Saunderscourt Gate Lodges

Built c.1762, these lodges and the triumphal arch are a rare surviving example of Palladian architecture in County Wexford. They are all that remains of the original Saunderscourt estate, once a grand Palladian residence that was demolished in the late nineteenth century.

Help Us Save Saunderscourt.

Saunderscourt's triumphal arch is the last architectural survivor of a lost Palladian estate and one of the most remarkable demesne entrances in Ireland. After two centuries of neglect, we are conserving it and giving it a new future as self-catering heritage accommodation. Once it opens, income from guest stays will keep it going. We need your help to get it there.

Our Plans.

We plan to conserve the arch and bring both gate lodges back into use as self-catering heritage accommodation. The West Lodge will come first, followed by the East Lodge and the arch. The total cost of this project is estimated at over €1 million. To date, €385,000 has been raised and is already being put to use, thanks to the Heritage Council, the Historic Structures Fund, private donors, and supporters like you.

Raised so far

€385,000

of €1,000,000 — Estimated total cost of the project

Donate

Saunderscourt Through Time.

Use the arrows to move through the timeline.

1669

Granted

Lands at Crossabeg granted to Colonel Robert Saunders.

1762

Built

Arthur Gore, newly created Earl of Arran, constructs the triumphal arch and gate lodges.

c.1815

Abandoned

Visitors describe Saunderscourt as neglected and ruinous as the estate falls into decline. In the mid-1840s James Fraser reimagines some of the landscape and setting.

1860

Sold

The Saunderscourt estate is sold by the Gore family to Arthur Giles.

1890’s

Demolished

A grand ball is held at Saunderscourt shortly before the house is dismantled and its materials sold.

2024

Reactivated

Planning permission is secured and fundraising for the restoration project accelerates. Irish Landmark returns to site in 2025.

2027

Reopened

The West Lodge is projected to welcome its first guests.

Saved

The East Lodge and Arch are fully restored, and the landscaping is complete. The long-term future of Saunderscourt is secured.

Further funds are needed to progress to the next stages. You can help us complete the timeline and secure the future.

Progress.

Since securing planning permission in 2024, contractors have cleared the site, installed drainage, and completed the groundwork for the West Lodge.

In 2025, a specialist conservation contractor was appointed and work commenced on the consolidation and re-roofing of the building. The restored West Lodge is expected to welcome its first guests in 2027. As with all our buildings, the work is overseen by a Grade 1 conservation architect.

You can follow our progress below, and through our blog, social media, and monthly newsletter.

Sharing the Story.

Through lectures, events and site-based activities, we are sharing the story of Saunderscourt and the progress of its restoration with supporters, local communities and all those interested in Ireland's built heritage.

Lecture Series

We have hosted a number of lectures, in Dublin and locally in Wexford, to engage the local community and our network of heritage enthusiasts, and to share new research and insights relating to the history, architecture and conservation of Saunderscourt.

Lectures included:

Dr Eddie McParland, Irish Landmark founding trustee and expert in architectural history
Dr John A. McCullen, landscape historian, focusing on James Fraser's legacy and his important work at Saunderscourt
Kevin Blackwood, project architect, explaining the restoration plans and progress to date

To be informed about future lectures, sign up to our newsletter.

Site Visits

Members of the local community will have an opportunity to visit the site in October as part of the Festival Opera programme.

Additional opportunities to visit the site will be announced as restoration works progress.

Why It Matters.

The restoration of Saunderscourt is a key project for Irish Landmark Trust, and represents an important investment in our portfolio, and in Ireland's Palladian architectural heritage.
Michael O'Boyle, Chairman of Irish Landmark Trust

With the conservation of this building everyone wins: Crossabeg, Wexford, Ireland — and all who will enjoy staying in one of the county's most distinguished buildings.
Eddie McParland, Founding Trustee of Irish Landmark Trust

Supporters & Donors.

We wish to acknowledge the generosity of the below Donors and Supporters:

Community Foundation Ireland
The Primrose Trust
The Follies Trust
Susannah McAleese
Galen Bales
Fred Krehbiel
Camilla McAleese
Edward Wilson

William Cumming
Frank McDonald
Mary Hanna
Dr. Edward McParland
Mairead McParland
Richard Jurd

Primrose Wilson
Brian Wills-Johnson
Irish Natural Stone
Roland Gropmair
David Nolan
Victor Levingston
Susan Roundtree & Anne Marie Sheridan

How You Can Help.

Donations of any size support the conservation of Saunderscourt. You can give in the following ways:

Donate online
By cheque
By bank transfer
You can also contact ceo@irishlandmark.com

Donate now →Read our fundraising policy

About Saunderscourt.

Saunderscourt, a Palladian estate overlooking the River Slaney, passed to the Gore family in 1730, when the heiress of Richard Saunders married Arthur Gore. Around 1762, Arthur Gore, newly created Earl of Arran, built the triumphal arch and its two gate lodges as the entrance to the family's Palladian house. Although the house itself was demolished in the late nineteenth century, the arch and lodges survived as the principal architectural remnants of the estate.

For more than two centuries the arch and lodges have endured despite periods of neglect, vacancy and deterioration. Today they remain an important part of County Wexford's architectural heritage and a rare survival of eighteenth-century demesne design.

The arch's four-quadrant plan, connecting the central structure to the lodges by curved walls on both elevations, is exceptionally unusual in Ireland. The design bears comparison with the original arrangement at Dublin's Rotunda Hospital, although that composition has since been substantially altered. Saunderscourt therefore represents an exceptionally rare survival of its type.

About Irish Landmark Trust.

Irish Landmark Trust is an all-island educational charity. Our mission is to save, share, and sustain Ireland's built heritage. Since 1992, we have rescued historic buildings at risk of being lost and given them a sustainable new use as self-catering holiday accommodation.

Each stay at an Irish Landmark property is a chance to learn about the history of the building, the work required to conserve it, and the lives lived in and around it. The income for the stay pays for the building's upkeep, so once Saunderscourt is conserved, it will help sustain its own future.