Luttrellstown Castle

Luttrellstown Castle, dating from the early 15th century (circa 1420), is located near Clonsilla outside Dublin. It has been owned variously by the eponymous and notorious Luttrell family, by the bookseller Luke White and his descendants Baron Annaly, by the Guinness family, and by its current owners the Primwest Group. It hosted visits by Queen Victoria in 1844 and 1900, and its media profile was raised when Victoria Adams married David Beckham there on 4th July 1999. It is now regarded as one of Ireland's finest 5 star resorts, with a golf course, country club and unique location within the city boundary of Dublin. American rock band R.E.M. recorded part of the their album Monster there.

The Luttrell family had held Luttrellstown since the land there had been granted to Sir Geoffrey be Luterel in about 1210 by King John. Sir Geoffrey served as King John's minister on many missions of state to Ireland from 1204 to 1216, and was the ancestor of the Luttrells of Dunster Castle in Somersetshire, England. The family became the biggest landowners in the district by the 17th century.

Robert Luttrell was treasurer of St. Patrick's Cathedral and Lord Chancellor of Ireland from (1235-1246).

The castle was started by Sir Geoffrey Luttrell, the 5th Lord Luttrell, who was born circa 1385.

Sir Thomas Luttrell, was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in Ireland, 1534-1554.

Colonel Henry Luttrell, (born circa 1655, died 22 October 1717) was an Irish soldier, the second son of Thomas Luttrell of Luttrellstown. He was assassinated in his sedan chair outside his town house in Wolfstone Street, Dublin in 1717. He had created enemies by supposedly betraying Irish leader, Patrick Sarsfield, either by his precipitate withdrawal of his Jacobite troops, and/or by giving strategic information about a ford crossing a river to the army of King William III of England, leading to the loss of the Battle of Aughrim in 1691.

Colonel Simon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton (1713–14 January 1787) was a British politician and Irish nobleman. He was the second son of Colonel Henry Luttrell, of Luttrellstown and became Lord Lieutenant of the County Dublin.

Henry Lawes Luttrell, 2nd Earl of Carhampton (born 1743, died 1821) was the son of Simon, 6th Lord Luttrell of Luttrellstown. He served as M.P. for Bossiney in 1768, and subsequently as Adjutant General of Ireland where he was notorious for his role in suppressing the Irish Rebellion of 1798. He was so hated that he sold Luttrellstown Castle in 1800, but in a revenge attack his grandfather's grave was opened and the skull smashed (Colonel Henry Luttrell d.1717). His 'popularity' in Ireland is encapsulated by an incident in which the Dublin Post of 2nd May 1811 reported his death, he demanded a retraction which they printed under the headline "Public Disappointment" [http://www.askaboutireland.ie/show_narrative_page.do?page_id=2411 ] . He owned an estate in West Indies and lived in Painshill Park in Surrey, England.

Henry Lawes Luttrell sold Luttrellstown to publisher Luke White, described as one of the most remarkable men that Ireland produced and ancestor of Lord Annaly. Luke White changed the name to "Woodlands" to eradicate the name of Luttrell, but his great grandson, 3rd Lord Annaly, reverted it to Luttrell Castle.

In 1778 Luke White started as an impecunious book dealer, buying in Dublin and reselling around the country. By 1798, during the rebellion, he helped the Irish government with a loan of 1 million pounds (at £65 per £100 share at 5%). He became M.P. for Leitrim, and died in 1824 leaving properties worth £175,000 per annum. Eventually the estate devolved to his fourth son who was created Lord Annaly, peer of the United Kingdom.

Queen Victoria first visited Luttrellstown in 1844 en route to the Duke of Leinster at Carton House. In 1900, en route to the Viceregal Lodge she drank a cup of tea near the waterfall, an event commemorated by Lord Annaly with an obelisk made of six granite blocks from the Dublin mountains.

In 1927 the estate was bought by Ernest Guinness, as a wedding present for his daughter, Aileen Guinness, the Honourable Mrs Brinsley Plunket.

In 1983 it was sold to the present private consortium.

References

* [http://www.theluttrells.homestead.com/LuttrellsOfIrelandGenealogy.html Luttrell Genealogy]
* [http://www.eiretek.org/chapters/books/ball1-6/Ball4/ball4.1.htm History of the parish of Clonsilla, Luttrellstown and its Castle]
* [http://www.manorpark.ie/ongar.pdf Guide to Historic Dublin]
* [http://www.askaboutireland.ie/show_narrative_page.do?page_id=2411 About Ireland - "Public Dissappointment"]

External links

* [http://www.luttrellstown.ie/ Luttrellstown Castle web site]
* [http://www.theluttrells.homestead.com/Ireland.html The Luttrells in Ireland]
* [http://www.askaboutireland.ie/show_narrative_page.do?page_id=2402 Ask About Ireland - Luttrellstown Castle]