G6244 : Lissadell and the ‘dead cat case’ – the history of a troubled estate

taken 23 years ago, near to Cloghboley, Co Sligo, Ireland

Lissadell and the ‘dead cat case’ – the history of a troubled estate
Lissadell and the ‘dead cat case’ – the history of a troubled estate
Built of the local grey limestone in 1833 by Francis Goodwin for the Gore-Booth family, this huge sorrowful-looking mansion (pictured empty in 2001) has been a hostage to its famous past. Standing in a favoured position in an estate of 400 acre (originally 4000 acres), the mansion overlooks Drumcliff Bay to the south. And to the east are the Dartry mountains with the iconic shape of Ben Bulben, made familiar by the poetry of WB Yeats 1865-1939 LinkExternal link (Archive LinkExternal link ) . For all this had become ‘Yeats country’ and in the process Lissadell (where the poet had stayed in 1893/4) and the Gore-Booths themselves became part of Irish folklore. In particular the two rebellious daughters of the house, Eva and Constance were immortalised by Yates – Eva, the poet and suffragist, and Constance, the artist and republican firebrand. Constance became part of the 1916 Easter Rising and was the first woman to be elected to Dáil Éireann. She was also elected to be an MP in London but did not take her seat LinkExternal link (Archive LinkExternal link )

“The light of evening, Lissadell
Great windows open to the south
Two girls in silk kimonos, both
Beautiful, one a gazelle”

But from the 1950s, things changed: the Gore-Booth finances slumped, but they persisted in remaining at Lissadell in near poverty while the almost empty house fell into disrepair and the once productive estate, reduced to the present 400 acres, devolved into dispute and debt – recorded at LinkExternal link (Archive LinkExternal link ) . There was some desultory interest from the Irish government in buying the run-down estate for the nation, but in 2003 the Walsh family from Co. Kildare, Edward, Constance and their seven children, bought it. Since then they have restored the whole property without public funding, opened it to the public and in 2008 welcomed 44,000 visitors to the house and gardens LinkExternal link .

Sadly, this is not the happy Irish ending it seems. In December 2008, Sligo County Council, by recourse to old documents (found, it is said, only after the removal from their store by ‘health and safety’ of a long-dead cat) claimed that some of the routes through the Lissadell estate were public rights of way. As this will make the estate insecure and inoperable as a family business open to the public, the Walshes temporarily closed the grounds and went to the High Court to defend their property.

Finally in December 2010 after a case lasting 58 days and costing up to €6 million, the High Court ruled against the Walshes of Lissadell. The latter promptly opened the gates to the public and said their development of the house and gardens for public access was over and they would be looking for a sale, possibly to the government (an unlikely prospect in view of the present state of public funds and the earlier lack of interest). Sadly it looks as if Sligo and North-West Ireland tourism will continue to slump for the lack of this jewel of a destination, while people around the world will wonder at the extraordinary lack of care displayed both by the government and Sligo Council for one of Ireland’s great historic sites LinkExternal link

POSTSCRIPT Nov 2013: The Sligo County Council cat may be dead, but Lissadell looks as if it may yet rise again to be the gem of Irish heritage and tourism that, thanks to the generosity of the Walsh family, it had started to be. News just came of the success of the appeal that the family made to the Supreme Court of Ireland; it came to a unanimous decision against the opening of the so-called “rights of way” which threatened the project. The family, it is said, are considering their future plans, while the Council are wondering where to obtain the €7 million which their ill-judged actions may have cost the unfortunate citizens of Sligo LinkExternal link

POSTSCRIPT June 2014: Good news! Lissadell house and gardens will open to the public again this weekend 20-22 June. The family plan for the place to stay open for the summer season to see how it goes, and then decide on making longer term decisions. There is the 150th anniversary of WB Yates’ birth next year...
Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright D Gore and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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G6244, 18 images   (more nearby search)
Photographer
Date Taken
2001   (more nearby)
Submitted
Tuesday, 16 February, 2010
Category
Mansion   (more nearby)
Subject Location
Irish: geotagged! G 622 443 [100m precision]
WGS84: 54:20.7607N 8:34.9195W
Camera Location
Irish: geotagged! G 622 442
View Direction
Northwest (about 315 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph (Third Visitor for G6244) · First in 5 Years (TPoint) (about)
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