Howth Castle | |
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General information | |
Status | Private dwelling house |
Type | Castle |
Architectural style | Various including Medieval defensive, Gothic, Georgian, Arts and Crafts |
Address | Howth |
Town or city | Howth, County Dublin |
Country | Ireland |
Coordinates | 53°23′11″N 6°04′44″W / 53.3863°N 6.0790°W |
Groundbreaking | c1235 |
Technical details | |
Material | limestone, Portland stone Georgian door and window surrounds |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Francis Bindon (1738) Richard Morrison (1810, gates) Francis Johnston (1825, minor alterations) Richard Morrison (1840, stables and other minor alterations) Joseph Maguire (1872, Gate lodge) |
Developer | Various Lords, Barons and Earls of Howth |
Other designers | James Hogan & Sons (1875, interior plasterwork) |
Renovating team | |
Architect(s) | Edwin Lutyens (1910-11, tower, loggia, chapel, corridors) |
Civil engineer | Frederick William Higginbotham (1910-11) |
References | |
[1][2][3][4] |
Howth Castle (/ˈhoʊθ/ HOHTH) is a castle and estate, originally of Norman origin, that lies in the village of Howth, County Dublin, Ireland. The castle was the ancestral home of the St Lawrence family that had held the area since the Norman Invasion of 1180, and the head of which held the title of Lord Howth until circa 1425, Baron Howth to 1767, then Earl of Howth until 1909. The castle and estate were held from 1909 to 2019 by their distaff heirs, the Gaisford-St Lawrence family, when they were sold to Tetrarch Capital.
The estate today still includes much of the peninsula of Howth Head, including extensive heathland and much of Howth's cliff walks, with views over Dublin Bay, light woodland, and the island of Ireland's Eye. On the grounds near the castle are golf courses, a former hotel, formal gardens and several small streams pass through the estate.
In October 2018, the Gaisford St Lawrence family announced their agreement to sell the castle, demesne and Ireland's Eye to the Tetrarch investment group who intended to redevelop the hotel and course as a luxury resort. A 7-acre portion of the site zoned for residential development close to the castle gate was sold onwards by Tetrarch to Glenveagh Homes for €14m after the sale closed.[5][6]