Myrtle Grove is an

Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The Roman symbol of Britannia (a female per ...

gabled house in

Youghal Youghal ( ; ) is a seaside resort town in County Cork, Ireland. Located on the estuary of the Munster Blackwater, River Blackwater, the town is a former military and economic centre. Located on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a long ...

County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. The house is notable as a rare example in

of a 16th-century unfortified house. It is situated close to the Collegiate Church of St Mary Youghal.

History

It was home for

Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellio ...

from 1588 to 1589. Myrtle Grove's South Gable is where

Edmund Spenser Edmund Spenser (; – 13 January 1599 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) was an English poet best known for ''The Faerie Queene'', an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the House of Tudor, Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is re ...

is reputed to have written part of his poem ''

The Faerie Queene ''The Faerie Queene'' is an English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. Books IIII were first published in 1590, then republished in 1596 together with books IVVI. ''The Faerie Queene'' is notable for its form: at over 36,000 lines and over 4,000 sta ...

'', although some historians question this story. The house was acquired by

Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork (13 October 1566 – 15 September 1643), also known as 'the Great Earl of Cork', was an English politician who served as Lord Treasurer of the Kingdom of Ireland. Lord Cork was an important figure in the continu ...

in 1602 from Sir Walter Raleigh's Irish estate. Boyle leased it to his protege Sir Lawrence Parsons, the judge of the Irish

Admiralty Court Admiralty courts, also known as maritime courts, are courts exercising jurisdiction over all admiralty law, maritime contracts, torts, injuries, and offenses. United Kingdom England and Wales Scotland The Scottish court's earliest records, ...

. Though remodelled twice it remains one of the best-known examples of a Tudor house in Ireland. The house was acquired by the Hayman family in the 18th century. In the 20th century, it was the home of Sir

Henry Arthur Blake Sir Henry Arthur Blake ( zh, c=卜力, sl=Buk1 Lik6; 8January 184023February 1918) was an Irish-born British colonial administrator who held the governorships of six British colonies over the course of his career. Early life, family and caree ...

and Lady Blake. At this time, the building housed "the best collection of West Indian paintings and sketches". The Blakes lived here until their deaths. They were buried in the garden. The house remains in private ownership and is closed to the public.

Legends

The house is reputed to be where

potatoes The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

were first planted in Ireland or in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. The latter is unlikely, however, as potatoes were present only in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

in 1536. There is a similar legend stating that Myrtle Grove was where tobacco was first smoked by

Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebell ...

. "Myrtle Grove", a poem written in Spenserian stanzas by James Reiss, and published in ''Fugue'' magazine (the

University of Idaho The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho, United States. Established in 1889 and opened three years later, it was the state's sole university for 71 years, until 1963. The un ...

) in 2007, develops the legend that Edmund Spenser wrote portions of his great epic, ''The Faerie Queene'', under an aureole window in the South Gable of Raleigh's house.

References

{{coord missing, County Cork Buildings and structures in Youghal Walter Raleigh