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

Irish Unionist Unionism in Ireland is a political tradition that professes loyalty to the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, crown of the United Kingdom and to the union it represents with England, Scotland and Wales. The overwhelming sentiment of Ireland's Pro ...

family in south Tipperary 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 ( ; 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 (; 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 Kingdom but within the British Emp ...

. The fire destroyed the library and historical papers of historian

Richard Bagwell Richard Bagwell (9 December 1840 – 4 December 1918) was a historian of the House of Stuart, Stuart and Tudor dynasty, Tudor periods in Ireland, and a political commentator with strong Unionism in Ireland, Unionist convictions. He was the eldest ...

. 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 t ...

was a

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

in the new

Irish Free State The Irish Free State (6 December 192229 December 1937), also known by its Irish-language, Irish name ( , ), was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-ye ...

. 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 the end of 1800. The upper house was the Irish House of Lords, House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, ...

. * 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