Prof Terence Dooley at Castletown House
Burning the Big House
Prof Terence Dooley at Castletown House
Burning the Big House
Ireland’s tumultuous past was brought to life through a series of lectures, an exhibition and the publication by Professor Terence Dooley of his book, Burning the Big House: The Story of the Irish Country House in a Time of War and Revolution
Exploring the destruction of up to 300 country houses across the revolutionary period from 1913-1923, Prof Dooley’s research offers a unique perspective on the complexities of the conflict between the Anglo-Irish landed class and local IRA activists and supporters. The country house became a potent symbol and target for republicans throughout the period, even as many of the Anglo-Irish families were themselves in decline.
Hosted by the Centre for the Study of Historic Irish Houses and Estates, at Maynooth’s Department of History, the lecture series was supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Historical Strand of the Decade of Centenaries Programme.
The exhibition was hosted by the Irish Architectural Archives and Maynooth University Library in May 2022. These initiatives were inspired by the Government’s decision to initiate a Decade of Centenaries Programme to commemorate the historical events of the revolutionary period, to encompass the different traditions on the island of Ireland, and to provide opportunities to focus on the everyday experience of ordinary people living in extraordinary times.
Macroom Castle burns as crowds of people gather to watch.