Charleville Castle

 castle, monument, cultural heritage / national heritage, haunted place, Gothic revival (architecture), listed building / architectural heritage, 1800s construction

Charleville Castle grew from paper doodles in early 1798 to grandiose plans by the end of that very eventful year in Ireland. It was built by Charles William Bury, Earl of Charleville and was designed by Francis Johnston, one of the leading architects of the day. Charleville Castle is said to be the finest example of gothic-revival architecture in the country. This is a veritable gothic castle of grand proportions.

Detached Gothic Revival castle, built c.1805, by Francis Johnston. Central block of three-bay three-storey over basement with octagonal tower to west, circular tower to east, private chapel with five bays to nave and pinnacled towers to north-west with stable complex of three ranges surrounding an enclosed courtyard to north-west. Roof hidden by parapet. Lead rainwater goods. Random coursed limestone walls with tooled stone quoins to octagonal tower. Charleville Castle, along with the private chapel and beautifully elegant enclosed stable complex, is considered by many to be Francis Johnston's masterpiece. The Gothic Revival style of the house is complimented by the terraces seen to the south created John Claudius Loudon, the most distinguished garden designer of his time. The attention to detail, evidenced in the house, chapel and stables, is outstanding and it is without question a hugely significant group of demesne structures of national and international importance.

Ref wikipedia and charlevillecastle.ie/_mgxroot/page_stories.html

The castle is haunted by a little girl named Harriet, youngest daughter of the third Earl of Charleville, who died tragically in the main staircase of the building at the age of 8 in April 1861.