One of Ireland's best-known historic houses is to close for the foreseeable future. Bantry House, in west Cork, will remained closed for the remainder of the year.
A spokesperson for Bantry House said yesterday that the adjoining gardens and Armada exhibition centre would remain open. However, the house will not be open to the public this summer. No precise reason has been given for the decision.
Bantry House is the home of Egerton and Brigitte Shelswell White and their four children, the ninth generation to live in the house since Richard White, the second Earl of Bantry, bought it in 1739. The original central section of Bantry House was built early in the 18th century. It contains furniture and paintings collected by the earl on his extensive travels in Europe in the 19th century.
The gardens are based on the earl's sketches in France and Italy dating from 1840 to 1860.An extensive restoration programme was carried out in 1997.
The gardens are laid out over seven terraces, the last four linked by a monumental flight of steps.
In 1997 the Shelswell Whites donated valuable archives of Bantry House to University College Cork. The archives documented the life of the house and the history that surrounded it over the past 300 years.
The closure of Bantry House, even on a temporary basis, is a major blow to the west Cork town. The house, gardens and exhibition centre attract around 40,000 visitors annually and are worth an estimated €10 million to the local economy. Around 20 people are employed there during the summer.
Members of the White family are to meet representatives of Cork/Kerry tourism today to discuss the situation.