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Leixlip Castle 
LEESS-lip
Leixlip, Co. Kildare, Ireland
Circa Date: 12th century
Status: Fully Extant
LEESS-lip
Leixlip, Co. Kildare, Ireland
Circa Date: 12th century
Status: Fully Extant
Special Info / Location/ Date
Special Info
Phonetic Pronunciation of House Name
LEESS-lip
Location
Country
Ireland
District Today
Co. Kildare
Historic County
City / Town / Village
Leixlip
Latitude
53.364368
Longitude
-6.4869
Date
Start Date
Completion Date
Circa Date
12th century
Images
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Architects
| Designed | Windows Gothicized, Library and Drawing Room added |
| Date | 18th century |
Extant / Listed / References
Extant
Extant Type
Fully Extant
Extant Details
Listed
House Listed As
Unknown
Gardens Listed As
Unknown
On SAVE Britain's Heritage's List of Buildings at Risk
No
Country House: Yes
References
Vitruvius Britannicus
Vitruvius Scoticus
J.B. Burke (Burke's Visitation of Seats)
Country Life
J.P. Neale (Neale's Views of Seats)
Access / Ownership / Seat
Access
Open to Public Please note: Houses listed as being open "By Appointment" are usually country house hotels or B&Bs.
Unknown
Historic Houses Association Member
Phone Number If calling from the U.S., delete the first "0" in British numbers.
016-244-430
Fax Number
016-244-446
Email
Website
Awards
Current Ownership
Current Ownership Type
Individual / Family Trust
Primary Current Ownership Use
Private Home
Current Ownership Use / Details
Seat ("Seat" is loosely defined
as any family that occupied the house for a period of 2 years or more)
Today Seat of
The Hon. Desmond Guinness
A Past Seat(s) of
Possible (Unsure) Seat of
History / Gardens & Park / Movies
History
Earlier House(s) / Building(s)
House Replaced By
Built / Designed For
House & Family History
Leixlip was originally a 12th century fortress. It was granted to the 8th Earl of Kildare, taken back from the 10th Earl and then given back to the 11th Earl. The Earls of Kildare were also the heads of the FitzGerald family. In 1732 William Conolly of Castletown purchased the property, which was kept by his descendants until 1914.
Collections
This field lists art objects that are currently or were previously in the collection of the house.
For information on the history of British currency, click here. To use a chart that allows you to compare the purchasing power of money In Great Britain from 1264 to any other year, including the present, click here. To use a currency conversion to see the current value of the British pound, click here.
For information on the history of British currency, click here. To use a chart that allows you to compare the purchasing power of money In Great Britain from 1264 to any other year, including the present, click here. To use a currency conversion to see the current value of the British pound, click here.
Leixlip contains a fine 18th century Dolls’ House that was originally made for Newbridge in Co. Dublin.
Comments
Leixlip is supposedly haunted by a many-headed dog which looks into through the window panes. It is claimed that Prince John (the future King John of England), when Lord of Ireland, stayed in the House in 1185. In 1752 Archbishop Price died and was buried in the Protestant church at Leixlip. In his will he left £100 and a recipe for a dark beer to his servant, Richard Guinness. Guinness started a brewery in Leixlip in 1752 that eventually grew to be one of the largest in the world.
Gardens & Park
Garden, Park, Follies and Outbuildings
Chapel & Church
Movies
Location for Movies / TV
Bibliography
| Author | O'Brien, Jacqueline; Guinness, Desmond |
| Year Published | 1992 |
| Reference |
Related Resources
There are no documents associated with this house.
