As I already said in my previous post, July is a special month to visit the Curraghmore House as it marks the union of the Stag and the Dragon – the marriage of Catherine de la Poer to Sir Marcus Beresford. Sir Marcus was 23 and Lady Catherine 15 at that time, 300 years ago. Despite of different religious upbringing, by the end of the 18th century they produced the most powerful political dynasty in Ireland, raised a large family and rebuilt this beautiful house and gardens. There is a very important lesson to learn from the story about the Stag and the Dragon: we are much better off when we realise that our differences make us strong only when we are united.
During the reign of Catherine and Marcus the best architects and craftsmen were summoned, among them John Roberts ( a very interesting person, worth to look up) who later went to build both the Catholic and the protestant Cathedrals in Waterford. The great courtyard was built, the medieval part of the house was redesigned and restyled. Creative and artistic, Lady Catherine carried out a splendid project. She designed and decorated the Shell House – a small quatrefoil building with curved walls all covered with seashells.
Exotic and rare shells from the distant beaches along with the local clams and cockles adorn the walls creating sophisticated patterns of color and texture. Lady Catherine personally visited the Waterford Harbour and commissioned the captains of ships to collect shells for her. This project took 261 day to complete.
A fine marble statue of Lady Catherine, commissioned by her loving husband and sculpted by John van Nost, stands in the middle of the house. It shows Catherine holding a shell and a piece of parchment with the inscription: “In two hundred and sixty one day these shells were put up by the proper hands of Catherine Countess of Tyrone, 1754”. Lady Catherine was in her fifties at that time.
They died in 1763 and 1769 respectively. There is a large group portrait in the House, painted in 1760, depicting Sir Marcus and Lady Catherine surrounded by their nine adult children. The beautiful monument below was erected in the Clonegam church in their memory. A hundred years later, another beautiful monument was erected at the opposite wall – the one dedicated to Lady Florence.
Let’s take a walk around the gardens.
From here, the hunting parties would leave the courtyard.
The tranquility of this place is surreal – you know that there are people somewhere not far from you, but the sounds feel muted and distant.
A monstrous gall on the tree trunk has to be photographed 🙂
From the other side of the pond we look past the House. Somewhere there on the hill slope Mother Brown is looking back at us.
Someone is looking at us right here too… 😉
I hope you like the story of the Stag and the Dragon. More about the Curraghmore House and the Beresford family some other time.
Have a wonderful week!
Making memories 
Thank you for the mention!
The shell decorated walls look intriguing. They look delicate. For some, they may be too scaly and those may have a bit uneasy feeling to see (I am sort of one of them 🙂 ). The dog fighting statues are so realistic. Like they were frozen in the act. Awesome works.
I’ve been enjoying the Stag and the Dragon virtual tour here.
Thank you so much! Yes, I agree with you, they look scaly like dragon skin. I imagined an underwater cave and creatures crawling on the walls 🙂 Would feel uncomfortable if left there on my own.
Perhaps it is the way you have photographed the House of the Stag and the Dragon, or perhaps it is the way you have woven the story of Lady Catherine and Sir Marcus around those images, the mystery and aura and the ‘surreal’ feeling is transmitted directly to the reader.
Thank you so much! I have read about them before but their story didn’t touch my heart because the Fifth Marques and Lady Florence were on my mind. Then I decided to write about them as an opposite to the Fifth Marques tragedy. The day I went to the House I read the morning news about some racial confrontations and when I listened to the guide it suddenly hit me how wise the Beresford couple had been, and how they benefited from their respect to each others beliefs. It is how the Stag and the Dragon idea came to my mind 🙂
Another great place to visit – loved the shell house! I have never seen anything quite like it. Enjoyed the blog as usual!
Thank you so much! I just imagine all the work that Lady Catherine put in creating this magic. Pity that we got only some 10-15 minutes in the Shellhouse, with all the crowd that made it impossible to take a good image. Next year I will come there off season when the groups are smaller.
Amazing house and history. Thank you for sharing. Cheers
Thank you so much!
I’m pretty sure this place is enchanted! Love the green door.
Most of the shells are covered with algae which means that they have never been disturbed in the last 250 years. Time is frozen there. The house looks like an underwater cave, a dream with every detail thought through carefully. Yay for Lady Catherine!
Amazing!
I don’t know where to start about his post. Your photographs left my jaw on the deck and filled me with such tranquillity. Your words on stags and dragons are so true. The story of Catherine and Marcus was quite throat tightening and then there was the shells. I personally love shells mosaics on any surface. and being near a beach, I collect enough different sizes and textures to make what I want to make. Brilliant post xxxxxx
Oh it is amazing that you too love the shell mosaics! You should post some pictures of your works in the blog. The Dudes can’t eat the shells, right?
300 years ago they didn’t have cement and Lady Catherine used some deadly mixture of blood and urine or something like that to keep the shells together. It worked 🙂
Catherine and Marcus are two remarkable people. A lot to learn from them. xxxxxxxxxxxx
Oh they can eat the shells… Seriously we live five mins walk from the beach here. So am aye picking up shells, driftwood and stones. (Wonder I ain’t been arrested.) I make things with the driftwood too. I even have a driftwood Christmas tree xxx
Is there anything you don’t know how to do? I too love to pick up a shell or a stone, but I never tried to make any art of them. I think it is totally legal to take this stuff home. People in Latvia are picking amber for centuries. It is just your happy find, that’s all. Keep creating, but please share the pictures, especially that magic Christmas Tree 🙂 I hope I visit your blog this week. Cannot sit at computer for too long. Just do the urgent stuff like answering the comments xxxx
I will share the pic in the next blog of the tree and also my driftwood table that sits at our door. Stones, I use in the garden, make stone areas and things xxxx
Oh I will have a look right now. So sorry for not visiting. These were two rough weeks, and another 28 days to go. What a challenging year xxxxxx
DOn’t you worry about that Inese when you have enough doing. I so hope that next year will be a wonderful one for you. you so SO deserve it xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you so much xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I am going to speak to that Christmas fairy now and tell it, you make sure Inese has a good year next year xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Oh it is so sweet of you. It is just a nightmare what is going on since March xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Inese, I am so sorry to hear that. You don’t deserve nightmares. You are such a lovely, special and talented lady. I am going to light special Christmas candles for you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you so much! ❤ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I do like this story very much, thank you Inese. Your photo’s are wonderful.
Thank you Barbara!
Such rare magic in your words and photos, Inese. This was well worth a second post. What a delight. Hugs on the wing!
Thank you so much for your kind comment, Teagan! Many hugs.
I love seeing your awesome photos of Ireland – the wonderful place from where my grandparents emigrated. You do such an amazing job of capturing the Emerald Isle’s essence, beauty and uniqueness. 🙂
Thank you so much, Kevin! I wish I feel better and visit your ancestor’s land next summer for a photo reportage 🙂 Was it somewhere in South-West?
Wow, that would be amazing. Yes, they are from Kerry and Cork. I would love to see your photos from that area. 🙂
Do you know where exactly? I have some pictures from the Ring of Kerry I visited this summer.
Sure, I can find out! I’ll ask my mom, it’s her parents. 😁 This is great 👍🏼
Great, we will do it 🙂
Ok, I found out. Kenmare was my grandfather’s home. Kiskeam was where my nana was from.😊
Wow I was just a few miles away from Kenmare. I planned to go there, but the traffic on the Ring was slower than I expected and I crossed out two destinations from my itinerary because of that. A good reason to go again next June 🙂
Perfect. I look forward to seeing the photos! Have a great week. 🙂
Thank you Kevin! Sorry for the late reply – haven’t been online this week.
The power of artifacts lives on. Super stuff, Inese.
Thank you Mike. Curraghmore House is such an inspiration.
What a magical place:)). Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you! Cannot wait for summer to go there again 🙂
I’m not surprised:)
It’s wonderful to read about this place. Not only the creativity and beauty of the grounds, but of the love between Marcus and Catherine. Seems rare for some reason. Lovely story about the shells, Inese.
Thank you Diana. The Stag and the Dragon story came to my mind after reading the news. For us to survive as a species the most important thing is to put our differences together and make them work. So far, we prefer to be divided which is really sad.
That was another really cool part of your comments on the place. You’re right, Inese. Lots of lessons for us. Someday I’ll visit and see it myself.
Definitely do. I too will go again with a different guide to learn something new 🙂
Fabulous photography again, Inese and the tale of the Stag and the Dragon is 👌🏻.
Thank you so much! This story about two wise people is fascinating. I wish all the humans learned the simple truth that we should embrace each others differences and make them work for our good.
Very interesting tale. And the shells are incredible. They provide so much variation in texture and color.
Thank you! Yes, it is a fine job indeed. The light and the green algae growing on some shells makes it look like an underwater cave.
Love the shell house Reminds me of a hobbit dwelling. The grounds are beautiful and can’t wait to see your next installment
Thank you so much! The Shell House has been preserved in the same state for 250 years and is a little bit overgrown by algae 🙂 I don’t mind since it looks like an underwater cave which is really cool 🙂
That’s amazing
Very, very cool pics, Inese! 🙂 Magnificent scenery with super-scary subjects from antiquity! What a treat! Fantastic work! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much! The statues do look scary and very naturalistic 🙂
Intriguing history, beautiful photos 🙂
After the passing of a punishing tax bill here in the US, we could do with some of the tranquility of the gardens surrounding Curraghmore House.
You must come over some day! xx
Love the seashells. Elegant and outstanding. Beautiful historic grounds.
Thank you so much! A very fine work indeed.
😍😎🤓😇🤗
paradise – elegance of your images brings special beauty to your lines and story!
Thank you so much for your comment Mihran!