Carton — Carton Demesne

The lands at Carton were owned by the Earls of Kildare and in the late-17th century were leased to the Talbot family who erected the first building, a Dutch-style house with a pedimented breakfront which is recorded in a painting by Van der Hagen (SMR file). Carton was subsequently forfeited to the Crown and sold in 1703 to Maj. Gen. Richard Ingolsby, Lord Justice of Ireland who added a two storey, nine bay pedimented front with wings joined to the main block by curved sweeps, in the Palladian manner. In 1739 the estate was sold back to the 19th Earl of Kildare who made Carton his principal seat, employing Richard Castle to enlarge the house, which work obliterated all trace of the older house except for a cornice on the entrance front and unusually thick internal walls. The house was again remodelled and enlarged c. 1815 by Sir Richard Morrison for the Kildares who had by the become the Dukes of Leinster. The great demesne, covering c. 1000 acres, was formally landscaped in the 18thC, with further improvements in the 19th century (Bence Jones 1978, 60; Horner 1975 - reference in 1976 Foras Forbartha report in SMR file). Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 10 June 2011