Fire at Russborough and Garda Investigation 7th February:
Report RTE:
The Alfred Beit Foundation has said that no works of art were burned in a fire at Russborough House in Co Wicklow last night.
A garda investigation is under way into the fire, which extensively damaged the west wing of the stately home.
The fire was spotted at 9pm by passers-by who alerted the emergency services.
Four units of local fire fighters from Blessington, Dunlavin, Baltinglass and Naas attended the scene.
According to the Wicklow County Fire Service, it took until midnight to get the fire under control; fire fighters remained at the house until 5am to ensure it remained extinguished.
The fire service estimates that 80% of the roof in the west wing was destroyed by the blaze and much of the first floor was damaged. The damage to the ground floor of the wing is said to be less serious.
In a statement, the Alfred Beit Foundation, which runs the house, said the most important thing was that nobody was injured in the blaze.
It said the amount of damage had not been ascertained at this stage, but because the west wing was undergoing renovation, all the contents had been removed from it.
While the house, which dates from 1741, still contains many important art works, the Beit collection's most valuable pieces are housed in the National Gallery.
The art that remains at the estate is held in the main part of the house, and is unaffected by the blaze.
The house is closed to visitors at this time of the year, so the 30,000 tourists who pass through it annually are unaffected.
1 million people have visited Russborough since it opened to the public in 1978, two years after the Beit family gifted it to the people of Ireland. RTE Link click Here
Extra Note: It is believed the fire has been contained to the West Wing. The West Wing of the building is said to be extensively damaged and it is understood part of the roof collapsed.
Garda examine the damage to the west wing of Russborough House.
Photograph: Bryan OBrien/The Irish Times
Welcome to 2010:
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The World Monuments Fund has selected Russborough for inclusion in the World Monuments Fund 'Watch' 2010. Inclusion in this list provides Russborough (the only Irish site selected) with an important opportunity to promote and protect this wonderful location both at home and internationally. Read some more...
Explore the beautiful house.
The house which is beautifully maintained and lavishly furnished contains fine furniture, tapestries, carpets, porcelain, silver and much of the Beit collection of paintings. More....
New Facilities and Developments 2009/2010 The first phase of the Failte Ireland funding is now in place and over the next 12 months or so Russborough will see a number of exciting developments both in terms of infrastructure improvements to deal with higher visitor numbers that are now visiting Russborough and also to improve the variety of the visitor attractions themselves.... More
Heritage Russborough has welcomed over 1 million visitors since it was opened to the public in 1978; Come and see its treasures and share in the beauty of its surroundings. More....
New Enterprise Workshops Russborough has introduced a number of permanent workshops at the house. The first to establish is a Blacksmith, where visitors can view and partake (at set times) in this ancient craft... More
Scagliola Table Restoration - January 2010 Russborough has a magnificent example of a 'scagliola' table made by Don Pietro Belloni which is dated 1750 and can be seen in the Front Hall at Russborough. The large table-top needed conservation. To this end, the National Gallery of Ireland commissioned two conservators from the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, who have been working on the table in Russborough during January, 2010. More....
Desmense (Estate)
Enjoy the extensive estate. Stroll through the beechhedge maze and surrounding walks and perhaps take the opportunity to admire at the beautiful Wicklow Mountains from the front lawn. More....
Photos by Richard Hamilton and John Phelan Beit Paintings Return In April of 2008, a substantial selection of the Beit Collection of Paintings were returned to Russborough House following their storage at the National Gallery of Ireland. These paintings are now on view for those who wish to take the guided tour of the house. More....
