'The Lost Legacy of William Leeson'

Kilbarron Terryglass Historical Society talk this Friday

‘The Lost Legacy of William Leeson - His Tipperary Houses’ is the title of the next Kilbarron Terryglass Historical Society talk.

It will be delivered by John Flannery this Friday, March 10, at 8pm in Terryglass Hall - admission: €5.

This talk focuses on the life of William Leeson and his Tipperary Houses - Castle Otway, Lissenhall, Kilboy, Traveston, Kilodiernan and Prior Park. Some of the properties fell victim to the spate of ‘Big House Burning’ during the Civil War, others were dismantled by the owners during the early years of the new state, due to inability to pay rates levied on them. The talk will also examine Leeson's award-winning design of Westport and his work for John Browne, first Earl of Altamont.

William Leeson is described in the Dictionary of Irish Biography as ‘an amateur architect’; however, he was responsible for designing many major houses in Tipperary and Galway during the 18th century. Among them, Clonbrock House, Ahascragh, for Robert Dillon (Co Galway) and Kilboy House for Lord Dunally (Co Tipperary).

In 1767, Leeson won a competition, sponsored by John Browne, first Earl of Altamont, for the layout of the new town of Westport and it is thanks to his design and vision that the town exists today in its present form. While working on the town layout, Leeson also produced designs for some of the notable buildings in the town, including the Market House. Sadly, all of Leeson's Tipperary Houses (apart from one - Prior Park) have fallen victim to the ravages of time and have all but disappeared from the landscape.