Coolbawn House

Coolbawn House

Features

Coolbawn House is a large ruined period house in west County Wexford, Ireland.

The former period house may be an ideal filming location for scenes that need an impressive and visually pleasing ruin or for scenes that need a derelict building in a rural area. The shell of the former country house is imposing, and still contains interesting architectural details like the carved windows and classically-inspired brick chimney pieces. The roof is completely gone, the floors have collapsed. Ivy and other creepers almost completely cover the exterior facade, and weeds, bushes and even some small trees fill the interior spaces. The contrast between the grandiose architecture and the plants gives the location a peaceful but liminal atmosphere.

Francis Bruen built the house around 1840 and the designer was Frederick Darley Junior of Dublin. The house is of a New Tudor Revival style. Locals nicknamed the building ‘Bruen’s folly’ due to the large sums of money poured into its construction. The house burned down in 1923 during the Irish Civil War. The location is on private farmland and permission to access it is required.

More Info

The location is a contemporary with Castleboro House, which also burned down during the war, and which is just 7km away.

Nearest village: Rathnure, 2km away.

Nearest town: Enniscorthy, 17.5km away, or New Ross, 18km away.

Photographer: Gordon Wycherly