Castle/Lismore

Lismore Castle sits on the banks of the Blackwater River in Waterford, Ireland. 

Rich in history, it was built in 1185 and was originally an abbey where Henry II was known to have stayed.  Later in the 16th C it became the property of Sir Walter Raleigh, who sold the property when he was imprisoned for High Treason to Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork.

In the 17th C it was sacked during the Cromwellian Wars.  In the 18th C it became the property of the Cavendish family when Lady Charlotte Boyle married William Cavendish, 4th Earl of Devonshire, and thus it became the Irish seat of the Duke of Devonshire.

During the 19th C the 6th Earl of Devonshire began to transform the castle into a ‘quasi-feudal ultra-regal fortress’.  He continued with improvements and additions creating the castle much as we see it today.  The 12th Duke succeeded to the title in 2004 and his son maintains an apartment in the castle while the current Duke lives primarily on another family estate, Chatsworth Castle in England.

And this fellow was standing at the water’s edge.