Irish country houses have a distinct character and personality, often whimsical and quirky and not following the stereotypical English country house style. In his lecture based on his new book, The Irish Country House: A New Vision, historian and author Robert O’Byrne highlights the eclecticism of Ireland’s historic interiors. He will showcase a mix of historical Irish estates as well as contemporary restorations to offer a fresh perspective on the beauty of these homes. He will explore some of Ireland’s most interesting and unusual interiors, from derelict estates to historic hunting lodges, and from an Irish castle renovated by a Mexican financier to an

Elizabethan Revival house transformed by a contemporary artist. He will illustrate a mansion in Westmeath, restored by the descendants of its original owners, and show Coollattin, Ireland’s largest country house at 65,000 square feet, where the Baroque style is emphasized by its unfinished state. By delving into these remarkable interiors, O’Byrne offers a new understanding of the cultural and historical significance embedded within Ireland’s country houses.

Robert O’Byrne, Noted Author

Robert O’Byrne is a writer and lecturer specialising in the fine and decorative arts. He is the author of more than a dozen books, among them Luggala Days: The Story of a Guinness House (Cico Books); Romantic Irish Homes, Romantic English Homes: A Tribute to Desmond FitzGerald, 29th Knight of Glin (Lilliput Press), and The Irish Aesthete: Ruins of Ireland (2019). A former Vice-President of the Irish Georgian Society and trustee of the Alfred Beit Foundation, he is currently a trustee of the Apollo Foundation. Among other work, he writes a monthly column for Apollo magazine, and contributes to each issue of the quarterly Irish Arts Review.

Tickets: $15 members*; $25 non-members

*Membership discount applied automatically when logged into your Royal-Oak.org account