Crotto (or Crotta), Co.Kerry

Crotto (or Crotta), Kilflyn par (also spelt Kilflynn), between Tralee and Listowel, Co.Kerry (see map and map).
Crotto is the old spelling. Crotta the new spelling.
There are two Crotta townlands. See 1829 to 1842 map. The main Crotta townland, with Crotta House, in Kilflyn parish. And a small Crotta townland, adjoining it to the NE, in Kilfeighny parish.

References:
- CROTTO in [Irish Country Houses]
- CROTTO in [Houses of Kerry]
- CROTTO in [King]
- KITCHENER in [Gaughan, 1974]
- Kilflynn Chronicle, Kilflynn box, [KCL] Local studies.
- "Ruins of Crotta House", poem by John Flaherty, The Kerryman, 2 May 1925, p.9, [KCL] microfilm.
  - See part 1 and part 2 and part 3 and part 4 and part 5.
  - Republished in Kilflynn Chronicle issue no.5, Dec 1998.
- Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener: His Life and Work for the Empire, Edwin Sharpe Grew, 1916 (and search).
- Note on Crotta Demesne, Kerry Champion, 12 Jan 1935, p.8, [KCL] Hardcopy.
- References to Crotto in [Beatty, 1939].
- "Abbeydorney, our own place", Frank O'Donovan, 1989. [KCL].
- "The Orchard at Crotta House", John M. O'Flaherty, Kilflynn Chronicle 2003, p.30. See page and photo.
- A Social History of Rural Ireland in the 1950s: Remembering Crotta, John Galvin, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2017.

Crotto House (or Crotta House), Co.Kerry.
Drawing by John Preston Neale. Engraving published 1821, London, by Thomas Barber.
See larger and full size.

CROTTO is supposed to appear in a volume of Views Of The Seats Of Noblemen And Gentlemen by John Preston Neale.
This scan of vol.6, dated 1823 is confusing. It has two indexes at the end, both apparently for "vol.6".
One index matches the scan here, and CROTTO does not appear.
CROTTO is however listed in the other index for "vol.6", the contents of which do not match the scan here. There must somehow be another "vol.6".

Crotto House (or Crotta House), Co.Kerry.
The house was built 1669 by Henry Ponsonby.
Inherited 1763 by William Carrique (later William Carrique Ponsonby).
Inherited by James Carrique Ponsonby (died 1796).

Crotto was inherited 1796 by William Carrique Ponsonby.
He made alterations to the house 1819, from plans drawn by Sir Richard Morrison, giving it a more Elizabethan look.
He died 1831.

Crotto was inherited 1831 by Thomas Carrique Ponsonby.
Sir John Benn-Walsh visited in 1834 and described it as "an old ruinous house nearly two hundred years old".
Thomas Carrique Ponsonby sold it 1842.
"Samuel Julian" is listed at Crotto House in [Griffiths Valuation, 1852].
Kitchener (born 1850) lived as a child in Crotto House (his father leased it for some years before 1863).

Sadly, this rare 17th century house was demolished, in stages, in the 20th century.
The house fell into decay for years before it was demolished.
See Crotta in 1901 census. The big house, with 32 rooms, 16 windows in front of house, and 13 out-buildings, is occupied by "Caretaker" Hugh Moriarty.
Photo of around 1902 (below) shows the house still in normal condition.
["Horatio Kitchener at Crotta", Kilflynn Chronicle 11th edn, Dec 2006] thought Crotto was occupied in 1910.
See Crotta in 1911 census. No big house is seen in the list of buildings. It might be vacant, hence no entry.
Photo of 1919 (below) shows Crotto looking run-down, but not a ruin. It might be vacant.

[Galvin, 2017] says Crotto was partially burnt in 1920 during the War of Independence. He says it was vacant and was used as a hideout for IRA men on the run, so the Black and Tans partially burnt it.
Photos (below) originally said to be c.1910, but in fact must be 1920s, show Crotto is in a ruined state.
Crotto was in ruins by the time of [1925 poem].

[Gourley, 1965] describes substantial ruins surviving as at 1965: "From the massive ruined walls of to-day, we can judge it to have been a stately home."
[Gaughan, 1974] says "part of Crotta House" was then still standing.
Photo of 1975 (below) shows part of the house surviving as a ruin.
It was finally demolished think late 1970s.
[Houses of Kerry, 1994] says little then remained of Crotto except some stone walls and part of the stableyard.

Ponsonby already appears at Crotto in Census of Ireland, 1659.
From p.249 of "A Census of Ireland, circa 1659", pub by [IMC] 1939.

Spelling

"Crotto" was the older name.
Spelled "Crotto" in [Smith, 1756] and [Taylor and Skinner, 1777] and [Dublin directory, 1783] and [The Post-chaise Companion, 1786] and [Lodge's Peerage of Ireland, 1789] and [Leet's Directory, 1814] and [Pigot's directory, 1824] and William Ponsonby death 1831.

"Crotta" is the newer name.
Spelled "Crotta" in 1821 engraving and OSI maps and [Griffiths Valuation, 1852] and [Grew, 1916] and [1925 poem].
All the local people call it "Crotta" today.

Maps and references

Crotto on p.218 of [Smith, 1756].

Crotto on p.105 of [Taylor and Skinner, 1777].

Crotto in [The Post-chaise Companion, 1786, p.180].

Capt. Daniel Guion uses his wife's house Crotto as an address for correspondence in March 1810.
From [ADM 1/1857/29].

Crotto House. 1829 to 1842 period.
From OSI.

Crotto House. 1887 to 1913 period.
From OSI.

Site of Crotto House. Modern map.
The LHS wing (that used to adjoin the main central block) survives.
From OSI.

Old pictures

Crotto House. Photo 1902 or shortly before.
The Ponsonby coats of arms appear to be removed.
See larger and full size and original.
From opposite p.40 in [Grew, 1916].
See 1902 copy on sale here.
See also scan from royalirishconstabulary.com. Used with permission.

Crotto House.
Photo said to be Sept 1919.
It is clearly earlier than the Holroyd-Smyth photos below, since the N wing has not yet collapsed.
See full size.
From [O'Donovan, 1989, p.269]. Used with permission.
See scan from book.

Crotto House, in a ruined state. The N wing has partially collapsed.
From negatives in Holroyd-Smyth Family Papers. MS 49,518/108 in [NLI].
Meant to be c.1910. However, it is clearly later than the photo above.
Envelope suggests 1920s, not c.1910.
See larger and full size.
See original.

Crotto House.
From Holroyd-Smyth Family Papers.
The roof lines of the outbuildings at the S end are not the same as today. But this must be the same view. There were no outbuildings like this at the N end.
See larger and full size.
See original.

Crotto House.
From Holroyd-Smyth Family Papers.
See larger and full size.
See original.

Crotto House. The N end.
From Holroyd-Smyth Family Papers.
See larger and full size.
See original.

Ruin of Crotto House, 1975.
See full size.
From [O'Donovan, 1989, p.269]. Used with permission.
See scan from book.

The site of Crotto House today

Site of Crotto House.
This is the LHS wing (that used to adjoin the main central block).
Click to rotate.
Huge trees now grow where Crotto House once stood.
From Google Street View.
See screenshot.

The surviving building at Crotto (the LHS wing or S wing).
This is apparently the old stables.
Photo 2013. See larger and full size.
See LHS shot and RHS shot.

Crotto House stood where these trees are, to the RHS of the surviving building.
Photo 2013. See larger and full size.
See other shot.
See 2016 shot of me showing where the house stood.

Building at back (W side) of Crotto House site.
Photo 2013. See larger and full size.
See LHS shot and RHS shot.

The old orchard wall surviving to the N of the Crotto House site.
Photo 2013. See larger and full size.
See other shot.
See 2016 shot.

The surviving gate lodge at the N entrance to Crotto.
2011 image from street view.
The gate lodge is mid 19th century. See entry in NIAH.
See 1887 to 1913 map.