Lovers of the Irish country house have a treat in store with this new addition to the stable. Robert O'Byrne, otherwise known as the Irish Aesthete, is the foremost writer on a subject that has seen many volumes published over the past few decades. However, this latest book, as its subtitle suggests, presents something new.
Here is a narrative of hope and rejuvenation, written in an easy-to-read style that is underpinned by serious scholarship. After an informative introduction distilling the historical background and setting the scene, Robert discusses 15 houses and castles, giving each its own chapter. The properties chosen represent different styles, periods, sizes and geographic locations. Some of them have never been featured in print before, which lends the book an air of discovery, like a behind-the-scenes tour with someone who knows his subject intimately. It is illustrated with elegant photographs by Luke White, whose compositions have a calmness and completeness about them.
Each chapter opens with an enticing image, before plunging the reader into the history of the house or castle, followed by multiple pages of beautiful photographs. Robert deftly sums up the complicated chronology of ownership, peppering his prose with fascinating snippets of history; Lawrence of Arabia and John Wesley both make an appearance. There are echoes of the Gaelic families who originally owned some of these properties and the Irish origin of their names is explained.
The 21st century has seen the rejuvenation of the Irish country house, including some that have risen from ruins, such as Killua Castle. The book sings a happy tune of houses brought back from the brink of collapse to become cherished family homes - Ballysallagh, Rush Hill, Castle Gurteen de la Poer, Ballinderry Park. While most have been meticulously conserved, some are still in the throes of restoration, as at Coollattin and Castlecor. All of them are a triumph of contemporary Irish craftsmanship: stonework, plasterwork, joinery, glazing, roofing and landscaping.
Readers will find much to inspire them in the interiors revealed and their eclectic contents (the detailed captions are very informative). Throughout the book, you cannot escape the unique Irish character that pervades these colourful country houses and castles. James Peill D