Welcome
When it was built in the 1720s, Castletown set a radical precedent and is an extraordinary part of our cultural inheritance. Now, as the OPW breathes contemporary life into Irelands earliest and finest Palladian house, it is trail blazing once more.
The Summer of 2007 saw the unveiling of an imaginative vision for the house and its historic landscape, ensuring Castletowns vitality in the 21st century. Castletown, at Celbridge, Co Kildare is considered by many to be Irelands most important historic house: its architectural significance and that of its designed landscape is matched with a compelling social history, brought to life by the survival of many of its 18th century decorative schemes, original contents and archives. Since autumn 2006 Castletown has been the focus of intense activity and now that it has re-opened to the public it will have an exciting future inspired by its past.
It is now 40 years since the Hon Desmond Guinness rescued Castletown from being swallowed up by development and destroyed by vandals, buying the house and 120 acres, opening it to the public and making it the headquarters of the Irish Georgian Society. In 1979 he handed it over, along with key contents secured in the dispersal auction when the Conolly family sold the estate, to the Castletown Foundation, the voluntary body which maintained it and undertook restoration work until 1994 when the house was transferred to State care.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Castletown where you will learn about the extraordinary history of this building, the family that lived here, and the sensitive work that has been carried out to date by the Office of Public Works in order that it can be presented to you to the highest standards.
____________________________
Martin Mansergh, T.D.,
Minister of State at the Department of Finance
with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works
