In Ireland, we came across many unexpected
discoveries, but before we began this exploration, we never could’ve predicted what we would
find here. This week, we visit a huge 60-bedroomed mansion
with impeccable architecture, functioning power and water, and bizarre remains from
recent times. Join us on what we would describe as the stand
out exploration from our trip. On the drive towards the site, we took in
the isolation the people that would have formally lived in this area would’ve endured. Not much further down the lake lied a grand
mansion that was built in the late 1700s, and boasts more than 200 acres of land. We began the trek approaching the property
at the old gatehouse, which featured various disused CCTV cameras, at least we hoped. It was important to us that this manor explore
worked out well, as we had already failed a similar place on our first day. During this attempt of a house that was in
a much more urban area than the one shown in this video, we were close to the building,
when we spotted a person watching us from the school neighbouring the site. As this was only hours after we had arrived
in Ireland, and with so many other places on the map to check out, we weren’t taking
any risks. However, it was key that we didn’t show
the onlookers that we were running, because then they might think we are doing something
dodgy, like stealing or vandalising. On the final day of our trip, we returned
to the structure, but this time, a loud alarm was going even before we had arrived. We still thought it was necessary to take
a peek at the site, as the school was closed for the day. We made it passed the point we had failed
to last time, and got right up to the house. We even thought we’d found a way in, but
it seemed it was only a trap to get us to be seen by a concealed camera, which caused
a security announcement to be made. We’re not sure if you can hear it on this
video, but it wasn’t a recorded message, and stated that police would be called if
we didn’t leave the property immediately. Sometimes, it’s only fair to say we were
outdone by the defences on this building. Back to the place in question. Thick undergrowth surrounded the mansion we
wished to infiltrate today. After what felt like an age of fighting through
bramble bushes, and fighting off ferns, we could make out the building down the hill
beneath us. It seemed that we had overestimated the security
of this site, as eventually we managed to reach the open external regions of the structure,
and there was nothing protective to be seen. The cream-coloured, ornate mansion was almost
mythical to see, as it doesn’t appear that many have seen it. Unless you were a member of the family, or
a passerby boating across the lake, the manor’s grounds are so private that it is hidden away. Connecting to the main building is a stunning
Victorian conservatory, made with iron. Inside it is completely overgrown and neglected,
symbolically representing the treatment the site has received since closure. Soon enough, we scouted an easy entrance,
and we were in. Straight away, this beautiful ballroom gave
us the impression that the entire building would be filled with the detailed design we
had seen in the first part of the structure we came into contact with. The long room led up to a vast bay window
looking over the estuary, with parallel multi-coloured stained glass on the opposite side. As we began to move through the lower levels
of the main house, we sighted similarities throughout. Every room had the perfect amount of decay,
developing the grand fireplaces, furniture, paint and coves. When the building was constructed in the 1790s,
it was formed by one family, but quickly became the home for another family, who were lottery
owners. They were a famous family in the land, and
controlled the property for almost a century, through generations. Following their use of the estate, it was
sold yet again to another family, but this was only temporary for about 20 years. The new family that bought the site weren’t
popular in the community, and during the Irish potato famine, they were responsible for more
than 1000 evictions. After they had vacated, it was used as a college
for a few years, before becoming the base for a convent, only to become a boarding school
a few years later, which closed in the early 2000s. Meanwhile, as we were looking through the
more architecturally stunning sections of the mansion, our friend Zvi, who joined us
on our whole venture through Ireland, was looking over a completely different part. Extensions were added to the site, more than
likely during the time the property had as a boarding school, so these corridors and
rooms were modern compared to the Georgian era structure we just looked at. Zvi found a fully stocked kitchen, which didn’t
even look abandoned, but this was only the start of an extensive list of discoveries. This part of the site looked too clean to
have been disused for almost a decade and he noticed that and decided not to continue
looking by himself. Before our visit, we had contacted a local
explorer who mentioned that during a visit he made to the site, he saw lights on in this
building, so we were wary that we might not be alone during this explore. Obviously creeped out and to be safe, Zvi
made the choice to come back to the safer manor region to collect us, and then we returned
minutes later together. First off, we inspected the kitchen a bit
closer. New items like a microwave and toaster were
plugged in, as well as stacked shelves and cupboards. We’ve come across untouched locations before
so this might just be one of those rarities, but then
we found this. So someone, or possibly multiple people were
residing in the site. We found a pipe which would give the property
clean water, iPhone chargers, car keys and then slightly afterwards an axe. Naturally, at the time we were very weirded
out by these discoveries, especially as we didn’t have a massive array of information
about the building, so we quickly left the modern parts. At the time, we believed there to be squatters
living in the building. Actually however, just recently we have been
tipped off that there was a caretaker living onsite, so potentially, a lot of the newer
features we found were used by him. Back inside the country home, we wanted to
check the upper floors for more of the architecture that had been portrayed downstairs. We were right to, because the same level of
detail went into these upper rooms, which hadn’t been modernised as we would anticipate. Most of the spaces were bedrooms, with many
of them still having the bed itself, gathering dust. On the contrary to the new belongings we had
just found, in this section we returned to the old features we had missed. Newspaper remains showed a date of 1974, which
was interesting to look through. This is one of those places that you can’t
believe is derelict. The views you would get from staying in one
of the bedrooms was astonishing, and you can’t imagine the demolition of the property, which
has been planned since 2003. Since then, a factory’s construction has
been on hand, but the locals have rejected the idea, causing a decade long legal battle
over the situation. Suddenly at the end of the battle, the company
wanting to build the industrial site liquidated, so the building has been allowed further deterioration. To
conclude our exploration, we began testing the lights in various rooms, with a lot of
them working perfectly. It represents the hope in a damaged property,
that maybe, with the help of the local people, the beloved mansion may see use again in the
future. Particularly in the ballroom, almost every
bulb came on, and it showed the space in an entirely new light, illuminating the yellow
walls and architectural details. Under these spotlights we wonder how many
families would’ve danced and used the space recreationally over the years, and if any
one else ever will. Surprisingly, we were even able to leave through
the front door, which wasn’t even locked. The entire building has been neglected completely
compared to the care and effort that went into it’s design all that time ago. Next time. Away from residential properties, in our next
episode we are exploring two typical British sites of industry. Control rooms, walkways and huge machinery
- we’re going back to basics in our next segment. Thanks for watching our second to last video
from our Ireland trip. We aren’t sure as of yet when we will upload
the final one. Have you enjoyed the trip so far? Let us know in the comments. See you next time.
