From a distance Killegar, County Leitrim looks quite splendid. The house is approached via a long and densely wooded drive, with occasional glimpses through trees and meadow of a slender lake, Lough Kilnemar. Finally the approach enters more open ground dropping down to the left and offering views across the parkland to Killegar itself, a building of two storeys and eight bays, the centre pair forming a pedimented breakfront with handsome engaged Tuscan doorcase flanked by windows. The house faces south-east, a sequence of terraces descending to the lake’s glistening surface. One understands how John Kilbracken (who died almost eight years ago) could write in 1955, ‘It’s easy to love Killegar, as I realised more than ever when I came here for the first time after my father’s death. I can imagine selling it when I’m in Portofino, or Manhattan, or Paris (and imagine the villa, penthouse or atelier I’ll buy instead)…’ But he never did so, his love for the place overwhelming any urge to make money from it (thus proving him a most unlikely Irishman). But the consequences of passion combined with penury grow all too apparent the closer one draws to the house.
As seen today, the greater part of Killegar dates from c.1813, the same year the estate’s then-owner John Godley married Catherine Daly, a daughter of Denis Daly of Dunsandle, County Galway and his wife Lady Henrietta Maxwell (for more on Dunsandle and its lost interiors, see Dun and Dusted, December 9th 2013). But there was an older property on at least part of the site built around 1750 and incorporated into the new house. This takes advantage of the sloping site to have two storeys at the front but effectively only one at the rear where a courtyard was created. As so often, the architect is unknown and indeed one may not have been employed since Killegar’s design was always relatively simple. One curiosity is that the principal entrance, having initially been placed at the centre of the garden elevation, was subsequently moved to one side where a large pedimented porch was added. Thus visitors to the house stepped not into the main hall but into a rather narrow passage from whence they moved to the small drawing room. This was the first of an enfilade of rooms running the length of the main block. Above them were the bedrooms with a wonderful prospect of Lough Kilnemar (otherwise known as House Lake) although the view from the passage to the rear was of the service yard.
The Godleys were the latest in a succession of owners of the land on which Killegar stands. For centuries this part of the country was under the control of the O’Rourke clan, but as part of the plantation policy in the 17th century they were dispossessed and in 1640 Charles I granted a large parcel of some 2,784 Irish acres to the Scottish settler Sir James Craig: this territory subsequently became known as Craigstown. However further generations of Craigs did not manage their Irish estates well. They appear to have been prone to bickering, fell into debt and in 1734 were declared bankrupt. Craigstown was accordingly put up for sale and bought for £5626, eight shillings and four pence by a Dublin merchant Richard Morgan who had made his money in textiles. Richard Morgan’s only daughter, Mary married the Rev Dr William Godley, a landless clergyman who was rector of Mullabrack, Co Armagh and whose father had also been a Dublin merchant and alderman. The Godleys had arrived in Ireland at some date in the 17th century, probably from Yorkshire.
Killegar came into their ownership because although the estate was left by Richard Morgan to his son (also called Richard), the latter despite two marriages only had a single daughter who died while in her teens. And his only brother, William, a pupil and disciple of John Wesley (and an early Methodist) died in Dublin at the age of 20. So on the death of Richard Morgan the younger in 1784 there were no direct male heirs. The estate ought then to have passed to Mary Morgan’s eldest son, John Godley, a lawyer. However, despite his background the will was disputed and was only settled after twenty-six years of litigation in 1810. By then John Godley had died and so it was his son, another John Godley, who took possession of Killegar. It was he, hitherto a city merchant, who married Catherine Daly and decided to build the present house.
In addition to the main house, John Godley built a church, school and school-teacher’s house at Killegar, together with the two gate-lodges and eight other cottages on the estate before dying in 1863 at the age of eighty-eight. By this date his eldest son, John Robert Godley, had already died. The latter is generally deemed the founder of the Canterbury region of New Zealand, settled in the mid-19th century as a colony following the beliefs of the Church of England. He served as leader of the settlement that became the city of Christchurch but then returned to England where he died two years before his father. Therefore in 1863 Killegar passed to the next generation, John Arthur Godley, then in his teens and at school. A few years after leaving Oxford, he served as Assistant Private Secretary to the Prime Minister William Gladstone and in 1880 was appointed Commissioner for Inland Revenue, a position he held for the next two years. In 1883 he became Under-Secretary of State at the India Office, remaining there until his retirement in 1909 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Kilbracken of Killegar.
But of course, a career as a senior civil servant in London meant he had little time to spend on his estate in Ireland. Killegar was instead given on a long lease first to his uncle Archibald Godley and then in turn on his death in 1907 responsibility for running the place passed to Archibald Godley’s only child Anna who lived until 1955. As a result, Arthur Godley’s son Hugh, second Lord Kilbracken, never spent much time at Killegar, only bringing his own family to Ireland for the first time in 1927.
The first Lord Kilbracken had been a Liberal and, perhaps as a result of having worked for Gladstone, was fully supportive of tenants’ rights to buy the land they farmed. Unlike the great majority of Irish landlords, he encouraged the sale of his estate with the result that even before the passing of the Wyndham Act of 1903, all but Killegar’s home farms had passed out of family ownership.
While certainly admirable, an obvious consequence of Lord Kilbracken’s action was that it left subsequent generations of Godleys with limited income from land: thus the second Lord Kilbracken qualified as a barrister and, like his father before him, spent the greater part of his professional life in London, with only holidays at Killegar. Although he moved into the main house on his retirement in 1943, it was already apparent there were insufficient resources to sustain the place and so at the time of his death in 1950 Killegar and the remaining 420 acres, was on the market with two identical offers made of £8,000.
At the time of his father’s death, John Godley, third Lord Kilbracken was travelling overland to New Zealand to take part in celebrations marking the centenary of the foundation of Christchurch. Initially he was prepared to go ahead with the sale of Killegar but by the time he reached Sydney, Australia he had come to the conclusion that the estate ought to remain in the family, and the following year he came back to Ireland determined to take over responsibility for the place. Clearly although he never regretted this decision, it had consequences he could not have foretold.
John Kilbracken, journalist and bon viveur, was throughout the course of his long and hectic life the very embodiment of the impoverished Irish peer possessed of big house and small income. A man of exceptional intelligence and charm, his various books are to be recommended, not least for their ability to make sundry travails sound highly entertaining. For example, in Living like a Lord (1955) he devotes a chapter to recounting the story of how he almost came to play the part of Ishmael in John Huston’s Moby Dick, parts of which were filmed in the County Cork port town of Youghal. Typically, as a result of having amused Huston one night over dinner, he found himself caught up in a six-month maelstrom of screen tests and costume fittings before eventually being relegated to the part of an extra carrying a live pig onto a vessel. However, owing to technical issues the scene had to be re-shot with someone else as pig carrier. Thus he never made the final cut, although he did work as a supplementary script writer, for which – naturally in his narrative – he received no screen credit.
But in relation to Killegar perhaps the greatest challenge he had to face occurred in 1970 when the house was gutted by fire. A rebuilding programme followed, testament to his devotion, but sadly many of the contents were forever lost. he struggled on and since his death in 2006 Killegar has been occupied by his second wife Sue and their son Seán. As the pictures above indicate, it remains as much a battle as ever to keep the house from falling into desolation. With little land (and proportionately little income) Killegar is now at a turning point in its fortunes, the last big house in County Leitrim to remain in the hands of the original family – but for how much longer? There comes a moment when the struggle becomes overwhelming with an outcome insufficient to justify the effort. One feels Killegar is nearing that moment. It is on the brink, from which there can be no return.
‘So there she is for you: beautiful Killegar, happy Killegar, funny tumbling-down Killegar, waiting to open her seductive arms to me.’ John Kilbracken, 1920-2006.
Very sad – I remember John Kilbracken in the House of Lords – something of a rarity as a Labour Hereditary Peer – great charm and no animosity as I was on the cross-benches! A distinguished Fleet Air Arm pilot in WWII, he later became disenchanted with Britain and took up Irish citizenship in 1972
Thanks for that insight. I am sorry never to have met John Kilbracken as we knew various people in common and his books are wonderfully entertaining, providing an excellent sense of his personal charm. He ought to be better remembered (and read) than is now the case…
So sad. But surely they can pull the ivy off? reminds me of 28DaysLater…
Thank you for your comment, altho’ I’m not sure that it would quite remind me of a post-apocalyptic scenario (altho’ some aspiring urban hipsters might regard all of County Leitrim in that light). And I’m afraid the situation here has deteriorated far beyond pulling ivy off walls…
I meant the country houses section of the v interesting 28dayslater.co.uk. Check it out.
Sorry, too funny that I made such a mistake. Thank you for drawing this to my attention: the site is fascinating, overwhelming and distressing, all at the same time.
How very sad it is to see Killygar house in such a sorry state,as our family have a personal interest in it.This being due to the fact my late father-in -law spent his working life as steward & chauffeur on the estate during the first half of the 20th century.As we still holiday in the locality we always find time to look in on the estate.The last late Lord Killbracken,John Godley was always so welcoming to us as he knew my late husband very well ,& we spent many happy times in the house.
Thank you for getting in touch and sharing your memories, deeply interesting. I hope you have written some of these down, such social history is terribly important to keep…
Small world, My Grandfather was steward gardener as shown in the 1901 census http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Leitrim/Killygar/Killygar/1482948/ 1911 he was still steward gardener http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Leitrim/Killygar/Killygar/647239/
My father Robert Charles Edmund shown as Edmond aged 2 on the 1901 census and Robt Chas Edmund aged 12 on the 1911 census. My father Robert Charles Edmund became a chauffeur handyman. 2011 Lady Sue Kilbracken kindly posted many photographs of our family. My Grandfather (Grimes Graham Morrow) showing our family home 7 Killygar. Photo of my grandfather’s brother Robert who was a chauffeur genuine horse power and carriage! The icing on the cake was a photo of my father aged about 10 and my uncle William. I believe Anna Godley had taken the photographs. http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Leitrim/Killygar/Killygar/ If you view number 8 killygar names Frances Hassard and Elisabeth Morrow. http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Leitrim/Killygar/Killygar/647240/
Thank you for this, all most interesting to see the connections.
Very sensitively written. We are all smitten with Killegaritis so struggle on. People are welcome to visit – and help remove ivy 😉 – anytime.
Visited Killegar recently saddened me to see them struggling like this ..the house is a very important building …they really need help
Áine Duffy had the pleasure of talking to Sue, Lady Kilbracken for Irishwebtv.com
recently and was blown away by the history and folklore associated with the Georgian building and its residents.
We shall all hope and pray for a happy ending. The house is beautiful and well worth preserving. Is there no National Trust or architectural endowment that can step in? Or would that mean the family would have to step aside? Sorry for my ignorance – I haven’t applied for my Irish citizenship yet (although I’m told my grandparents qualify me!) so don’t know much about how such things work in Ireland.
Thank you for making contact. There is no equivalent of the National Trust in this country, nor indeed any organisation, either state or private, with sufficient funds to intervene in this instance. The persistent neglect of Ireland’s architectural heritage has meant that across the island large numbers of such properties, and many others also, have been forever lost…
That is very sad. I wonder if the answer is to start an international charity fund of some kind? Americans might donate large amounts to restore these places. I doubt if Ireland will create such an agency or trust anytime soon. I’m sure everyone feels they are taxed too much as it is, and I gather there is still lingering resentment over the dreadful class structure imposed on Ireland by the people who lived in these lovely houses-! I know my own ancestors lived in “named houses” that I can find no trace of: Gayfield, Rocknew, Bogwood, Castlenode (all in County Roscommon) … Oakfield/Kinlough House is apparently in ruins … Aughacashel still stands, but I don’t have any idea what shape it’s in. You might want to perform a “health check” on Aughacashel. 😉 At any rate, thank you for your gorgeous photographs and very interesting blog.
Look up THE IRISH GEORGIAN SOCIETY – founded by Desmond Guiness in 1958 with chapters in Ireland, London, England and several in USA. They have a website and have been active in restoration and lobbying of Irish houses and other projects. Headquarters in Dublin, Ireland.
Yes indeed, as Mrs Weed proposes, look up the Irish Georgian Society (www.igs.ie) which has been diligent for many decades in preserving and promoting the country’s architectural heritage – but could always do with more members, more help and more funding…
Found the detailed update on Killegar House of great interest, though my assumption was that it resided in the county of Cavan. Nevermind. I performed my initial search in response to my ageing mother’s clarity of memory of her daily 5 mile walks to the ‘hedge-school’ of her childhood (circa 1929-1935), which, I am assuming was the school initiated by the second Lord killbracken. Wonderous thanks to his generorsity of vision and beneficence. My mother is now approaching her 90th birthday and I am preparing an album of photos to refresh her childhood memories, especially as her short term memory is tarnished by encroaching dementia. However, she remains lively and active, especially mentally and especially in respect of her recalling a tough yet fairly typical upbringing on a farm in the Killeshandra countryside, located in the shadow of Killegar. A farm her father established and now my cousins still work. I suspect a piece of land probably released in the time of the Liberal 1st Lord Kilbracken, another visionary and brave gent. What a story it is and remains. Many thanks for the story and the illustrations.
How interesting. I agree with you – I always regarded the predominant land as being in County Cavan, but on the Cavan/Leitrim border. This was my home for a decade in the sixties. So sad that it will never be the same as it was when I spent a decade with John there at Killegar, during and after the rebuildIng of the house – a decade of my life remembered with such affection and satisfaction, which now seems was in an almost distant enchanting land and of course, also many distant years ago!!!
Just saw this when I was doing some research on a visit to Cavan, specifically to Laheen and Killegar. Was wondering what your mother’s name was. My mother was a Magee, daughter of Robert and Mary Jane. Her sister, Selena, married a local farmer, William Gilpin and her brother, John Magee, stayed at the farm in Laheen until his death in 1997. Both Selena and John are buried in Killegar Cemetery along with their spouses. The farm is still owned by my first cousin, Kenneth Magee and his son, Clive, who raise cattle on it now. I also, by the way, thought the Killegar Estate was in Cavan.
The Killegar estate straddles the Cavan/Leitrim border but the house is in County Leitrim.
This is all so interesting. My mother, Ina Jane Magee was born in 1907 in Laheen, a townland just to the East of Killegar, and she remembered so clearly how she and other farmer’s daughters in the area were invited to the estate (probably in the early 1920s) to learn how to be “ladies.” I expect that it was Archibald Gotley’s daughter, Anna, who rendered this service. The last time I returned with my mother in the late 1990s she insisted on visiting Killegar which we did. One of her sisters and one of her brothers are buried in the Killegar church cemetery. I just happened on this website because in a few weeks I’m returning to Ireland with my sister who has never been to the country and I wanted to get driving instructions to Killegar. I’m not sure if we are allowed to visit, but I will drive up the drive and see how it looks and describe my mother’s lovely memories that meant so much to her. She left Ireland for the United States in 1929 at the age of 18, very much a lady by the way, thanks to Lady Kilbracken.
I have just found your blog, and also want to chime in. My great-grandfather, John Gilpin, and his young bride Mary Jane Morrow, lived in ‘The Corner House, Laheen, Killegar, Killeshandra’. They emigrated to the USA around 1880. I am trying to see if there are any Gilpins still in the area. Thank you. Doug Gilpin, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
I see your inquiry about the Gilpins and just wanted to pass this on to you. Selina Magee, cited below in our family geneology, was my aunt. My mother, her sister, was Ina Magee and they were both born in Laheen, my Mother on April 19, 1911, and Selina as you see in 1912. My mother emigrated to the US in 1921–she was the only member of her family of six siblings to come here. She had two brothers who emigrated to England. Selina who I met when she made a visit here many years ago, stayed in Laheen and married William (Willie) Gilpin. Her children, Cecil and Myrtle are my first cousins. Cecil lives in Cavan Town, County Cavan; Mrytle lives in County Meade north of Dublin. I am sure they must be related to you. Cecil is married with no children; Myrtle has four boys and a girl and several grandchildren. I saw them both last around five years ago on one of my trips to Ireland. I live in NYC. I have photos of several graves for the Gilpins in Killegar Cemetery which is the cemetery just opposite the Kilbracken estate–my Uncle John is also buried there. The church in Killegar is still very much alive and well and the graveyard a very interesting place. If you would like to communicte, my email address is carolepip2010 at gmail dot com. It might take me a little time to find all the photos, but I do have a lot of them. Another interesting coincidence: one of my first cousins, Kenneth Magee, has a son Clive Magee (they still own the Magee farm in Laheen as well as a second farm further north in Ballyconnell) who is married to a lady named Barbara Gilpin, now Magee. She is a distant cousin to William as well and she might also have lots of information. Clive uses email very irregularly but is a fine soul and knows almost everyone in Cavan. Email him at clivemagee at gmail dot com and explain who you are and that I gave you his email information and ask if he can put you in touch with Barbara. Good luck.
24.SELINA WINIFRED4 MAGEE (ROBERT3, SAMUEL2, JOHN1) was born 07 Oct 1912 in Laheen, County Cavan, Ireland, and died 25 Jan 1983 in Laheen, County Cavan, Ireland.She married WILLIAM GILPIN.He died 07 Jan 1976 in Laheen, County Cavan, Ireland.
Children of SELINA MAGEE and WILLIAM GILPIN are:
i. ROBERT CECIL5 GILPIN, b. Private; m. BETTY UNKNOWN, Private; b. Private.
43. ii. ISABELLA (MYRTLE) WINIFRED GILPIN, b. Private.
Hi Carole and Doug.
1. Hope you find the following information interesting. MORROW; My grandfather Grimes (Graham) Morrow. My grandmother Mary Jane Morrow nee Taylor, my father Robert Chas Edmund Morrow plus his brother’s sisters. Resident at 7 Killygar. My Grandfathers’ brother also worked on the Killygar estate. Evidence on first and second census link 1901 and second 1911.
2. HASSARD; there is a previous comment Mrs. Eileen Hassard says: 26th June 2014 explaining her father in law also worked for the Godley Kilbracken family. Resided at 8 Killygar. Information on first link 1901.
3. GILPIN; Also available on the first link. You will notice 2 Killygar Elizabeth Gilpin aged 74 and her son John 35 years! Could they be related to your family? Notice 1911 census number 2 Killygar was taken over by names of Taylor and Finlay.
4. The third link is the The Gilpins of Drumergoole you may be aware of this information but if not? I am sure it will be mind blowing!
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Leitrim/Killygar/Killygar/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Leitrim/Killygar/Killygar/
http://regarde-bien.com/page4.html
My father died when I was 9 years old and this short period, not a day went past he talked of fond memories of life at Killegar house and life and times of Kilbracken Godley family. My brother Johnson Edmund Morrow born Killishandra 1923 died Trafford Manchester 2006 carried on the family tradition of Killegaritus.
Many thanks to Lady Sue, I have been diagnosed with Killegaritis?
Kind Regards Kevin Morrow. kevin.morrow@hotmail.co.uk
Super research you are doing. Enjoyed all the information and the photos. I have to get more involved again with the family tree. Thanks for posting.
I have read with interest the above comments. My maternal Grand mother Margaret Jane Gilpin (1899-1962) was born at Drumergoole to William Gilpin (1860-1900) and Margaret Jane Boyd (1855-1937).
The Elizabeth and John Gilpin living at House 2 Killygar can be further traced to this census return.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Cavan/Springfield/Loughnafin__or_Rockfield/341041/
Here John has married Sophia Rodgers (27.4.1905) with their two children John and Francis. Elizabeth possibly living with them or visiting on the night of the census is widowed .At their wedding John lists his father as Thomas Gilpin (Bootmaker).
William Gilpin above also lists his father as Thomas Gilpin (Shoemaker). I believe this to be the same Thomas Gilpin (Shoemaker) found on the Griffiths Valuation at Laheen townland taken between 1848 and 1864. Tracing Elizabeth and her marriage to Thomas has been difficult even though I have listed over 140 Gilpins living in the area on my genealogy tree.
All that aside my mother Annie Milliken along with her sister and two brothers were evacuated to stay with their uncle John Gilpin, the brother of Margaret Gilpin during the war, he owned the saddlers shop in Carrigallen Town and lived in a cottage beside the Presbyterian Meeting House. Mum remembers going into the estate to be shown where her mother Margaret Jane Gilpin lived. Mum and a number of us went to visit May 2013, and were warmly welcomed by Lady Sue Kilbracken and shown round the house and grounds. A very memorable trip.
I stayed at Killegar with my father and younger brother as guests of John Godley, Lord Kilbracken in summer of 1957. As an 8 year old, it was the most exciting holiday. We set off overnight on a ship down the River Clyde, arriving at Dublin early morning. We had to go through customs which was in a large corrugated iron-roofed shed on the docks. We were met by our host who took us to the Shelbourne Hotel for breakfast. We had an excellent breakfast – I remember the wonderful bacon- and my dad (and John) had an Irish coffee! Then we all set off in a little black car to County Cavan. The house had no electricity, I will always remember the smell of the paraffin lamps and that amazing atmosphere. There were various people staying there, some teenage friends of John’s daughter I think, and some other guests. The house was haunted and some of it was falling down. Someone had brought a huge sack of oranges from London, but otherwise there seemed to only be soda bread and the occasional boiled egg for meals. I won a ghost story competition. We were allowed to go to the local ‘creamery’ and buy lucozade on Lord Kilbracken’s account, also, the older girls got Sweet Afton cigarettes (on the account), and Killegar was where I smoked my first cigarette. At the age of 8. We learned a very exciting game called ‘Cock-e-olly’ (a sort of Sardines / Hide + Seek game) I shall never forget that holiday- the best of my childhood, in spite of it raining most of the time, and I am 69 now!
I spent a summer working in a tree nursery on the Kilbracken Estate in the 1980s! It was a beautiful estate with abundant woodlands and meadows. It was one of the nicest summers I have ever spent anywhere!
You must have been part of the first CRANN group at Killegar Lettie. So glad you enjoyed your time here.
No, I was just a volunteer in the tree nursery, but I did cross paths with the second Crann group who were there at the same time (1988). I lived in the area (Carrigallen) in my teens, but we eventually left and moved to Northern Ireland. I will always remember Killegar – it had a magical quality!
My 3 times great grandmother Bridget Magee was born in Leitrim in1816. She emigrated to Liverpool, I presume about the time of the Great Famine. She married Patrick Welch, who was born in 1815 also in Leitrim. I don’t know whether they married in Ireland or Liverpool. They brought up a large family here. Patrick died in Toxteth Workhouse in Liverpool in 1884. Family lore tells of him being a midden picker. I believe that was an occupation which only the very poorest engaged in! They must’ve had hard lives. If anyone can link my ancestors to their own Magee family history, I would love to hear from you. So many people here in Liverpool have Irish ancestors. Welsh and Scots too for that matter.
Carole Parker ceparker3137@waitrose.com
I’m a descendent of Lord Killbracken (a Canadian Godley) and am very curious to know the current state of Killegar – is it still owned by Godleys or has it left the family? Has somebody taken on the restoration? If anybody with info stumbles on this comment please reach out! Lyndsaygodley(at)Gmail.com
Lyndsay.
Sue Lady Kilbracken has a Facebook page (Killegar) she is currently living in the house. I’m sure you could make contact and discover much about the estate.
David