I recently visited Lough Rynn Castle hotel and estate in Co. Leitrim, Ireland. Although the weather was dull and damp I did manage to get out to do some photography in this picturesque location.
A brief history of Lough Rynn Castle
In 1795, an Englishman, Robert Clements, became the first Earl of Leitrim. Nathaniel Clements, who owned lands in neighbouring Co. Cavan, acquired the Lough Rynn estate in 1750 and became the second Earl of Leitrim, although he continued living on his lands in Cavan. In 1833 Nathaniel Clements' son, Robert Bermingham, built a house in county Leitrim, on the shores of Lough Rynn. This house became the residence of the Clements family and the basis for what became Lough Rynn castle.
William Clements became the third 3rd Earl of Leitrim in 1854, inheriting a massive 90,000 acre estate. His attitude to his tenants was very different to the first two earls and by the 1870s he had become the most infamous landlord in Ireland. In 1878 he was ambushed and killed in Co. Donegal.
Lough Rynn castle remained in the ownership of the Clements family and was extended and refurbished. Members of the Clements family remained in residence until 1970 although by then much of the land had been sold off to former tenants.
In 2001, Lough Rynn estate was purchased by the current owners, the Hanly family. They invested substantially in the house and adjoining estate. In September 2006 Lough Rynn Castle opened as a hotel.
The hotel sits on a three-hundred-acre estate, which includes a walled garden, nature trails, a boathouse, and numerous ancient trees including a four-hundred-year-old oak tree. The walled garden was originally constructed between 1855 and 1860 and was re-opened in 2008, by which time Lough Rynn Castle's walled garden had become the largest privately owned walled garden in Ireland.
Inside the hotel, the dry stores room of the original castle has become home to the John McGahern library. McGahern was a well known Irish writer, and one of county Leitrim's most famous sons. Although his literary output was small, McGahern won many awards for his work. After his death, his obituary published in The Guardian hailed him as "arguably the most important Irish novelist since Samuel Beckett".
The library in Lough Rynn holds the highly esteemed novels of John McGahern, including a collection of first editions displayed in a glass cabinet.
Some images of the castle and grounds
My time at Lough Rynn was limited and the weather was not conducive to photography so I hope to return at another time to explore the grounds further.
Here are some of the images I made during this brief visit, all taken with my Google Pixel 7 pro.
I enjoyed my short visit to Lough Rynn Castle hotel and estate, strolling through the grounds on a winter morning, experiencing the sense of history to be found there, savouring the excellent food on offer and relaxing after my walk in front of a real log fire.
For a more complete history of the castle and some suggestions of the many things to do in the area, you can visit History of Lough Rynn | Hotels In Leitrim | Lough Rynn Castle.
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