Castle Leslie
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Castle Leslie, home to an Irish branch of Clan Leslie, is located on a 1000 acre estate adjacent to Glaslough village, 11 km (7 mi) north-east of Monaghan town in County Monaghan, Ireland.
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[edit] Architecture
The Castle is fashioned in the Scottish Baronial style and was designed by Charles Lanyon and W.H. Lynn in 1870 for Sir John Leslie, 1st Baronet MP. It is situated where an earlier castle stood and, therefore, never had a defensive purpose. The house presents a rather dour and austere façade and is sited in such a way so as to mask the gardens to an approaching visitor. To the rear of the house the gardens are relieved by an Renaissance style cloister which links the main house to a single storey wing containing the Library and Billiard Room. In contrast to the exterior designed by W.H. Lynn, the interior shows the hands of Lanyon and John Leslie himself through its strong Italian Renaissance feel.
[edit] The Estate
The Estate has three lakes, Glaslough (Irish for Green Lake), park land, meandering streams and several forests. The house today is still a home to the self proclaimed eccentric Leslie family, Sir Jack Leslie 4th Baronet and Samantha Leslie still taking up residence in the house. Other family members still assert their influence on the running of the estate through a family trust.
[edit] Present Status
The estate is open to paying guests, who can stay in the former Hunting Lodge, the main house itself, or the recently constructed traditional-style holiday cottages located in the village.
While an attitude of continued restoration of the house and grounds is still strong, many new features have been added to the estate, including a Cookery School under chef Noel McMeel (formerly catering for the first family in The White House). 2004 saw the repurchase of the Estate Equestrian Centre and Hunting Lodge after its sale from the family twenty years earlier.
The estate now features miles of horse trails, a state-of-the-art indoor horse arena and many new horse stables.
In 2005 5 new ground floor bedrooms were also added to the castle: the Desmond Leslie room, The Agnes Bernelle Room, The Helen Strong Room, Sir Jack's Room and the only room in the castle not named after a family member, the Calm Room.
2007 saw the transition of the Main House from a hotel to a country club, a decision stated to be to limit wear and tear on the antique furniture with visits being limited to members of the club. Currently restoration of the walled gardern is underway, adjacent to the garden a brand new Conference center and tea rooms is also being newly constructed to facilitate large meetings and receptions.
[edit] Notoriety and Fame
Castle Leslie made headlines in 2002 when the musician Paul McCartney married Heather Mills in the family church located on the estate. This was spread inadvertently to the media by Sir John Leslie, 4th Baronet who notoriously remarked on live television "it's on Tuesday, but it's a secret". More recently, Castle Leslie was the venue of the launch in 2008 of Rescue and Preparedness in Disasters Ireland (RAPID IRELAND), a sister rescue charity of RAPID UK, hosted by Baron Oranmore and Browne and Sir John Leslie, 4th Baronet, and attended by a number of ambassadors and dignatories including HRH Prince Richard Duke of Gloucester.
Through the years many a famous face has frequented the house, well known visitors include Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, British Astronomer Patrick Moore, Prince Pierre of Monaco, The Churchill family (to whom the Leslies are related), Irish writer and poet WB Yeats and many more.
