Russborough House | |
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General information | |
Status | Private dwelling house |
Type | House |
Architectural style | Palladian |
Location | Russelstown County Wicklow W91 W284 |
Country | Ireland |
Coordinates | 53°08′30″N 6°34′11″W / 53.14166°N 6.5696°W |
Construction started | 1741 |
Estimated completion | 1748 |
Owner | Alfred Beit foundation |
Technical details | |
Material | granite |
Floor count | 3 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Richard Cassels |
Developer | Joseph Leeson, 1st Earl of Milltown |
Website | |
http://www.russborough.ie/ |
Russborough House is a stately house near the Blessington Lakes in County Wicklow, Republic of Ireland. Located between the towns of Blessington and Ballymore Eustace, it is an outstanding example of Palladian architecture, designed by Richard Cassels (also commonly known as Richard Castle) for Joseph Leeson, 1st Earl of Milltown and built between 1741 and 1755. With a frontage measuring 210 m (690 ft), it may be the longest house in Ireland. The interior contains fine ornate plasterwork on the ceilings by the Lafranchini brothers, who also collaborated with Castle on Carton House. Russborough contains an important private collection of European fine and decorative arts, including furniture, silver, porcelain and paintings.
Russborough is open to visitors and is located on a 200-acre (81 ha) estate, with many of the original 18th-century features still in place including the Walled Garden, the ice-house, the lime kiln and the serpentine lakes. There is a restaurant, shop and 2 km (1.2 mi) maze.