My wife's ancestors - Hunter - Contents

Ravensdale, Co.Louth

Seat of the Fortescue family.

References:
- Ravensdale Park in [Irish Country Houses].

Ravensdale Park, some distance N of Ravensdale village.
From [Taylor and Skinner, 1777].
In the time of James Fortescue, MP (died 1782).

Ravensdale Park, N of Ravensdale, N of Dundalk, Co.Louth. See map.
Seat of James Fortescue, MP and his wife Mary Henrietta Hunter.
Mary Henrietta Hunter's sister Kitty Hunter stayed there for a time in 1778.
James Fortescue died 1782.

Ravensdale was then seat of his son Thomas James Fortescue, MP (died 1795).
Then seat of William Charles Fortescue, 2nd Viscount Clermont (died 1829).

Ravensdale was inherited 1829 by the 2nd Viscount's nephew Sir Henry James Goodricke, 7th Baronet.
It was then inherited in 1833 by a distant cousin, Thomas Fortescue, 1st Baron Clermont (born 1815).
He built a new house, Ravensdale House, c.1840. He was cr 1852.
Ravensdale became the home of his brother Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue, 1st Baron Carlingford (Liberal politician, cr 1874, died 1898).
After 1st Baron Carlingford died 1898, the house was sold out of the Fortescue family.

It was sold to Sir Daniel Dixon, 1st Baronet. He died 1907.
It was later sold to Arthur Gore, 6th Earl of Arran.
He sold it in 1919 to timber merchant Thomas Archer.
Archer tried to sell it in 1920 but it did not sell.
On 18 June 1921, during the War of Independence, it was burnt down by the IRA. This was a few weeks before the Truce. It is believed that it was burnt because it was unoccupied and would have been a prime site for a military garrison.

After independence this became a place on the border with NI.
The border with NI (Co.Armagh) runs along the W of the main road and the main road crosses into NI about 2 miles N of here.

Ravensdale Park in [The Post-chaise Companion, 1786, p.19].
In the time of Thomas James Fortescue, MP (died 1795).

Ravensdale House on 1829 to 1842 map.
Matching the maps, it is clearly at the same site as Ravensdale Park above.

Ravensdale House on 1887 to 1913 map.
See modern satellite view.
The house is entirely gone. No trace at site of house. See street view.

The W bridge

The house is wiped out. But some trace of the old estate survives in the bridges.

The pretty old bridge close to Ravensdale House at the W entrance survives.
This is to the W at the main road, where the W gate lodge was.
It is unclear when it was built. It looks a bit like the Marble Bridge further to the S (which was built c.1790).
W bridge shown on 1829 to 1842 map.
This entrance is now blocked off.
See street view.

The W bridge.
Photo 2020. See full size.
See closer shot and closer shot.

The W bridge.
Photo 2019. From Geograph.
See 2020 shot and 2020 shot.

Detail of the bridge.
Photo 2020. See full size.

Other bridges at Ravensdale

There are two other bridges nearby:

Marble Bridge (built c.1790), a small distance S of the house. On the N-S road leading to the house. See street view.
Curralhir Bridge (built c.1780), much further S of the house, where the modern R174 crosses the river. This is close to the S gate lodge entrance to the estate. See street view.

The 19th century stable block

The stable block (built c.1830) of Ravensdale House survives.
This is not shown on the 1829 to 1842 map. It is shown on the 1887 to 1913 map.
This is a bit up the road to the N of the house. See street view.

The stable block. View from the S.
Photo 2018. From Geograph.
And wider shot. From here.

The stable block. View from the N.
Photo 2020. See full size.

Geograph photos