Castlemacgarrett – A brief history of one of Mayo’s finest homes

Earlier this month, it was at the centre of a brewing controversy over a now shelved proposal to accommodate refugees in modular homes on its 125-acre environs.

But in its heyday, Castlemacgarrett was one of the finest houses in Mayo; right up there with Moorehall and Westport House.

The first great abode to stand on this land three kilometres from Claremorris was a 13th century castle.

‘Castlemacgarrett Old’, as it became known, held the distinction of being one of only two castles in Ireland to be surrounded by a moat.

In 1694 the three-tier castle – now an ivy-smothered ruin – the castle was abandoned after becoming unsafe due to a large fire.

Standing near the banks of the River Robe, Castlemacgarrett was associated with the Browne family for over 300 years.

At one point, the Brownes were the biggest landowners in Connacht, with 54,000 acres in Galway in Mayo and country 13 houses throughout the province, including Ashford Castle.

It was at Castlemacgarrett that Geoffrey Browne built a house that became the Browne’s latest kingly domain.

Ironically, it too fell victim to a fire in 1811 which claimed the life of a cook.

Dominick Browne later oversaw the construction of the Tudor-Gothic style property now at the centre of Ireland’s ongoing immigration storm.

Over the next century, various extensions were added the house.

Geoffrey Browne (1861-1927), was responsible for building the main part of the present manor, early in the 20th century.

The ‘modern’ wing to the left-hand side houses an oratory and reception room with ceilings that are replicas of those in Leinster House.

Adorned with mahogany doors, parquet floors, two drawing rooms and a grand staircase, the house bore 68 bedrooms, as well as a courtyard comprising 23 stables.

In all its glory, Castlemacgarrett was surrounded by hundreds of acres and a variety of centuries-old trees.

The estate sustained itself from the proceeds of a vast farm which grew cereal crops and sustained livestock and a fruit and vegetable garden.

The house survived the War of Independence and Civil War, a time during which some 276 so-called ‘big houses’ were attacked. The burning of Moorehall in 1923 was said to have been inspired by the occupation of Castlemacgarrett by Free State troops, an action which aroused suspicions that Moorehall would be commandeered for the same purpose.

The Brownes inhabited the house until 1960 when the fourth Baron, Lord Oranmore Browne – who died in 2001 - moved to London.

In 1964 Castlemacgarrett, along with its surrounding 1,750 acres, was bought by the Land Commission for £95,000 after the estate fell into financial difficulty.

The land was divided among Lord Oranmore Browne’s local tenants –bar 125 acres surrounding the house. 

By that time, some of its most valuable wares had already been flogged.

An article in the Western People from July 16, 1960, quoted a long-time former staff member bemoaning the ‘passing’ of the grand old house.

Among the many items that sold at public auction the previous week were ‘a pair of paintings showing views of Venice in carved and giltwood frames’ (£1,900), a ‘Kingwood china cabinet’ (£950) and a ‘pair of bronze Grecian vases’ (£120).

In 1965, the property was purchased by Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles, who added a new block and re-roofed the building to transform Castlemacgarrett as a nursing home.

By the time the nuns announced its closure in November 2004, the nursing home employed in the region of 40 staff and cared for roughly 40 residents.

In 2006, a business consortium paid in the region of €5,250,000 for the house, surrounding lands and buildings.

It had been reputed that Castlemacgarrett was to be transformed once more; this time into a hotel and spa.

No such plans came to pass, and the house remains vacant roughly 18 years later.

In 2019, its status in the locality was affirmed when Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District voted to have the house, walled garden, bridges, workers house, ice house, gate house and their surrounds listed as protected structures.

The news that broke earlier this month marks yet another chapter in the twisting centuries-old tale of Castlemacgarrett.