Ardgillan Castle
Ardgillan Castle ( Irish Caisleán Ard Giolláin ) is a country house in Balbriggan in Ireland's County Dublin . It is located in the 81 acre Ardgillan Demesne , a public park under the administration of County Fingal .
Details
The building, with ornamental battlements is fitted above the Barnageera Beach , the Irish Sea and the town of Balbriggan. It has two full floors and a basement; the latter extends under the lawn on the south side of the house. When the house was still inhabited, the two floors of the main block served as a residence for the master, while the servants and officials of the property had their quarters in the west and east wings. The basement housed kitchens and storage rooms. The country house was renovated and is now open to the public.
The property, which can also be visited, is a mixture of light forest and lawns. The park has an enclosed herb garden, rose garden, Victorian greenhouses, tea pavilions and an ice house . A playground was created in 2006.
Facilities and events for visitors
The rooms on the ground floor and the kitchens are open to the public as part of guided tours. The tea pavilions are located away from the entrance area and can also be viewed during the opening times of the country house. The former sleeping quarters on the first floor serve as classrooms and exhibition rooms; there is also the permanent exhibition Down Survey with colored maps and text. Rooms are also available for small conferences and workshops.
In the summer of 2005, a series of open-air concerts took place on the property. Artists who have performed here include Moby , REM , Meat Loaf, and Status Quo . There have been no concerts here since 2006 and it is not known whether Fingal County Council is planning any more in the future.
Paws at Ardgillan
In mid-2016, a new concept called Paws at Ardgillan (German: “Paws in Ardgillan”) was opened in the gardens of the country house. It is housed in the former gardener's house and represents "a new café that offers dog owners the opportunity to eat with their dogs". The dog-friendly facility is one of the first in Ireland and the first of its kind in an urban park. There, dog owners can sit with their dogs at a café table and have hot and cold, light meals and refreshments.
history
The previous owner of the land was Robert Usher , a Tallaght wine merchant . When Rev. Robert Taylor bought the land, it was a fairly wooded area. So he hired some laid-off soldiers from Bangor and paid them 1 penny a day on board and lodging; they also received a tot (one ration) of Irish whiskey from Bushmills each day , which was bought for 2 shillings and 2 pence a gallon.
Rev. Taylor had the villa built in 1728. It remained in the family's hands until 1962, when it was sold to Henrich Potts from Westphalia .
In 1982 the property was sold to the Fingal County Council, which renovated the house with the support of the '' Fás ''. It was officially opened in 1992 by President Mary Robinson .
The spirit of the "Lady's Stairs"
The ghost of a woman is said to haunt the bridge called "The Lady's Stairs" over the Dublin - Belfast railway line on the border of the property, near the Irish Sea. It is said that the lady's husband often swam there, and when he did not return one night the lady went to this bridge and waited for him to return. But her husband had drowned and so she remained at the bridge without any hope until she died herself. Another legend reports that a person who went to the end of the bridge at midnight on Halloween would be thrown into the sea by the ghost of the lady who then appeared and had to die.
The bridge was damaged by a truck in 2006, then rebuilt and reopened in 2007.
A more believable version of the story goes as follows: Lord Langford of Summerhill House in County Meath brought his new wife to Ardgillan Castle and went hunting in Scotland . Against the advice of the house staff, she went swimming (in November!) And drowned. Lord Langford died a short time later. The ghost who is supposed to be seen on the bridge is Lady Langford in her wedding dress, who comes up to find husbands for them in the country house.
Railway line from Dublin to Belfast
The Dublin to Belfast railway line crosses the property. There drive z. B. The Enterprise , the Dublin Commuter , freight trains and some unscheduled intercity trains.
The Lady's Stairs bridge connects the Ardgillan property to the coast via the R127 road (from Skerries to Balbriggan). You reach the bridge over concrete steps a short distance from parking lot 1 or longer distance from parking lot 2. The bridge is equipped with a high metal fence with small holes. The railway line can also be seen from the top of the hill at the playground.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ardgillan Castle Demesne and Regional Park . Fingal County Council. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ The Lordship Woman in Charge of Ardgillan Gardens . Independent.ie. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ^ Dog-Friendly Café for Ardgillan Castle . North County Leader. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
Web links
Coordinates: 53 ° 35 ′ 9.6 " N , 6 ° 9 ′ 36" W.