Doonass House, DOONASS DEMESNE, CLARE

Description

Detached three-bay (three-bay deep) two-storey country house, built 1820, on a rectangular plan with single-bay two-storey recessed breakfront. Vacant, 1997. Hipped slate roof with pressed iron ridges, paired rendered central chimney stacks having ogee-detailed cut-limestone capping supporting yellow terracotta pots, and remains of cast-iron rainwater goods on overhanging panelled eaves having paired timber consoles on "Cavetto" cornice. Roughcast walls on cut-limestone chamfered plinth on roughcast base. Segmental-headed central door opening approached by flight of three bull nose-detailed cut-limestone sills with concealed dressings framing glazed timber panelled double doors having fanlight. Pair of square-headed central window openings (first floor) with cut-limestone sills, and concealed red brick block-and-start surrounds framing six-over-six timber sash windows without horns. Square-headed window openings in tripartite arrangement in shared elliptical-headed recesses (ground floor) with cut-limestone sills, and concealed dressings including lintels framing six-over-six timber sash windows without horns having two-over-two sidelights. Square-headed window openings in shared elliptical-headed recesses (first floor) with cut-limestone sills, and concealed red brick block-and-start surrounds framing six-over-six timber sash windows without horns. Square-headed window openings (side elevations) with cut-limestone sills, and concealed red brick block-and-start surrounds framing six-over-six timber sash windows without horns. Set in unkempt grounds with limestone ashlar piers to perimeter having ogee-detailed cornices on fluted friezes on stringcourses below shallow pyramidal capping supporting spear head-detailed wrought iron double gates. NOTE: Doonass House was built by Sir Hugh Dillon Massy (1767-1842) and is shown in the distance of a sketch (11th April 1842) titled "Doonass House Sir Hugh Massy Co. Clare from Mr. Whites Castle Connell near Limerick" by Captain Thomas Hastings (né Barnett) (1778-1854) [NLI vtls000245547]. Doonass House was subsequently the home of Sir Hugh Dillon Massy (1797-1870) and Dame Lady Mary Dillon Massy (née Westropp) (1800-90). Doonass House was sold (1919) by Colonel John Massy Westropp (1860-1951) and was later occupied by a team of engineers and scientists brought over from Germany to advise on and assist in the construction of the Shannon Scheme (1925-9): some of the team were summonsed (26th June 1926) to appear at Limerick District Court on charges of operating a shebeen from the house and their cellar of wine, totalling 1,500 bottles valued at £700, was confiscated (McCarthy 2004, 128). Doonass House was later owned by Benyamin Weizmann (1907-80), son of Chaim Azriel Weizmann (1874-1952), first President of Israel, who reduced it in size by demolishing the eighteenth-century section (1786) adjoining the stable yard (Gaelic Weekly 22nd October 1960).