INNOVATING Stately Homes
Curraghmore House and Gardens
CURRAGHMORE HOUSE AND GARDENS C O U N T Y W AT E R F O R D
vulnerable, offering respite care to injured soldiers during two world wars, using their dairy herd and life-saving pasteurisation to donate to the safe milk depot, and funding The Children’s Sunshine Home – a charity better known today as The Laura Lynn Foundation. Today, Airfield Estate is a social and charitable hub, investing in initiatives that reach every corner of the community, via the house, gardens, farm and award-winning restaurant. The focus of the estate is to
Curraghmore House in Waterford is the historic family home of the ninth Marquis of Waterford. His ancestors, the de la Poers, came to Ireland from Normandy around 1170. Some 2,500 acres of formal gardens, woodland and grazing fields make this the largest private demesne in Ireland. The grounds were laid out by the first de la Poer Beresford Earl of Tyrone around 1750 and provide a splendid example of an eighteenth century romantic landscape, with the house as its centrepiece. In front of the house is the garden in the French manner, designed by Louisa, third Lady Waterford. Its formal terraces, with balustrades and statuary overlook the manmade lake. The present day Lord and Lady Waterford live and work in the house. Farming, hunting and breeding horses continues as it did centuries ago. Weekly game shooting parties are held every season 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. Throughout Ireland’s turbulent history, the family has never been ‘absentee landlords’ and still provide diverse employment for a number of local people. During the summer, the house is open for guided tours, including the gardens and Shell House. Hidden in a shrubbery near the main house at Curraghmore, The Shell House was created by Catherine, Countess of Tyrone, with ‘her proper’ hands in 1754. The decoration of the folly took her 261
days to complete and the intricate patterns of shells from all over the world still glow with colour above a statue of the Countess by John van Nost. In the past four years a number of buildings have been renovated, some as rental properties, and the Old Estate Offices have been transformed into charming Tea Rooms where visitors can buy local produce and enjoy cakes and pastries produced onsite by the Curraghmore chef. These old buildings are enjoying a new lease of life, housing entrepreneurial startups that foster sustainability and growth opportunities on the estate. The latest project is the introduction of Curraghmore Whiskey, situated in the Ten Stalls, former coach horse stables led by Richard de la Poer Beresford, Lord Waterford’s eldest son. The estate has embraced change and welcomed new audiences. The summer season now hosts annual open-air theatre featuring period dramas in keeping with the Curraghmore setting. It has hosted country fair days, charity walks and works closely with the local community. In recent years, the estate has ventured into the world of music festivals, hosting All Together Now (ATN), its biggest event to date. The family was approached by the late John Reynolds, founder of Electric Picnic, who called it, the best venue he had ever been to. The festival, heading in to its third year, has proved very successful and of great economic benefit to the area. Curraghmorehouse.ie
ensure that consumers understand the impact of their food choices on themselves, their families, society as a whole and, ultimately, the planet. Using the working farm as the backdrop, it provides education programmes to primary and secondary schools, as well as third-level institutions across Ireland, about seasonality, growing and cooking, sustainability and ecology. As a not-for-profit organisation, the estate is involved in a number of social impact and outreach programmes including partnering
IDAIRELAND.COM
052_IDA_Winter_2019_Buildings TC Final.idml 53
53
12/02/2020 13:08
