Charleville Castle

History

The first mansion house to be built on the site of Charleville Castle was by Thomas Moore circa 1641. The estate passed through the hands of Charles Moore, Lord Tullamore, grandson of Thomas, and when he died in 1674 it went via his sister Jane to Charles William Bury. Charles William was later (1806) created the 1st Earl of Charleville in a second creation of the title. The new earl decided to build a new house on the estate. Commissioned in 1798, it was designed by Francis Johnston, and was built between 1800 and 1812.

The castle was not continuously occupied, owing to the castle owners' lack of resources. Each re-opening of the house resulted in the addition of new rooms or refurbishment. This included engaging William Morris, who designed the ceiling within the dining room. The castle played host to Lord Byron, who held many parties here. The house once boasted a painting from 1789 called Henry VIII, Act V, Scene 4 by Matthew William Peters, which having been removed from the house in 1970 is now in a Canadian collection.

The castle remained uninhabited from 1912 when Colonel Howard-Bury left to live in Belvedere House, County Westmeath.

Present day

As of 2014, the Charleville Castle Heritage Trust was managed by Dudley Stewart,

The castle itself has been claimed to be the most haunted building and grounds in Europe, appearing on both Living TV's Most Haunted and Fox's Scariest Places on Earth. The most famous of these ghosts is that of a little girl called Harriet, who reputedly died after a fall in a staircase. The castle has also been visited by several paranormal investigators and psychics. It has been photographed by Simon Marsden, and has appeared on Ghost Hunters International. It was also used as a filming location for Becoming Jane (2007), Northanger Abbey (2007), The Knight Before Christmas (2019) and The Green Knight (2020). The castle has also been used, alongside Ashford Castle in County Mayo, as a set for the "French Court" in the pilot episode of Reign (2013). And most famously for the second season of Wednesday 2025

Charleville Forest, which borders the castle, is classified as a Special Area of Conservation.

References

References

1. Craig, Maurice. (1969). "Ireland Observed". Mercier Press.
2. (3 July 2014). "Buildings at Risk – Charleville Castle, Tullamore, Co Offaly". The Irish Times.
3. (15 June 2012). "Donations sought to restore Charleville Castle painting".
4. "Irish Castles – Charleville Castle".
5. (19 January 2014). "Explorers Museum".
6. "Harriet the Ghost – Charleville Castle".
7. (3 September 2007). "Lights, camera and a tidy €450m in tourism". [[Irish Independent]].
8. "Filming in Ireland". [[Irish Film Board]].
9. "Charleville Wood SAC {{!}} National Parks & Wildlife Service".