Built around 1790 overlooking the Shannon Estuary, Cahercon House is a 60-bedroom Georgian mansion with an interesting history.
Kildysart, County Clare, Republic of Ireland Abandoned It seems everywhere in Ireland has a rich history behind it, and Cahercon House in Kildysart is no exception. The 60-bedroom Georgian mansion was built around 1790, on 220 acres of land overlooking the Shannon Estuary. Through that time it has been an ascendancy family seat, a seminary for missionaries, a boarding school and, most recently, a pet project for the head of a quarrying conglomerate.
The house was built by the Scott family, but soon becoming the home of the White family in 1800s. The Whites were regarded as “new money” by high society after rapidly making their fortune operating a lottery, however this proved to be the start of an aristocracy and the house stayed in the family for the next 90 years.
Cahercon House was sold to the Vandeleurs in 1897, after their previous residence in Kilrish was destroyed by fire, and they remained there for the next two decades. The Vandeleurs, however, were not popular landlords amongst the community, and were responsible for over 1,000 evictions following the potato famine.
The estate was sold to the Maynooth Mission to China, later called the Missionary Society of St Columban and better known as “the Columbans” in 1920 for £14,000. Cahercon became St Senan’s College, a philosophical institute and seminary. A few years later, it would become a convent for the Sisters of Saint Columban, who ran a high school there until 1948. The Columbans sold the place, in October 1962, to the Salesian sisters who turned it into a boarding school for girls, which closed in 2002.
The house then fell into the hands of Clareman Paddy Whelan, a businessman who owned an extensive quarrying business and was looking to set up an explosives factory. Planning permission was granted for construction of the factory in the grounds, but faced furious local opposition, including from the nuns of Cahercon House themselves. The Whelan Group purchased the house from the nuns for something over €1 million, and the objections were silenced.
The planning permission still became overturned in 2003, but following a 10-year legal battle, was reinstated with various conditions. In a strange twist of fate, in 2010 the Whelan group, including the explosives venture, were liquidated in the High Court.
The property is now empty and for sale again, including planning permission to build an explosives factory.
I thought this was sold in Spring 2019??? I tried to get a viewing but was told it was sold by the agents.
It probably was sold, just the new owners haven’t started work on it yet
Thanks for this fascinating glimpse into Cahercon House! When I was a boarder here with the Salesians in the 1980s, we only ever saw the exterior of this magnificent building. At last a proper look around! Its aspect on the River Shannon is extraordinary, we used to love walking around the grounds, playing basketball in the basketball court, sneaking the occasional illicit cigarette. Loads of girlish ghosts wandering around I’d say, dreaming of being taken out for a dance in a big dress in the ballroom…
Wow thank you for showing these photos, a blast from the past. I was a boarder in Cahercon 1982-1987. The ballroom was the church, the reception room was the table tennis & pool table room. We used to spend Halloween in the basement telling ghost stories…. we always thought the place was haunted. Mary
Wow super to see these internal images – I was a boarder here up until 1989 and never got to see the majority of these ‘rooms’ with the exception of the ballroom which was the church at the time!
I have driven past it a few times and even tried to get in once upon a time!! Would love to know if any work has been done on it…such a shame to have it go to ruin.