In Ruins - Geheimnisvolles Irland

Coolbawn House
Enniscorthy, County Wexford

Built in 1840. Burnt in 1914 during the Troubles.

Coolbawn House, Enniscorthy, County Wexford (MA-H-058)

It took Francis Bruen twenty-five years to build this Tudor Revival fantasy. He resided mostly in England and the estate was run in his absence by his much-hated agent Mr Routledge, who would pay the rent arrears of the Protestant tenants rather than let the land fall into the hands of the Catholics. If the Catholics could not pay, their land was given to the Protestants.

Every Friday fifty horses were shod in preparation for Mr Bruen, but he seldom, if ever, came. According to John Hennessy, son of the present local blacksmith, the end for Coolbawn came late one winter's night during the Troubles. Some family retainers were awakened and held at gunpoint by the Republican Army at a smaller house on the estate. Their commander thought the house was Coolbawn and ordered his men to set fire to it. He realized his error when he saw the unremarkable contents of the interior. So he sought out the great house and torched it.