Salesians to break final link with warrenstown

The final link with the Salesian Order and Warrenstown College will be severed at the end of this month when Warrenstown House, the Salesian Order’s residence on the Drumree farm, is auctioned, along with 72 acres of Meath farmland.
The sale comes almost a century after then owner Elizabeth Lynch, a descendant of the Warren family, bequeated the property to a religious order for educational purposes, an offer taken up by the Salesian Fathers to educate the young people of Meath and further afield in agriculture.
The Salesians of Don Bosco came to Warrenstown in 1922 and opened an agricultural college in 1923. In 1958, a new site beside the old college was developed.
From the late 1950s, students of horticulture began attending Warrenstown and in 1968 a two-year course in commercial horticulture was established at the request of the Department of Agriculture. With the changing fortunes in agricultural training, the agricultural college was closed in 2001 and the 460 acres of farmland associated with it sold in 2008 for over €13 million. With the close of the horticultural college in the summer of 2009, an 86-year span of agricultural and horticultural education came to an end. An Irish language college bought the college buildings, while a farmer acquired the lands.
The Warrens ofWarrenstown were old English Settlers who landed in Ireland in the middle of the 17th Century. Peter Warren, the son of Michael Warren of Warrenstown and Lady Katherine Plunkett was born in Warrenstown in 1703. An admiral in the Royal Navy he married Suzanne De Lancey, daughter of a wealthy New York merchant, whose dowry included the largest estate on Manhattan Island where New York now stands. Sir Peter enjoyed a distinguished career in the Navy and was extremely successful in his own right acquiring a 14,000 acre estate in the Mohawk Valley in Tuscarona New York. Following Sir Peter’s sudden death in 1752, Warrenstown Estate was left to his sister and her son John Johnson whose two granddaughters Annette Leonard and Elizabeth Lynch in turn inherited the estate.
In 2008, the Salesians retained the house, grounds, courtyards, a range of buildings and out offices and 72 acres which is now on the market with TE Potterton of Trim, who will auction it on Tuesday 30th June. He is guiding €650,000 - €700,000.
Set in the scenic Skane river valley, Warrenstown House enjoys not only a beautiful but also a privileged and historic setting, close to both Dunsany and Killeen Castles.
It is approached over a long winding tree lined avenue through wrought iron gates, passing St John’s Well leading to a large forecourt parking and turning area to the front and side of the house. The Salesians have respected and allowed the custom and practice of public access to the holy well to continue since the 1920s. The grounds are delightfully laid out and comprise extensive lawned areas interspersed by mature specimen trees and ornamental shrubs providing a variety of colour all year round. There is also a vegetable and fruit garden.
The original house is thought to date back to the early 17th century and was subsequently extended in the 18th and 19th centuries. A single storey extension was added to the rear of the house in the mid 1900s. In 2001 extensive renovations were carried out by the vendors including re-roofing and thus the property can be found to be in good order throughout.
The accommodation which is arranged on two floors over basement is very spacious and includes three large well-proportioned reception rooms, studies/offices, bathrooms and 10 bedrooms. The property retains all the charm and dignity of a period house and many original features remain intact including richly corniced ceilings, mouldings and architraves, windows shutters and a grand sweeping double return staircase.
Out offices include a coachyard, cut stone lofted buildings accommodating extensive stabling, tack rooms, cattle stalls, a coachman’s house, forge of attractive mellow brick under a pitched slate roof, bell tower, outer yard comprising five large glass houses, mushroom tunnels, workshops and two large machinery sheds withsliding doors.
There is a separate vehicular access to the public road.
The lands in total extend to 72 acres/29 hectares. There are approximately 25 acres of forestry mainly oak, beech and some Scots pine, which attracts an annual premium of about €1,620 per annum. The remaining lands are principally laid out in one division of permanent pasture bordered by the River Skane.