Lissadell House and Gardens Sligo

Lissadell House and Gardens, Sligo, Ireland

Storm clouds over Lissadell by Pamela Cassidy

Storm clouds over Lissadell (left)

On 1st December 2008 Sligo County Council, without any notice to us, passed a resolution that the Council “amend the current County Development Plan to include in it a provision for the preservation of the public rights of way along routes through the Lissadell Estate” in accordance with section 14 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The council selected the four main avenues in Lissadell, including the avenue running right in front of the doors of the house itself.

Legal action followed, and the trial proceeded in the High Court in October 2009, and in January, February, March, April, May and June 2010. Judgment is awaited.

These proceedings will determine the future of Lissadell.

We purchased Lissadell in 2003 as private property. As part of the purchasing process Sir Josslyn Gore Booth, the vendor, gave a sworn declaration confirming that no public rights of way existed over the property. Additionally, Sligo County Council stated that the only roads in the charge of the Council were roads outside Lissadell. There was no suggestion by Sligo County Council that the internal roads or paths were subject to public rights of way.

For a public right of way to exist, it must be expressly dedicated by the owner of the land. That is the law. There is no evidence that any such dedication was ever made over any part of the Lissadell Estate, either when it was a 4,000 acre estate, or when it was reduced to the current 400 acres in the 1960s. Indeed it would defy common sense to dedicate as a public road an internal path right beside the front door of your house.

Sligo County Council have, for their own reasons, now seen fit to raise this issue after five years during which we have poured enormous amounts of time, effort, energy and money into the restoration of the House, Gardens and grounds, and making Lissadell a focal point of tourism in the North West.

This action by Sligo County Council makes it impossible to operate Lissadell either as a historic house or indeed a private home for reasons of public health and safety, insurance and, not least, the simple matter of security both for our family and the thousands of visitors to Lissadell, a large proportion of whom are children and the elderly. No property whatsoever, let alone a large tourist facility, could be operated on the basis of unregulated, uncontrolled and unfettered access.

In undertaking the restoration of Lissadell we have not received any public funding. When we bought Lissadell, the house and grounds were almost derelict. Five years on Lissadell House and Gardens have been restored; we have opened a Constance Markievicz Exhibition and an Art Gallery which showcases Sligo Artists. We have built up visitor numbers from 4,000 to over 40,000 and so created employment at Lissadell and the general Sligo region. We are proud of what we have achieved. It is, however, simply not viable to continue to invest further significant sums where Sligo County Council has seen fit to embark upon such a serious challenge, creating fundamental uncertainty about the future of Lissadell.

Because of this action by Sligo County Council, Lissadell will close with effect from 12th January, 2009, and will cease operations as a tourism destination. All existing commitments to our visitors will be met. We will undertake the necessary ongoing maintenance, but we will not embark upon any further projects in Lissadell. For this year, we will work towards achieving a limited summer opening in order to facilitate the commitments already made.We regret the adverse economic repercussions of this decision, which affect all of us at Lissadell, and which has been forced on us by the actions of Sligo County Council.

Kitchen Garden at Lissadell by Pamela Cassidy

The Gallery (above left) and flowers growing in the Kitchen Garden (above right)

OUR VISION was to transform the estate into a flagship for tourism in Sligo and the North West, and to provide a secure environment for our seven children. We do not wish to exploit Lissadell commercially but to restore the house and gardens to their former glory, and make Lissadell self-sustaining, if possible. We do not want Lissadell to become a golf course, an exclusive hotel, an upmarket housing estate or apartment complex, a holiday village or a caravan park. To this end both of us, and members of our family, have spent every possible spare moment of our time working, inside and outside, in order to make this dream come true. We have received no financial assistance from the State or from any tourism authority. Every single penny that has been spent on the restoration and maintenance of Lissadell has been earned by both of us. We have avoided the easy options to exploit and develop Lissadell commercially, but there is only so much one family can do. If we do not enjoy the support of the councillors who represent the people of Sligo then our efforts are at naught. Why would anyone continue?

Edward Walsh, Constance Cassidy and family.

"It’s a wonderful place – if you have to choose just one visitor attraction in Ireland to visit, make it Lissadell. And allow plenty of time": Georgina Campbell's Ireland 2009 Guide.

Spring at Lissadell