C U R R A
G H M O R E
Portlaw, Co. Waterford
The present Lord Waterford is the 8th
Marquis of Waterford. His ancestors
(de la Poers) came to Ireland in the twelfth century from Normandy after a
100-year stopover in Wales. They
proceeded to build four castles in County Waterford viz. Dunhill, Kilmeaden,
Clonea Power and Curraghmore around 1170 or,
about 320 years before Columbus discovered the New World.
Today, only Curraghmore, meaning great bog, is still in use.
In more than 800 years the property has passed through the female line
once only and that was prior to Catherine de la Poer marrying Sir Marcus
Beresford in 1715 when she was just a teenager - it was she who created the
unique Shell-house.
The present day de la Poer
Beresfords are country people by tradition.
Farming, hunting, breeding hounds and horses and an active social
calendar continues as it did centuries ago.
Weekly game-shooting parties are held every season (Nov. through Jan.)
and in spring, calves, foals and lambs can be seen in abundance on
Curraghmore’s verdant fields. Polo
is still played on the estate in summer.
Some
2 500 acres of woodland and grazing fields make this the largest private demesne
in Ireland and a Sitka Spruce planted in 1835,
reputed to be the tallest tree in Ireland, stands guard over King
John’s Bridge. Built in 1205 this stone-arched structure, spanning the Clodagh River, is the oldest bridge in Ireland. Twelve miles of
famine relief boundary wall and four sturdy wrought iron gates secure the
property. Notably, throughout
Ireland’s turbulent history, this family have never been absentee landlords
and they still provide diverse employment for a number of local people.
Gnarled pink chestnut trees line
the approach to the big house and original castle tower.
St Hubert’s stag with crucifix between it’s antlers - genuine horns
on the de la Poer family emblem - gazes across the Courtyard from atop the old
castle. The Beresford family emblem
– a dragon with spear piercing its neck looks to the Comeragh Mountains from
the southern rooftop. The Castle walls are about 12 feet thick and within one, a
tight spiral stairway connects the lower ground floor with the roof above.
The house is reputed to represent some of James Wyatt’s finest
plasterwork. Change comes slowly to
Curraghmore – table linen, cutlery and dishes from the early nineteenth
century are still in daily use.
A Boston attorney with Irish roots
recently visited Curraghmore and was moved to say that in his view, one of
Ireland’s best-kept secrets is the Shell-house.
Shell-house and gardens open Thursdays, 2-5 p.m. Easter to 15th Oct. @
€4 pp.
House tours can be arranged by fax 051 - 387 481 or Tel 051 - 387 101. @
€6 pp.
Basil Croeser (guide) can be contacted at 051 - 387 134 or at
basilc@eircom.net
