Pride went before a fall at Castlegrove House
By Mary Burke
HIDDEN among a dense grove of trees at the end of a narrow road lies the ruin of what was once described as the finest mansion in the west of Ireland. Castlegrove House was home to three notable Galway families for whom ownership over a period of almost 200 years brought about very mixed fortunes incorporating financial ruin, suicide and a very sudden ending to a privileged lifestyle when the house was set on fire in July 1922.
This once magnificent house is slowly being engulfed by nature as ivy smothers the still standing walls and a forest of trees grows unchecked and hides the crumbling remains from the curious visitor.
Its former grandeur is hard to imagine and no trace remains of the once beautifully landscaped gardens but it is still possible to discern the large scale of the house from the tall surviving limestone walls and windows and to admire some fine architectural features among the fallen stones and ionic columns that once graced the front entrance.
This once magnificent house is slowly being engulfed by nature as ivy smothers the still standing walls and a forest of trees grows unchecked and hides the crumbling remains from the curious visitor.
Its former grandeur is hard to imagine and no trace remains of the once beautifully landscaped gardens but it is still possible to discern the large scale of the house from the tall surviving limestone walls and windows and to admire some fine architectural features among the fallen stones and ionic columns that once graced the front entrance.
Read the feature in this week's edition of The Tuam Herald, on sale in shops and online www.tuamherald.ie