Bailieborough Castle was located in

Bailieborough Bailieborough or Bailieboro (; ) is a town in County Cavan, Ireland. , its population was 2,683, up from 1,529 as of the 1996 census. Bailieborough's proximity to the N3 National Road has made it a commuter town. History Plantation Before ...

, County Cavan,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It was built in an enclosed demesne by 1629. Also known as Castle House, Lisgar House, or simply 'The Castle', the country house was located just to the south-west of Castle Lough in what is now known as Bailieborough Demesne, on the north-western edge of the town. It was largely destroyed by fire in the early 20th century and is now totally demolished. There is a

walking trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. T ...

around part of the former castle's property.

History

William Bailie, a Scottish "undertaker" or planter, was granted the lands of Tonergie (Tandragee) in East Breffnie by

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) *James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) *James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu *James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...

in 1610 on condition he enclosed a demesne, built a fortified house and settled on the estate a number of Scottish or English families. This he did by 1629. During the rising of 1641, the house was attacked and occupied for a month by a troop of Irish soldiers under Colonel Hugh O'Reilly. William Bailie died c.1648 and the estate passed to his son, also William Bailie, the

Bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh The Bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh, comprising the southern part of County Galway and a small area of County Roscommon, Ireland. In 1834, Clonfert and Kilmacduagh ...

. On the bishop's death in 1664 the estate was inherited by his only daughter Jane, who had married James Hamilton. James was succeeded by his son Henry, the M.P. for Cavan who was killed at the siege of Limerick during the Jacobite war. His successor was his son, another James Hamilton, who sold the property in 1724 to Major Charles Stewart - nephew and co-heir of General William Steuart - and left the area. Charles Stewart died in 1740 and left the estate to his son, William Stewart, who was

High Sheriff of Cavan The High Sheriff of Cavan was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Cavan, Ireland from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Cavan County Sheriff. The sherif ...

for 1749 and MP for Cavan county (1766–1768). He was followed by his son Charles, who was also MP for Cavan (1783–1793). He was killed in an accident in 1795, when the estate passed to a nephew, Thomas Charles Stewart Corry, who sold it to Colonel William Young in 1814. Colonel Young laid out the town of Bailieborough in its present location and was made 1st Baronet Young of Bailieborough in 1821. He died in 1848 and was succeeded by his son

John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar (31 August 1807 – 6 October 1876) was a British diplomat and politician. He served as Governor General of Canada (1869–72), Governor of New South Wales (1861–67) and as Chief Secretary for Ireland (1853–55) ...

, who was at one time Chief Secretary for Ireland and, at a later date,

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, ...

. He was made 1st Baron Lisgar in 1870 and in his retirement renovated the house. After Lady Lisgar's death in 1895, the estate went into Chancery and some of the land was sold to the tenants under the Ashbourne Act. The house itself was sold to Sir Stanley Cochrane, who later sold it to one of his nephews, W.L.B. Cochrane, a Bailieborough solicitor. The bulk of the land was sold in 1910 to the Forestry Division of the Department of Lands. In 1915, the house and the remaining 100 acres of land were sold to a religious order, the

Marist Brothers The Marist Brothers of the Schools, commonly known as simply the Marist Brothers, is an international community of Catholic religious institute of brothers. In 1817, St. Marcellin Champagnat, a Marist priest from France, founded the Marist Brothe ...

of Athlone. Several of the brothers are buried in a walled enclosure in the vicinity. In 1918, the house burnt down and although the brothers continued in a rebuilt section until 1936, they then decided to sell the house to the Department of Lands and leave. The house was demolished soon after.

Walking trail

A tourist trail, known as the 'Castle Lake loop', routes around Castle Lake and into Castle Lake Forest. The route, which is suitable for

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...

or walking, begins and ends at the car park on the lakeshore. It passes the graves of the Marist brothers who occupied Bailieborough Castle for a time before its eventual demolition.

References

External links

Coillte.ie - Bailieborough - Castle Lake Walks amenity
{{Authority control Castles in County Cavan Houses completed in 1629 1629 establishments in Ireland Former castles in the Republic of Ireland