Rokeby Hall

22/08/2026

The view from Rokeby towards Slieve Gullion this evening. It's clear that the site for Rokeby Hall was very deliberately chosen in the 1780s to take full advantage of the amazing views to the north, visible from in front of the house and framed through the windows from inside. This view is invariably the first thing that visitors to Rokeby comment on when they arrive. The agricultural landscape is constantly changing and it never fails to delight.

19/08/2026

The team from Sashwindows.ie returned last week to reinstate shutters and panelling around the new windows they installed in May. Some final paintwork is still needed but everything looks fantastic and our Heritage Week visitors have been very impressed.

16/08/2026

This is fantastic. Rokeby when in Velzeboer ownership, before the demense was split up. This certainly provides some answers to questions we had about the garden development over time.
Thanks to Aerial-Scan - a new project to digitise aerial photographs of Ireland from the Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography and make them publicly available.

14/08/2026

Just in time to welcome guests for Heritage Week which starts tomorrow, our main door has been beautifully renewed and restored. The door is mahogany and we think it dates to the mid-nineteenth century, although the hinges are possibly the original eighteenth-century hinges. The painstaking work, which included stripping the door inside and outside, treating the timber, restaining, and cleaning all the brass hardware, was carried out over the last couple of weeks by Classic Sash Painters (a.k.a. PH Painting Services) and we're delighted with the end result.

08/08/2026

One week to go! Heritage Week is a great opportunity to visit many of the properties owned by our fellow members of Historic Houses of Ireland.

Below you will see listings for our members' events from guided tours to specialist talks to hands on workshops across National Heritage Week.

31/07/2026

The absence of a door k**b is the clue that this is a false door. The importance of symmetry and balance in classical architecture means this was added to mirror a real door opposite it. It was never functional as the dining room fireplace is immediately behind it.

18/07/2026

A common red soldier beetle enjoying the Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) in the meadow today. This is the first year we've seen this plant here. Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) and Self Heal (Prunella vulgaris) are also thriving. All three are great native Irish pollinators, so it's no surprise that we're seeing a huge array of bees, butterflies and other insects.

07/07/2026

The daylilies have bloomed this week and they're at their best in the lovely weather.

04/07/2026

Cody earlier today. 🐕 He likes to occasionally relax in shady spots in the conservatory.

24/06/2026

Today proved an exciting new milestone for Rokeby's wildflower meadow when several wild orchids were found for the first time. This is great evidence of the meadow's continued evolution in supporting a growing diversity of flora and fauna.