My ancestors - Blennerhassett - Contents

New Ballyseedy

The new Blennerhassett seat at Ballyseedy.
At the E end of the Ballyseedy estate, SE of Tralee, Co.Kerry.
This house has had many names:

Elmgrove (or Elm Grove).
Ballyseedy House.
Ballyseedy Castle.
Ballyseede Castle.

Elmgrove is built

The old Blennerhassett seat at Ballyseedy was the 17th century Ballyseedy Castle, to the W side of the Ballyseedy estate.
At some point a new building was built on the estate, some distance to the E.
The new building (later called Ballyseedy House) was originally called Elm Grove (or Elmgrove).
[McMorran, 2008] agrees that Elm Grove is identical with Ballyseedy House.

When was Elm Grove built?
We know that for many years Col. John Blennerhassett (died 1775) lived at Ballyseedy Castle, to the W side of the Ballyseedy estate.
And his brother William Blennerhassett, senior (died 1785) lived at Elm Grove, to the E side of the Ballyseedy estate.

But when was Elm Grove built?
There is a mysterious stone dated 1721 in the banquet hall.
It has been said this is the date of the new building, but this is unclear. If it was built in 1721, William was too young to build it. His father was dead. It has been said his brother Col.John built it. But why? He did not live there. And why build it in 1721?
"Elm Grove", Co.Kerry, is listed as the seat of Pierce Power in 1736. It is unclear if this is the later Blennerhassett house. It seems possible. Though it does not explain who built it and when.

In any case, William Blennerhassett, senior is definitely living at Elm Grove in 1756.
[Mc Morran, 1991] says he rebuilt Elm Grove in the 1760s.

Elmgrove replaces Old Ballyseedy

The old Ballyseedy Castle was abandoned some time after 1775 and fell into ruin.
"Elm Grove" appears in the location of New Ballyseedy on 1777 map.
[The Post-chaise Companion, 1786, p.186] shows that old Ballyseedy Castle is abandoned.
Elm Grove was totally re-built by William Blennerhassett, junior in and around 1788.

From entry of 25 Aug 1788 in [Rev. Daniel A. Beaufort's Tour of Kerry, 1788]: "my companions set out in their Cabriole for Killarney where I was to follow after paying two visits. My first was to Mr Blennerhassett of Elm grove, whom I found now to be the Collector & to live in the town opposite the Inn. When I called he had been gone to Elm Grove some hours. I ordered my chaise & followed but on the road was stopped by Col. Blennerhassett of Arbela & Counsellor Frankland who knew me and as they were going to see me at [?Ardarty] they turned back to the Grove, where the Collector has almost finished an immense house, in a low situation, close to the river Leigh [Lee] tempted by two small offices to prefer this to a noble situation just above it.".

William Blennerhassett, junior, died at Elmgrove in 1797.
His son Arthur Blennerhassett of Elmgrove inherited the Ballyseedy estates (and the ruined old Ballyseedy Castle) in 1810.
He died in 1815.

Elmgrove becomes Ballyseedy House

Arthur's son Arthur Blennerhassett the younger inherited the Elmgrove house and the Ballyseedy estate in 1815.
He remodelled Elmgrove in 1816-1821. The remodelling is believed to be the work of Sir Richard Morrison. The lower, medieval castle-like, N wing was added, with round and square turrets.
With the old Ballyseedy Castle in ruins, the name Ballyseedy was no longer in use for the seat of the family.
Sometime after 1819, Arthur re-named Elmgrove as "Ballyseedy House" [Mc Morran, 1991].
Bill Jehan says "Elmgrove" was still in use is 1819, but has not found it later. He says: "I suspect the decision to rename Elmgrove as Ballyseedy may have been made by Arthur Blennerhassett in 1821, on completion of the house extension and remodelling".
Arthur finished his re-modelling in 1821. There is a plaque dated 1821 at the N end.
Arthur is described as of "Ballyseedy" in 1829 but the name "Elmgrove" is still in use for the mill nearby.

Ballyseedy House becomes Ballyseedy Castle

Ballyseedy House was remodelled again in 1880 by Major Arthur Blennerhassett.
The main S block was remodelled in medieval-revival style by James Franklin Fuller, adding battlements and hood mouldings and the curved medieval tower look to this block. The entrance was moved from the W side to the E side. The N wing was not changed.
After 1880 it was known as Ballyseedy Castle.

The Ballyseedy estate was declared insolvent in 1885 and sold off to the tenants. But the family kept Ballyseedy Castle. See [O'Carroll, 2009, p.123].
The Ballyseedy line of the Blennerhassetts died out 1965.
The house was left to Sir Adrian Blennerhassett, 7th Baronet who sold it in 1967.

After Blennerhassett

Sir Adrian Blennerhassett, 7th Baronet, sold Ballyseedy in 1967 to Arthur and Eileen Sheraton.
Ballyseedy was restored and opened as Ballyseede Castle Hotel. This was a deliberate change of spelling, presumably because they didn't like "seedy" in the name. (Though it was unnecessary to invent a name when they could have chosen "Ballysheedy" or "Ballyshiddy".)
It is now Ballyseede Castle Hotel.

New Ballyseedy.
Photo apparently 2005. From Bill Jehan.

New Ballyseedy (the S end)

New Ballyseedy (the N wing)

New Ballyseedy (interior)

"Elm Grove" is listed as the seat of Pierce Power in a list of freeholders of Kerry, 1736.
From pp.264-265 of [Hickson, vol.1, 1872].
[McMorran, 2008, p.44] thinks this is this Elm Grove. But maybe some confirmation is needed.
McMorran thinks the William Blennerhassett of Flimby Hall shown here is the William Blennerhassett later of Elm Grove.

Ballyseedy on p.163 of [Smith, 1756].
This shows John Blennerhassett at Old Ballyseedy and his younger brother William Blennerhassett at Elmgrove.

Ballyseedy and Elmgrove and Ballycarty on 1777 map.
Up is W.
[Houses of Kerry] considered Elmgrove as a separate building to New Ballyseedy.
But it seems clear from this map that Elmgrove is New Ballyseedy.
The map shows "Elm Grove" in the location of the new Ballyseedy House, and shows the old Ballyseedy Castle a mile to the W.
[Mc Morran, 1991] also supports this.

[The Post-chaise Companion, 1786, p.186] shows William Blennerhassett at Elmgrove.
To the W it shows the abandoned Old Ballyseedy.

Arthur Blennerhassett (died 1815) listed at Elmgrove (house) and Ballyseedy (land) in [Leet's Directory, 1814].

Arthur Blennerhassett is described as of "Ballyseedy" in 1829, but the name "Elmgrove" is still in use for the mill nearby.
From Kerry Evening Post, 26 Aug 1829.

Ballyseedy when it was the seat of Arthur Blennerhassett, after his alterations.
From the W side.
A note on the back says c.1830.
But the front lists him as MP for Co.Kerry. If front writing is done at same time as picture, then picture must be 1837-43.
Drawing at Glin Castle.
Note the old front door was on the W side. The front door was later moved to the E side.
The low N extension is similar to present day.
But the main S block is different.
See larger and wider and full size.

New Ballyseedy on 1887 to 1913 map.
The main block is to the S. The lower extension leads away to the N.
See other copy.

The Ballyseedy estate, for sale in the 1990s.
Image formerly here.
Compare with the estate as at apparently 1919.

Ballyseedy House.
From satellite view.

Ballyseedy. View from Monument Wood to the SW.
See larger and full size.
Photo apparently 2008. From Bill Jehan.

Gates of Ballyseedy.
See larger and full size.
Photo 2004. From Bill Jehan.
See street view.

The Old Ballyseedy fireplace and 1721 plaque

There is an old fireplace in the banquet hall at New Ballyseedy.
The hotel says this is an old fireplace moved from Old Ballyseedy to the new building.
Bill Jehan is inclined to that view.

There is an inscription dated "1721".
Oddly, 1721 does not fit well into the family history and it is unclear what the date refers to.
What can 1721 mean?

The date this building was built? But by who? Old John of Ballyseedy died in 1709. William was too young to build it. His brother Col.John could have built it, but why? He did not live there.
Perhaps Col.John rebuilt Old Ballyseedy in 1721, and later the stone was moved to New Ballyseedy. We do not have a note that Col.John rebuilt Old Ballyseedy, but he lived there for a long time, so it is possible.

The fireplace in the banquet hall at New Ballyseedy.
Photo apparently 2005. From Bill Jehan. See full size.

The old fireplace.
Photo 2016. See larger and full size.
See wide shot.

The old fireplace.
Photo 2016. See larger and full size.

Close-up of RHS panel, showing Blennerhassett arms.
Photo 2016. See larger and full size.
See also LHS panel.

Close-up of RHS panel.
Photo 2016. See larger and full size.

Stone plaque above the fireplace, with the date "1721".
Photo 2016. See larger and full size.
See 2000 photo.
The plaque reads:

BR   S  TI
8  : Y  13 :
1721

Looks like "8br" = October.
So maybe 13 Oct 1721.
But what happened in Oct 1721?

Ballyseede Castle Hotel
- Background video
Ballyseede videos on Vimeo.