The Rostellan Coat of Arms (above) and William O’Brien (below), the 4th Earl of Inchiquin who built Rostellan.
This impressive Coat of Arms once adorned Rostellan House, the family home of William O’ Brien, the fourth Earl of Inchiquin (1700-1777). Located in East Cork, overlooking Cork Harbour, the palatial residence and extensive estate at Rostellan had been in the O’Brien family since the early 1600s and would remain so until the mid-19th century.
An image of Rostellan House that was built by the Fourth Earl of Inchiquin. It reputedly had 366 windows that represented the number of days of a year, and one window was covered when it was not a leap year. The building was also said to have had 52 doors represented the number of weeks in a year.
The 17th and 18th centuries saw the global expansion of the British Empire, as well as upheaval in British and Irish politics. The Earls of Inchiquin seemed to have been involved throughout, holding many important positions. The first Earl was a notorious military leader during the Confederate Wars, burning homes, land and livestock of his enemies (chiefly Catholics and Cromwellian forces). The second Earl would be Governor of Tangier and Jamaica during his life. The third Earl seemed to have enjoyed a quieter life and spent much of his life making improvements to Rostellan House and estate until his death in 1719.
Present day map of the Rostellan Estate (above) and (below) an old map of the Demesne of Rostellan.
The Fourth Earl led a very different life and spent most of his time in England where he was a prominent member of Britain’s political and cultural elite. He was a Whig MP for four separate English constituencies between 1722 – 1754. He was appointed a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1725 and Governor of County Clare (1741-1777). Between 1744-51, he was a Lord of the Bedchamber to Frederick, Prince of Wales and the son of King George II. Earl William O’Brien would also be appointed to the Privy Council of Ireland in 1753. Two of the most unusual facts about the fourth Earl’s life is that he founded the Water Club of the Cork Harbour in 1720, which would develop into the Royal Cork Yacht Club. He also served as Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of England (Free Masons) in 1740/41.
Murrough O’Brien, the 1st Earl of Inchiquin and the first resident of Rostellan Castle.
Despite living abroad for most of his life, the fourth earl built Rostellan House in 1721 to replace the aging castle that had been the family home. He developed the grounds of the estate and had them lavishly landscaped, including the building of crenellations and follies, which were a nod to his love of history and antiquarianism. The house itself was three stories high with five front bays and four side bays. There was a three-sided bow at each corner of the building. A gothic porch and low gothic style chapel wing were some of the additions made during the 19th century. The house remained in the possession of the O’Brien family until 1855 when it was sold and had several other private owners until it was demolished in 1944.
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(Above) William O’Brien, the 2nd Earl of Inchiquin.
And (right) William O’Brien, the 3rd Earl of Inchiquin.
Present day ruins located on the western side of the Rostellan Estate
Further Reading:
https://gatecottages.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/rostellan-castlehouse/