Marlfield House was the former residence of the Bagwells, a wealthy and politically influential

Irish Unionist Unionism is a political tradition on the island of Ireland that favours political union with Great Britain and professes loyalty to the British Crown and constitution. As the overwhelming sentiment of Ireland's Protestant minority, following ...

family in south

Tipperary Tipperary is the name of: Places *County Tipperary, a county in Ireland **North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh **South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel *Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...

from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. It is located about three kilometres west of the town of

Clonmel Clonmel () is the county town and largest settlement of County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Cromwellian army which sacked the towns of Dro ...

on the northern bank of the

River Suir The River Suir ( ; ga, an tSiúr or ''Abhainn na Siúire'' ) is a river in Ireland that flows into the Atlantic Ocean through Waterford after a distance of . The catchment area of the Suir is 3,610 km2.

. It was built by John Bagwell in 1785. The main entrance gate, considered of exceptional quality, was designed by the local architect William Tinsley and the conservatory by Richard Turner. In January 1923, the main house was badly damaged in an arson attack by anti-Treaty IRA forces during the

Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...

. The fire destroyed the library and historical papers of historian

Richard Bagwell Richard Bagwell (9 December 1840 – 4 December 1918) was a noted historian of the Stuart and Tudor periods in Ireland, and a political commentator with strong Unionist convictions. He was the eldest son of John Bagwell, M.P. for Clonmel from ...

. It was targeted because of Bagwell's son

John Philip Bagwell John Philip Bagwell (11 August 1874 – 22 August 1946) was an Irish businessman and politician. Early life and family Bagwell was born on 11 August 1874, the son of Harriet Newton and Richard Bagwell. The Bagwells of Marlfield could trace th ...

was a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

in the new

Irish Free State The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between th ...

. Following that conflict it was rebuilt and remained in Bagwell hands until the 1970s when it and the surrounding park and estate lands were sold. The first and second floors have since been converted into twelve apartments.

Notable occupants

* John Bagwell (1751–1816). Representative for Tipperary in the

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive fra ...

. * William Bagwell (1776–1826). MP for Clonmel at the House of Commons. * John Bagwell (1811–1883). Nephew of William. MP for Clonmel between 1857 and 1874. *

(1840–1918). Noted historian of the Stuart and Tudor periods in Ireland, *

(1874–1946). Railway executive and Irish Free State Senator.

References

{{Authority control Houses in the Republic of Ireland Buildings and structures in Clonmel 1785 establishments in Ireland