History of Murlough Country House

Set in an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) close to Dundrum Bay, this Grade 2 listed house offers a unique opportunity to explore historic Co Down.

Down a tree lined drive this charming house has been beautifully restored to reflect its long history and offer modern visitors comfort and accessibility.

The restoration of the house and six acres of grounds is part of a project to breathe life back into a property that was once the hub of a thriving farming and nautical community.

Murlough comes from the Irish word  ‘Murlach’ meaning ‘sea inlet’. The land around the house with ease of access to the bay and fertile soil has meant that people have lived on the Murlough lands for at least 4,000 years.  Archaeological digs revealing midden sites, chards of burial and flint tools suggest ancient humans found this area a bountiful place to live.

Neolithic man to the Norman knights have left their impact on the area. John De Courcey built round keeped castle on the highest point  overlooking Dundrum Bay. A strong vantage point to overlook Dundrum Outer bay which was a vital sea trading route.  The Normans farmed rabbits in the soft sandy soil surrounding Murlough Country House. Rabbit pelts and meat were still being traded in 1745.

The access to Murlough from Dundrum village was by boat until the 19th century.  The bay was wider and the tide flowed in evenly and there was little build up of sand. There was a landing stage on the shore at the end of the Murlough Country House drive. To ease access to land a causeway was made using stone from the quarry that was at the end of Keel Point, then a wooden bridge was built, this was upgraded to the fine stone three arched bridge locally as The White Bridge in 1870 by the Downshire family.

Murlough Country House has a long history and even had several names as it was repurposed over the centuries. To reflect its complex and interesting history many of the rooms in the original house have been named after families that have strong historical links to the Murlough area or indeed lived in the house itself.

The Magennis clan an Irish family with a fierce reputation owned and then leased the Murlough lands for much of the 14th and 15th centuries.

The Blundells who had a Manor House with a formal garden which was destroyed who moved to mother home on the Murlough lands occupied the area from the 16th century.

The Agars, whose relatives visited the house in 1990s to see the house that featured in an old family intrigue which meant some relatives leaving for the colonies in the 19th century.

The Downshire family who acquired the house and  Murlough lands in 1793 when the 1st Marquess of Downshire married  Mary Sandys a grand daughter of Mary Blundell. The wife of the 2nd Marquess decided Dundrum would be a ‘fashsionable watering place’ and so began the development of Dundrum. It was the 4th Marquess who built a port, the main street bath house hotel etc.

The new larger grander Murlough House was built in 1857 and this building  became Murlough Farm. Piggeries, corn mill, workshops and a farm office were added to the existing farm buildings. Farm agents had managed the lands from 1830 until after the second world war when the house was sold to the Mitchell family who extensively remodelled the house adding a new bedroom and bathrooms with piped water.

Of all the land agents and farm managers who lived  here George Maitland and his wife and family stayed the longest 1875 until early 20th century. Four of the eleven young Maitland siblings etched their names in the windows of the house ~ Arthur Hills, David, Anne and little Isabella, known as Bella.

Other features found in the house hint of its history. The dumb waiter, the book cases where doors used to be. The cooling green slate floor of the pantry where homemade cheese was stored. The old wooden shutters and the shallow steps of the main stair cases and the  wooden door saddle worn with age between Agars snug and the lower hall. The internal well in what was originally the kitchen and is now a ground floor bedroom. The rather disturbing door shapes and the thick walls wide enough for window seats.

Outside too, there are things that could tell a tale. The remnants of the sentry box in the drive gates. The sides of the drive where the edges were built up to enable Second World War planes to be  moved along temporary runways to be hidden under the trees in what is now the paddock field.

So much history. An intriguing house to visit a fascinating house to live in. A much loved home so much so that some of the previous residents still do …..

But those are stories for a  dark winters day.