No Pale Comparison
An article appeared in The Irish Times on 23 November 1974: “Two Historic Castles Now on Property Market”. It states, “Two of the country’s most interesting castles are currently on the market – Barberstown, Straffan, County Kildare, which is being run as a hotel, and Portlick near Athlone, County Meath, which will be sold with its lakeside estate complete with planning permission for an extensive new holiday village. Barberstown’s lands were granted to Lord Fitzgerald in 1172, and it was about this time that the keep (which is still in use) and the halls (long gone) were built. Later, it was the home of the de Capella, Fanning, Perkinson, Sutton and Dillon families before the entire estate was confiscated under what is euphemistically known as the Cromwellian Settlement.”
There’s more, “It was during the Sutton family occupancy that the Elizabethan wing of the castle (still in use) was built. The castle, house and grounds were valued at £200 in 1640. In 1703, Bartholomew van Homrigh bought the property, and although he achieved considerable political and social stature in his own right, he is mainly remembered today as the father of Vanessa, the girl immortalised in Dean Swift’s writings.”
And more, “One of Barberstown’s legends concerns a man said to be interred between the top of the main staircase and the roof of the tower. His family held the castle by a lease which expired when he was ‘put underground’ and they sought this novel method of postponing that day. Barberstown, standing on five acres, is at present being run as a fully licensed hotel and restaurant. It is to be sold (by private treaty now, or auction later) by Keane Mahony Smith and the solicitors with carriage of sale are Kennedy and McGonagle of Molesworth Street. The accommodation at Barberstown includes 13 bedrooms, six bathrooms, two bars, lounges, two dining rooms, large kitchens, plus the Norman tower keep. Outside there are two furnished penthouses, stabling, garages and well kept grounds. Barberstown, only 15 miles from Dublin, is a property with great potential, Keane Mahony Smith’s Robin Palmer declared. It will be sold as a going concern, with full seven day licence.”
Five years later, the musician Eric Clapton would buy the castle. Then in an article “£500,000 for Eric’s Castle” the Evening Herald reported on 12 July 1984, “Big excitement in the international property market with the tale that popstar Eric Clapton has at last found a buyer for his restaurant. Three years ago Clapton bought Barberstown Castle after many stays and banquets there – commuting from his Surrey home. However, after spending just under £400,000 buying the stately home restaurant in County Kildare, Clapton lost all interest – as popstars do – and has not appeared at all in the Castle. Now Clapton, apparently, has a buyer for Barberstown. The buyer is said to be German, no less, and the price is said to be in excess of £500,000, no less. One way for a popstar to shake off the Irish connection.”
All the bedrooms in the 2015 wing (currently draped in a cloak of reddening leaves) are named after previous owners and the date they took over. On the first floor in clockwise order the bedrooms are Maurice Fitzgerald 1170, Eric Clapton 1979, Norah Devlin 1973, Mrs Todd 1971, Robert Middleston 1941, Sandham Symes 1908, Mr Littleboy 1881, Edward Smith 1842, Admiral Robinson 1836, Hugh Barton 1826, Hugh Cairncross 1780, Joseph Cairncross 1780, Hugh Henry 1716, James Young 1660, Bartholomew van Homrigh 1703, Nicholas Barby 1300, Richard de Penkinson 1289, Sir John Fanning 1288, Thomas Fanning 1275 and Robert de Copella 1250. Amanda Torrens 2021 can be the name of the next new bedroom. The Barton Rooms Restaurant is named after Hugh Barton who added a wing in the 1830s. Battlefield Car Park is a reminder of the strategic location of this castle within The Pale.
“Smurfit in Talks to Buy Barberstown” roared the headline in The Irish Independent on 19 January 1990. “Business tycoon Michael Smurfit is believed to be negotiating the purchase of Barberstown Castle,” exhales Cliodhna O’Donoghue, “the former Irish hideaway home in County Kildare of rockstar Eric Clapton. Just a mile away from the 17th century Straffan House, which was purchased by Smurfit in September 1988 for £4 million, it is understood that if the deal goes ahead Barberstown will become an exclusive annex to Straffan’s palatial Georgian mansion and grounds.”
There’s more, “Standing about 15 miles from Dublin, the 1172 built Barberstown has had a series of notable owners including Sir Richard Talbot, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and more recently rockstar Eric Clapton who purchased the property from the current owner of nearby Moyglare Manor, Mrs Devlin. Barberstown again changed hands for around £300,000 and its existing owner, Ken Healy has extensively refurbished and extended the premises. Barberstown is presently being run as a hotel and is extremely popular as a wedding venue. Smurfit is expected to spend about £4.5 million transforming Straffan into an exclusive gentlemen’s club and is converting the 40 stables in Straffan’s Queen Anne Yard into luxurious bedroom suites as well as building a golf course in the 300 acres of grounds.”
And more, “To encourage industrialists to take membership of the Straffan Club the property will also contain a conference centre to attract investors, particularly Japanese and Americans, who plan to take occupation in the Financial Services Centre. Straffan, which has also had a chequered history of owners over the years, was sold for £4 million in September 1988 by Scots born businessman Alan Ferguson who bought the property from the liquidator of Patrick Gallagher’s estate. Market authorities believe that Mr Smurfit is considering the purchase of Barberstown with a view to extending the Straffan Estate further and it is estimated that the historic castle will cost between £700,000 and £1 million.” Clodhna’s exclusive did not come to pass. There is no Michael Smurfit Room.
In fact the previous owner, businessman Ken Healy, had purchased Barberstown in 1987. He transformed it into a 58 bedroom hotel, more than doubling the size of the original building, adding extensions in a sympathetic neo Georgian style. Norah Devlin first converted the castle to a 10 bedroom hotel in the 1970s. It is worth more now than the £1,033 the Dutch merchant Bartholomew van Homrigh paid for it at the beginning of the 17th century. A two or three storey Georgian house attached to a taller castle is not uncommon in Ireland. Other examples are Ballymore Castle in Lawrencetown, County Galway; Blackwater Castle in Castletownroche, County Cork; and Sigginstown Castle in Tomhaggard, County Wexford. The 18th century portion of Barberstown Castle originally had a thatched roof. Later rendering has been removed from the keep exposing rubblestone which contrasts with the smooth rendering painted a lighter shade of pale on the rest of the building.
Barberstown Castle is now the setting for high society weddings (Champagne sorbet) and high energy getaways (Champagne). On a random Thursday night in October, dinner might be panfried halibut, scallop ravioli, grilled asparagus and lobster bisque preceded by Jerusalem artichoke velouté, crispy egg milk and wild mushrooms. An amuse bouche might be crab salad with lemon jam on a scalloped crisp. Fashionably flavoured butters, garlic and seaweed, are sure to make an appearance. Photogenic puddings might include The Apple (Velvet Cloud yoghurt and white chocolate mousse, Irish Black Butter apple preserve, chocolate soil) or Gianduja and Pear (chocolate and hazelnut sabayon with caramel pear, Champagne poached pear). Anyone up for a Pale Rider cocktail at 2am on the terrace?
