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Thurles – Luxury Castle

County Tipperary, Ireland

Long ago, this exquisite castle was a grand 3-story Irish Palladium country house.  In the early 1700's, it was extended and the castellations were added.  Destroyed by fire during The Troubles in 1920, the castle remained a useless ruin for decades.  In 1994, the current owners purchased this ruin and commenced a painstaking restoration, a job which still continues.  This is a labor of vision and love and dedication to the property's history and to the land.

One enters through great oak doors into a wide hallway that has a stunning ceiling and fine antiques.  The drawing room, on the right of the hall, is very comfortable and inviting.  The sofas and easy chairs are traditional style.  The Waterford chandelier, baby grand piano, fine games table and chairs, antiques and the white marble Adam-style fireplace set the tone for the rest of the castle.  The vaulted ceiling has a wonderful trompe l'oeil painted scene of vines, birds and sky.  Tall Elizabethan window frame the lush, green Tipperary landscape.

On the left of the hallway, the formal dining room has a long Regency mahogany table that seats 14 comfortably.  There is a beautiful chandelier and an ornate, white marble fireplace.  An antique breakfront, a large mirror, a grandfather clock and many photos and paintings add to the atmosphere.  The ceiling frieze, pictured at left, depicts scenes from Ireland's ancient Celtic myths: Fionn Mad Cumhaill (Finn McCoole), Deirdre, Gráinne and Oisin.  Large windows welcome the morning sun.

The stairs up to the bedrooms are at the end of the hallway.  We'll go upstairs in a bit.

The long hall turns to the left toward the kitchen.  Along the way, the library is on the left.  The library is a more casual sitting area than the drawing room.  The comfortable leather sofa is covered with plaid blankets of Irish wool.  There are two easy chairs, a beautiful antique carved table with two chairs, shelves filled with interesting books, a turf-burning fireplace.  There is a TV and DVD player.  This is the the perfect room in which to relax after a long day's touring.

The library is conveniently located right next to the wine and spirits alcove.  Some say that the unique mixture of an Irish turf fire blended with the taste of an Irish malt is one of life's great experiences.  We'll leave that for you to decide.
  
Across the hall from the library, there is a small sitting room that has a modern sofa, a TV and DVD player, a fireplace and a long table with several chairs.  This is a great place for teens to watch videos, play board games and have some private space away from the grownups.

 At the end of the hall, just before the kitchen, there is a bright, little sun room that has white wicker furniture and a white spiral staircase that goes up to the second floor.  French doors open onto a wide, lush lawn area that is perfect for catching a few rays in the afternoon.
  
There are two kitchens.  One, no-nonsense stainless steel, has the stove and a large refrigerator-freezer, a stainless steel sink, a professional broiler and other professional appliances.  There is also a family-style kitchen that is more homey.  It has a Belfast sink, a microwave and an Aga stove that  provides warmth (it's not for cooking).  A long pine dining table seats 12-14, perfect for casual meals.  A pine dresser holds glassware and blue and white china.  A large window (with a white cotton window seat) looks out at the stone stables.  Floors are terra cotta tiles and walls are stone.  The laundry room is adjacent to the kitchens.

 

Upstairs, there are 9 bedrooms.  Every bedroom has a direct-dial phone and a modem and a TV.  The bedrooms are luxurious, large and all have beautiful views.

The Schoolroom, off the first landing, has a queen bed with a wood headboard and foot board, a mirror-fronted armoire, an antique dressing table and a gilt chair, a window and window seat from which you can gaze at the grounds and the stables.  There is a sink in this room as it's the only bedroom that is not en suite. People in this bedroom can use the Ross Lloyd bathroom since that bathroom can be accessed from the hall as well as from the Ross Lloyd bedroom. 

Governess, the first of the bedrooms off the main hallway on the second floor, has a standard double bed with a wood headboard and foot board and a white Battenburg lace bed cover, a large, antique mirror-fronted armoire, an ornate dressing table.  The window and window seat face the stables.  The large en suite bathroom has a shower stall and a pedestal sink and a tall mirror.

My Lady has a queen 4-poster bed with a Battenburg lace bed cover, a large antique armoire with an oval mirror, a simple dressing table with a mirror and a chair.  There is a pretty beige and tan rug and a lady's slipper chair.  The large window faces the wide lawn at the front of the property.  The en suite bathroom has a long, deep tub with shower over tub and a pedestal sink.

Ross Lloyd has a fine antique standard double bed that has a gilt design on mahogany.  There is a wide mirrored armoire, a tall dressing table and chair, a lady's slipper chair, beautiful rust-gray-beige rug.  Windows face the front of the property.  We love this handsome room.  The en suite bathroom has a long deep tub and a separate shower stall and a pedestal sink.  This bathroom can be accessed from the bedroom and from the hallway so it's a good bathroom for the person in the Schoolroom to share.

My Lord has a king 4-poster bed made of mahogany.  We use this bedroom and we love it.  It is the largest bedroom, very light and bright.  There is a mirror-fronted armoire, a graceful dressing table and chair, a lady's slipper chair, a large beige-green-blue rug over a wood floor.  Large windows look over the side lawns. The large en suite bathroom has a long, deep tub with a separate shower stall and a pedestal sink and a bidet.

Thurles has an antique French standard double bed, painted creamy white, a white and cream armoire, a bench, a small cream-blue-green rug over the wood floor.  A window looks out over the fields.  The small en suite bathroom has a shower stall and a pedestal sink.

Devil's Bit has a small, old double bed that is probably more suitable for one person than for two.  It's a charming room with a pine armoire, a small dressing table and a window that looks onto the lawn.  The small en suite bathroom has a shower stall and a pedestal sink.

A secondary stairway goes down to the long side hall.  It has a beautiful blue-black runner.

Athnid, at the end of this hall, has two single white 4-poster beds each with a bright flowered coverlet and canopy.  There is a wardrobe and two red chairs.  The en suite bathroom has a long, deep tub with shower over tub and a pedestal sink.