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For more than two centuries, the familiar image of the Irish country house has been one of dishevelment and decay. Historic houses across Ireland are being rediscovered and brought back to life as family homes. Join author and architectural historian Robert O’Byrne as he discusses some of these properties and tells the stories of their decline and recovery.
More than 30 million Americans have Irish Ancestry, and many of us have ancestors who were affected by the Great Famine of 1845-1852. During this time, many relied on Ireland’s Poor Law Unions, which centered around a workhouse where people could labor to receive temporary relief from their poverty.
Country houses are powerful symbols of national identity, evoking the glamorous world of the landowning aristocracy. Jewish country houses—properties that were owned, built, or renewed by Jews—tell a more complex story of prejudice and integration, difference and connection. Drawing on the first book to explore this history, Juliet Carey and Abigail Green will shed new light on the world of the Jewish country house.