an ice house
Icehouse (building)
Ice houses were buildings used to store ice throughout the year, prior to the invention of the refrigerator. Some were underground chambers, usually man-made, close to natural sources of winter ice such as freshwater lakes, but many were buildings with various types of insulation.During the...
. A children's playground was added in 2006. Ardgillan Castle provides guided tours and hosts exhibitions throughout the years.
History
The house was built by the Reverend Robert Taylor in 1738. The house remained in the Taylor family until 1962 when the estate to Heinrich Potts of Westphalia.In 1982 the estate was sold to Fingal County Council
Fingal County Council
Fingal County council is the local authority for the county of Fingal in Ireland. It is one of three local authorities that comprised the former Dublin County Council before its abolition and one of four councils in the Dublin Region. The county seat is in Swords, with another major office...
, and it is now open to the public.
Trivia
The ghost of a woman was believed to haunt the bridge (known locally as The Lady's Stairs) that exists over the nearby railway line at the end of the garden. It was said that the woman's husband was a frequent swimmer, and when he did not return one night, she went to the bridge to await his return. The tale then claims her husband had died while swimming, and she stayed at the bridge to await his return until she died. A more "horror-like" version of the tale claims that if one is to go the end of the bridge at midnight on HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
, her ghost appears and throws you to the ocean, leading to one's death. The bridge was damaged by a truck strike in 2006 and was eventually renovated and reopened in 2007.
In 2005 the estate was host to a number of open air concerts in the summer time. Pop artists who have played here include Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
, REM, Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
and Status Quo. No more concerts have been held at the venue since and it still remains to be seen if the County Council plans to host any in the future.