Howth Castle

Howth Castle
Map
General information
StatusPrivate dwelling house
TypeCastle
Architectural styleVarious including Medieval defensive, Gothic, Georgian, Arts and Crafts
AddressHowth
Town or cityHowth, County Dublin
CountryIreland
Coordinates53°23′11″N 6°04′44″W / 53.3863°N 6.0790°W / 53.3863; -6.0790
Groundbreakingc1235
Technical details
Materiallimestone, Portland stone Georgian door and window surrounds
Design and construction
Architect(s)Francis Bindon (1738)
Richard Morrison (1810, gates)
Francis Johnston (1825, minor alterations)
Richard Morrison (1840, stables and other minor alterations)
Joseph Maguire (1872, Gate lodge)
DeveloperVarious Lords, Barons and Earls of Howth
Other designersJames Hogan & Sons (1875, interior plasterwork)
Renovating team
Architect(s)Edwin Lutyens (1910-11, tower, loggia, chapel, corridors)
Civil engineerFrederick William Higginbotham (1910-11)
References
[1][2][3][4]

Howth Castle (/ˈhθ/ HOHTH) is a historic dwelling, originally of Norman origin, that lies by the village of Howth, County Dublin, Ireland; it is sited within a substantial estate. The castle was the ancestral home of the St Lawrence family that had held the area since the Norman Invasion of 1180, and the head of which held the title of Lord Howth, a feudal barony, until circa 1425, Baron Howth to 1767, then Earl of Howth until 1909. The castle and estate were held by distaff heirs, the Gaisford-St Lawrence family, from 1909 to 2019, when they were sold to Tetrarch Capital.

The estate today still includes much of the peninsula of Howth Head, including extensive heathland and much of Howth's cliff walks, with views over Dublin Bay, light woodland, and the island of Ireland's Eye. On the grounds near the castle are golf courses, a hotel and gardens. There is also a collapsed portal tomb and several small streams pass through the estate.

In October 2018, the Gaisford St Lawrence family announced their agreement to sell the castle, demesne and Ireland's Eye to the Tetrarch investment group who intended to redevelop the hotel and course as a luxury resort. A 7-acre portion of the site zoned for residential development close to the castle gate was sold onwards by Tetrarch to Glenveagh Homes for €14m after the sale closed.[5][6]

  1. ^ "CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, HOWTH CASTLE Dictionary of Irish Architects -". www.dia.ie. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Howth Castle, Howth Road, HOWTH DEMESNE, Howth, DUBLIN". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Howth Castle, Howth Road, HOWTH DEMESNE, Howth, DUBLIN". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Howth Castle, Howth Road, HOWTH DEMESNE, Howth, DUBLIN". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  5. ^ Tetrarch buys 470 acres in Howth including its castle and former hotel Irish Times, 2018-10-05.
  6. ^ "Glenveagh - 2019 Interim Results". www.glenveagh.ie. 23 August 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.