placenamesEdmondstown
An Tulachán Mór
Edmondstown House near Ballaghaderreen passed from a country residence to a college and bishop’s home before acquiring a new cultural role.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- An Tulachán Mór · Irish · main form · validated name
- Edmondstown · English · main form
Place & story
John McCurdy’s Gothic design
Edmondstown House was built in 1863–64 for Captain Arthur Robert Gorges Costello to designs by John McCurdy. Its High Victorian Gothic exterior combines limestone walls with red-brick bands, pointed windows, patterned slates and decorative ironwork. An octagonal turret and projecting gabled bay break up the elevations. The National Inventory identifies the house as an unusual example of this architectural style in County Roscommon, with the owner’s initials and date displayed on a carved plaque. [2]
College and bishop’s residence
The diocese of Achonry acquired the property in 1892 for use as a seminary. Its educational role was brief: St Nathy’s College moved into Ballaghaderreen’s former military barracks in 1896. Bishop Patrick Morrisroe began living at Edmondstown in 1911, and the house remained the residence of successive Achonry bishops until 2017. These changes explain its alternative local identity as the Bishop’s Palace, alongside its earlier name as a country house. [2] [3]
Theatre in the grounds
After acquiring the house in 2017, David and Chloe Ewings developed a programme of cultural activities there. The Pilgrim Players staged Shakespeare in the grounds in 2018 and 2019, returning in 2022 with The Comedy of Errors after the pandemic interruption. Patsy McGarry’s 2022 report also describes music teaching, opera rehearsals and performances for local audiences. These events opened the former episcopal residence to a different range of visitors and uses. [3]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Edmondstown. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Edmondstown House, NIAH 31908001 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Young couple brings new life to former Catholic Bishop’s Palace in Ballaghaderreen,9 August 2022 · Patsy McGarry / The Irish Times
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.