Dromoland Castle (Irish: Drom Ólainn) is a castle, now a 5-star luxury hotel with a golf course, located near Newmarket-on-Fergus in County Clare, Ireland
Dromoland Castle (Irish: Drom Ólainn) is a castle, now a 5-star luxury hotel with a golf course, located near Newmarket-on-Fergus in County Clare, Ireland. Its restaurant, the Earl of Thomond, was awarded a Michelin star in 1995, under head chef Jean Baptiste Molinari.[1]
The present building was completed in 1835. However, the first building constructed here seems to have been a tower house built in the 15th or early 16th century and is recorded as being erected by Thomas, the son of Shane Mac Anerheny.[2] There were at least three houses on the site, at various times, called Dromoland. While Dromoland later became residence of eight generations of the O'Brien family, early records suggest that the area was also occupied by other local Gaelic families, such as the McInerney family during the 16th century.[3] According to the historian James Frost, Dromoland translates as the ""Hill of Litigation"".[4]
History
In 1551 Dromoland was listed in the will of Murrough O'Brien. He was first Tanist and in 1543 had been granted the title of first Earl of Thomond by Henry VIII. Murrough bequeathed Leamaneh Castle to his third son Donough MacMurrough O'Brien, and also gave him the castle and lands at Dromoland. In 1582 Donough was hanged in Limerick on charges of rebellion and the government decided that all his property would be forfeited to the Crown. Accordingly, Sir George Cusack, the sheriff, took possession of Dromoland. Some years later, Turlough O'Brien killed Cusack and various O'Briens attempted to re-possess Dromoland. The fourth Earl of Thomond claimed to have sole ownership and tried to exclude Donough's son, Conor MacDonough O'Brien. The outcome of this dispute is unclear.
In 1604 when Conor O'Brien died he left Dromoland to his son, Donough MacConor O'Brien. Donough, whose mother was Slany O'Brien, was then only about eight years old. A legal battle ensued between the fourth Earl and Slany O'Brien. The dispute was settled by arbitration in 1613. The Earl, by now Lord Thomond, became owner of Dromoland on payment of 132.13.4 pounds in compensation to Slany O'Brien. When Donough was older, he refused to abide by the settlement. By 1614 a William Starkey was leasing Dromoland from Lord Thomond. By 1628 Lord Thomond was dead and Donough continued the dispute through the Court of Wards and Liveries in Dublin. In 1629 Donough was granted entry ""on all the manors, lands and tenements of his late father"" on payment of a fine. Dromoland was however not listed among the many properties named, and it rested with the Earls of Thomond for another fifty years. The fifth Earl did transfer two other properties to Donough as compensation.
Robert Starkey, son of William, was in residence at Dromoland when the rebellion of 1641 began. It seems that he either fled the area or sublet the property. In 1642 Col. Conor O'Brien of Leamaneh, son of Donough and husband of Maire Rua, seized the castle along with a Captain McInerhenny, the leader of the Irish force, who surprised the guards through help of Starkey's assistant Moran. Conor was killed in battle in 1651. His eldest son Donough, born to Conor and Maire Rua in 1642, was heir to Leamaneh Castle and to the family claim on Dromoland. In addition, Donough inherited large landholdings from his half-brother, William O'Neylan (O'Neillan) (1635–78) of Dysert, to whose father Daniel Marie Rua had been married from 1634 until his untimely death in 1639.
Robert Starkey resumed the lease and in 1666 Dromoland was sub-leased to Colonel Daniel O'Brien from Carrigaholt Castle. Three years later, it was assigned to Thomas Walcott of Moyhill. Finally, in 1684 the freehold was assigned to Donough O'Brien. At this time Dromoland was a modest house. The original tower house seems to have been added onto during Starkey's time, before Donough moved in from Leamaneh.
Sir Donough, 1st Baronet, died in 1717. During his time at Dromoland, it was described as ""a handsome Grecian Building."" Donough's son Lucius also died in 1717 so Edward, son of Lucius, became 2nd Baronet. This first Sir Edward O'Brien decorated the house with pictures and carvings. He also had designs drawn up for a new house. Thomas Roberts and John Aheron both submitted drawings to him for a house and garden at Dromoland. John Aheron appears to have been the architect responsible for the final design. He also designed the Gazebo on Turret Hill, across the road from the main entrance gateway. It was probably built for observing the training of horses. Dromoland was expanded to a ten-bay, 2 1⁄2-storey house. A two-story quadrangle was completed in 1736. Edward died in 1765.
Sir Lucius O'Brien was the eldest son of the first Sir Edward and was the 3rd Baronet. He died in 1794. His son, the second Sir Edward, was the 4th Baronet, and decided to rebuild the castle. In 1821, it was the birthplace of Edward's brother Robert's son, George O'Brien. Work began around 1822 and cost about Ј50,000 to complete. The Pain brothers submitted some classical designs but Edward O'Brien chose their neo-gothic designs, influenced by John Nash. James and George Richard Pain had been pupils of Nash in England. The building was completed in 1835.
Edward was married to Charlotte Smith and her inherited wealth was probably essential in covering construction costs of their new mansion. Edward and Charlotte were parents of William Smith O'Brien, the leader of the Young Irelander rebellion of 1848. Sir Edward died in 1837. His eldest son Lucius was 5th Baronet and 13th Baron Inchiquin.
Hotel