Woodlawn House, Ballinasloe, Co Galway

Asking price: €975,000

AN historic property in Co Galway which has its roots in Irish folklore and mythology is on the market with an asking price of just under €1 million.

Woodlawn House in Ballinasloe is situated on 113 acres and is in need of comprehensive restoration to recapture its former magnificence.

The property includes extensive woodland and parkland, and a Palladian-style mansion extending to approximately 30,000 sq.ft, in need of full restoration. It is complemented by a red brick walled garden, multiple courtyards, gate lodge, stewards’ lodge and glasshouses, also in need of full restoration.

It is located approximately 2.7km from Woodlawn train station (600m walk via the woods) and roughly 49km from Galway city.

The history of Woodlawn Estate pre-dates recorded history through the Diarmuid and Gráinne mound which is recorded on the archaeological maps of the estate. “Móta Ghráinne Óige” is the Irish name for Woodlawn and this translates as the resting place of young Gráinne. Legend has it that Gráinne and her lover, Diarmuid, were trying to escape from the powerful Fionn MacCumhall, who wanted Gráinne as a bride for himself. The pursuit of the young lovers extended over most of Ireland and Woodlawn is thought to be one of their places of refuge.

Woodlawn House & Estate was built in the mid-18th century by Frederick Trench, the First Baron Ashtown. Trench was the grandson of John Trench, who was rewarded for his services during the Williamite War by being appointed Dean of Raphoe. John Trench is an ancestor of the Barons Ashtown.

Originally part of the Martin and Barnewall lands, the estate was acquired by the Trench family in the early 18th century. Frederick Trench initiated an extensive building programme, which included the construction of the house and its surrounding structures, such as a church, gamekeepers’ lodge, family mausoleum, and artisan cottages.

In the 1850s, the second Lord Ashtown transformed Woodlawn House into a fashionable Victorian Palladian villa. This extensive expansion and remodelling, designed by J. F. Kempster of Ballinasloe, included a new facade, the addition of a second storey to the wings, and interior redecoration. Further developments in the late 1800s included gardening projects, a mill building, outbuildings, and an underfloor-heated glasshouse. Additionally, a railway line was diverted to ensure the estate had its own station, which remains part of the Dublin to Galway railway line today.

The house was vacated and its furnishings sold when the third Lord Ashtown became bankrupt in the 1920s. Eventually, the fourth Lord Ashtown sold it to his cousin, Derek Le Poer Trench, in 1947, who then sold it in 1973.

Agent: Sherry Fitzgerald

Contact: Philip Guckian or Emily Bleahen on 01- 2376303.