Charleville Castle
{{Short description | Gothic-style castle in County Offaly, Ireland}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Charleville Castle
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| image = Charleville Castle.png
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| caption = The castle entrance in 2008
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| building_type = Country House
| architectural_style = Gothic revival
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| location = Tullamore, County Offaly
| coordinates = {{coord|53.2604|-7.5279|display=inline,title}}
| start_date = 1798
| completion_date = 1814
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| architect = Francis Johnston
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| website = {{URL|http://charlevillecastle.ie/}}
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Charleville Castle is a Gothic-style castle located in County Offaly, Ireland, bordering the town of Tullamore, near the River Clodiagh. It is considered one of the finest of its type in the country.{{cite book|last=Craig|first= Maurice|author2=The Knight of Glin|year=1969|title=Ireland Observed|location=Cork|publisher= Mercier Press|isbn=978-0-85342-049-1|page=29}}
History
The first mansion house to be built on the site of Charleville Castle was by Thomas Moore circa 1641. The estate passed through the hands of Charles Moore, Lord Tullamore, grandson of Thomas, and when he died in 1674 it went via his sister Jane to Charles William Bury. Charles William was later (1806) created the 1st Earl of Charleville in a second creation of the title. The new earl decided to build a new house on the estate. Commissioned in 1798, it was designed by Francis Johnston, and was built between 1800 and 1812.{{cite news|last1=Thompson|first1=Sylvia|title=Buildings at Risk – Charleville Castle, Tullamore, Co Offaly|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/buildings-at-risk-1.1852777|access-date=2 May 2015|work=The Irish Times|date=3 July 2014}}
The castle was not continuously occupied, owing to the castle owners' lack of resources. Each re-opening of the house resulted in the addition of new rooms or refurbishment. This included engaging William Morris, who designed the ceiling within the dining room. The castle played host to Lord Byron, who held many parties here. The house once boasted a painting from 1789 called Henry VIII, Act V, Scene 4 by Matthew William Peters, which having been removed from the house in 1970 is now in a Canadian collection.{{cite news|last1=Ryder|first1=Laura|title=Donations sought to restore Charleville Castle painting|url=http://www.offalyindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2012/06/15/4010909-donations-sought-to-restore-charleville-castle-painting|access-date=2 May 2015|agency=Offaly Independent|date=15 June 2012|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054519/http://www.offalyindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2012/06/15/4010909-donations-sought-to-restore-charleville-castle-painting|url-status=dead}}
The castle remained uninhabited from 1912 when Colonel Howard-Bury left to live in Belvedere House, County Westmeath. By 1968 the roof had been removed. Work on its restoration was commenced by Michael McMullen in 1973 and later by Constance Heavey Seaquist and Bonnie Vance. A Charitable Trust has been formed to help with the restoration.{{cite web|title=Irish Castles – Charleville Castle|url=http://www.britainirelandcastles.com/Ireland/County-Offaly/Charleville-Castle.html|website=Britain Ireland Castles|access-date=2 May 2015}}
Present day
As of 2014, the Charleville Castle Heritage Trust was managed by Dudley Stewart, with the day-to-day running handled by volunteers. Events held at the castle have included "fright nights", an auction, and a play by the English Chamber Theatre called Dearest Nancy, Darling Evelyn. The Mór Festival and its successor, Castlepalooza, have been held at the castle, as has Facefest, a not-for-profit festival held in the Summer Solstice Weekend. As of 2014, the castle hosted a museum, "The Explorers' Museum", covering the history of exploration and dedicated to Charles Howard-Bury.{{cite web|title=The Explorers' Museum: About|url=http://www.explorersmuseum.org/index.html#intro|website=The Explorers' Museum|access-date=2 May 2015|archive-date=11 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511071302/http://explorersmuseum.org/index.html#intro|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Explorers Museum|url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/explorers-museum|website=Atlas Obscura|access-date=2 May 2015 | date = 19 January 2014 }}
The castle itself has been claimed to be the most haunted building and grounds in Europe, appearing on both Living TV's Most Haunted and Fox's Scariest Places on Earth. The most famous of these ghosts is that of a little girl called Harriet, who reputedly died after a fall in a staircase.{{cite web|last1=Heraghty|first1=Michael|title=Harriet the Ghost – Charleville Castle|url=http://www.chooseireland.com/offaly/harriet-ghost-charleville-castle/|website=Choose Ireland|access-date=2 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406160101/http://www.chooseireland.com/offaly/harriet-ghost-charleville-castle/|archive-date=6 April 2015|url-status=dead}} The castle has also been visited by several paranormal investigators and psychics. It has been photographed by Simon Marsden, and has appeared on Ghost Hunters International. It was also used as a filming location for Becoming Jane (2007),{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/lights-camera-and-a-tidy-450m-in-tourism-1070326.html |work=Irish Independent |title=Lights, camera and a tidy €450m in tourism |date=3 September 2007 |access-date=26 July 2012}}{{Cite web |url=http://madeinireland.irishfilmboard.ie/#/locations/8/charleville_castle |publisher=Irish Film Board |title=Filming in Ireland |access-date=26 July 2012 |archive-date=28 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628104427/http://madeinireland.irishfilmboard.ie/#/locations/8/charleville_castle |url-status=dead }} Northanger Abbey (2007), The Knight Before Christmas (2019) and The Green Knight (2020). The castle has also been used, alongside Ashford Castle in County Mayo, as a set for the "French Court" in the pilot episode of Reign (2013).{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}
Charleville Forest, which borders the castle, is classified as a Special Area of Conservation.{{Cite web |title=Charleville Wood SAC {{!}} National Parks & Wildlife Service |url=https://www.npws.ie/protected-sites/sac/000571 |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=npws.ie}}
References
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External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://www.charlevillecastle.com Official website]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20071009195835/http://www.sebastiandooris.com/Gallerys/CharlevilleCastle2006/ Collection of Images from 2006] (archived 2007)
- [https://us.imdb.com/List?locations=Charleville+Forest+Castle,+Tullamore,+County+Offaly,+Ireland&&tv=on IMDb filming locations]
- [http://thestandingstone.blogspot.com/2009/10/charleville-castle-tullamore-co-offaly.html Description, history and pictures of Charleville Castle]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20170522072019/http://www.explorersmuseum.org/ Explorers Museum website] (archived 2017)
{{Historic Irish houses|state=collapsed}}
Category:Buildings and structures in Tullamore
Category:Castles in County Offaly
Category:Reportedly haunted castles