An exhibition celebrating the generations of families, faces and memories connected to Enniscoe House and Estate will be officially opened on Saturday, August 10 at 3pm by Professor Terence Dooley. Admission to the exhibition is free and open to all and it will run until Sunday, September 15.
Professor Dooley teaches in the History Department at Maynooth University, where he is also founder and director of the Centre for the Study of Historic Irish Houses and Estates. He is also the author of several books, including The Decline of the Big House in Ireland (2001 ) and 'The Land for the People': the Land Question in independent Ireland (2003 ). He is currently editing a collection of essays (with Chris Ridgway ) on The Country House: sport and leisure, which will be published later this year.
Susan Kellett; owner of The Enniscoe Estate, which has been part of the fabric of North Mayo for centuries, added: "It is over thirty years since I took over the ownership and management of Enniscoe House and Estate. In that time we have set about the restoration of the house and gardens and redeveloped the estate into a community focused destination for this rural and regional community."
Enniscoe House dates from the mid 18th Century which was built by the Jackson family as a large farm house using stone from the old castle at Enniscoe and oak trees recovered from the nearby bog. This building was a tall single gabled building of five bays and is still perfectly preserved as it is incorporated into the present house. Generations of families have long been associated with the house, a tradition that is still carried on to this day.
The exhibition and presentation from Professor Terence Dooley will look at some of the lives of the people who lived and worked in a ‘big house’ like Enniscoe in the early 1900s, their daily routine as well as life on the Estate throughout the year.
Today, Enniscoe is a very different place, though the house retains its elegant plaster work and architectural integrity, the former agricultural buildings are now home to The North Mayo Heritage Centre, an artist studio and a mini Conference Centre.
The North Mayo Heritage Centre is dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich heritage of the region and is located at Enniscoe. The gardens are open to the public seven days a week during the summer months with guided tours of Enniscoe House and gardens on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 12noon.
