A History of Ballyfin House, Co. Laoise, Ireland

A History of Ballyfin House, Co. Laoise, Ireland

As he lay dying in the winter of 1845, William Pole-Wellesley must have reflected upon the many failures of his life. He had certainly never come close to the success of his younger brother, Arthur, the famous ‘Iron Duke’ of Wellington. In fact, William’s most lasting...
Leslie-Ellis of Magherymore, Co. Wicklow, and County Monaghan

Leslie-Ellis of Magherymore, Co. Wicklow, and County Monaghan

Looking at the family who lived at Magherymore (now spelled Magheramore), near Wicklow Town for a number of generations, and their connections to the US state of Georgia and Cambridge University. Their home is now a St Columban nursing home. Complete access to all...
La Touche of Marlay, Bellevue & Harristown

La Touche of Marlay, Bellevue & Harristown

Arguably Ireland’s most prominent Huguenot family in the Georgian Age, the La Touche family descend from David La Touche, a refugee from the Loire Valley who served at the Battle of the Boyne and went on to found the bank of La Touche & Sons. His descendants were to...
Acton of Kilmacurragh, County Wicklow

Acton of Kilmacurragh, County Wicklow

Now part of a magnificent National Botanic Gardens adjunct, Kilmacurragh was built by the Acton family during the reign of Queen Anne. In the 1850s, the forward-thinking Actons planted an arboretum that is now in peak condition with the greatest collection of...