1808 – Ballynegall House, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath

Ballynegall House was a country house, constructed around 1808 for James Gibbons and designed by the architect Francis Johnston. It was a six-bay two-storey Regency style house costing £30,000. It was reputedly built using the fabric of an existing castle on site, known as Castle Reynell. The interior plasterwork was executed by George Stapleton, son of the stuccodore Michael Stapleton.

Described by Lewis in ‘A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland’ as “On its eastern limits stands Ballinagall, the seat of James Gibbons, Esq.; it is a modern mansion, erected at a cost of £30,000, in one of the finest and most richly wooded demesnes in the county.”

The house was abandoned in the early 1960s, and all remaining internal fittings and fixtures were removed at this time. The original portico was removed and now stands at Straffan House, County Kildare. There remains a fine iron conservatory, which has been attributed to Richard Turner (1798-1881). Its gutting and ruination is considered one of the great architectural losses in Ireland