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Barons Rossmore
The title Baron Rossmore of Monaghan was initially created in 1796 for General Robert Cuninghame (1726-1801). Cuninghame fought at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 with the 14th Foot and served as Commander-in Chief of Ireland from 1793 to 1796. He also sat as a Member of the Irish House of Commons and the British House of Commons. Upon his peerage, Lord Rossmore sat as an Irish representative peer in the House of Lords. In 1754, he married Elizabeth Murray (c.1733-1824), daughter of Colonel John Murray ( d.1743) and Mary Cairnes formerly Lady Blayney (c. 1703-1790). Unfortunately, Lord Rossmore died at his estate Mount Kennedy in Co. Wicklow without an heir. The death is renowned in Irish folklore as the ‘Rossmore Banshee’, whereby guests including Sir Jonah Barrington heard ghostly shrieks and a voice calling ‘Rossmore! Rossmore!’ just before the sudden death.
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According to a special remainder in the letters patent, the barony passed to Elizabeth’s nephew Warner William Westenra, 2nd Baron Rossmore (1765-1842) son of Henry Westenra and Harriet Murray (lot 483). The Westenra family is of Dutch descent, Warner Westenra (c.1635-1676) (lot 481) emigrated to Ireland during the reign of Charles II. Following the Act of Union in 1801, Lord Rossmore represented the newly created constituency of Co. Monaghan for a short time in the British Parliament. He was forced out from the House of Commons as Irish peers were not allowed to represent Irish constituencies in Parliament. However, Warner became Custos Rotulorum of Co. Monaghan in 1805 and first Lord-Lieutenant of Co. Monaghan in 1831. It was in 1838 that a second distinct creation as Baron Rossmore was received in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which provided a seat in the House of Lords. In 1791, Warner married Mary Ann Walsh (d. 1807) of Walsh Park, Co. Tipperary and they had three sons.
Their eldest son Henry Robert Westenra, 3rd Baron Rossmore (1792-1860) was a notable patron of the Dublin artist William Brocas (c.1794-1868). Brocas was commissioned by Henry to paint a series of the Rossmore estate and small full-length portraits of the family (lots 535-542). The portrait of Henry’s first wife Anne Douglas-Hamilton (c. 1796-1844) (lot 542) the illegitimate daughter of Douglas Hamilton, 8th Duke of Hamilton (1756-1799) has been described by Anne Crookshank and The Knight of Glin as ‘the most distinguished example of his work in this genre’. (Anne Crookshank and The Knight of Glin, The Painters of Ireland c.1660-1920, London, 1979, p. 182.). After Anne’s death, Henry subsequently married his cousin Josephine Lloyd (1806-1872) in 1846.
Derrick Westenra, 5th Baron Rossmore (1853-1921), married Mittie Naylor OBE (1859-1953) in 1882. Mittie’s mother Mrs Richard Naylor (née Thorold) (1836-1889) and uncle Lt. Henry Thorold (1835-1854) are identified in the portraits lots 532-534.
Rossmore Castle
Rossmore Castle, Co. Monaghan, was built in the fashionable Gothic taste to the design of Irish architect William Vitruvius Morrison for the 2nd Baron Rossmore (1765-1842) in 1827. In 1858 the castle was enlarged and remodelled in the Scottish Baronial style by Belfast architect William Henry Lynn. The castle was greatly increased in size, partly due to the apparent rivalry between Lord Rossmore and Mr Shirley of Lough Fea, also in Co. Monaghan. This resulted in the drawing room being extended on five occasions and the addition of three towers to the exterior.
After the Second World War, as was the situation with many of Ireland’s great castles and houses, Rossmore Castle required substantial upkeep and it became too difficult to maintain. The family moved to Camla Vale a Georgian House owned by the family adjoining the estate. Both Rossmore Castle and Camla Vale were demolished in the second half of the 20th century. However, the Rossmore Estate is now a popular forest park protecting the remaining legacy of the Barons Rossmore.
Adam’s is honoured to present works from the collection of Lord Rossmore in the upcoming Country House Collections auction at Howth Castle on 28th April. It is seldom that an influential Irish family collection that has survived through the generations comes to the open market.
Works Sold at Adam’s Now in the Irish National Collection
A great opportunity to purchase both established and lesser-known artist’s work at an accessible price point, the Online Picture Auction is the first of many sales to be hosted at Adam’s in 2026. It is perfect for those looking to start a collection and the discerning collector alike.
Through this article, let our expert Adam Pearson guiding you to the (re)discovery of the once established Irish painter Richard O’Neill.
Buying at Auction and the Role of Antiques in a Modern Home
Important Irish Art Auction Highlights
Oliver Dowling Collection by Aidan Dunne
2024 is a year in which Adam’s wants to recognise the key role buying antique furniture and furnishings at auction contributes greatly to the sustainable initiative. In 2019 the Environmental Protection Agency reported stark figures that each year in Ireland 1.2 million reusable bulky items, primarily furniture goes into landfill. Similar to the problem of ‘fast fashion’, the constant production and consumption of new items is leading to rapidly growing waste problem. We want to acknowledge those who are already buying second hand or antique furniture at auction and to encourage new buyers by highlighting the benefits of acquiring affordable, well-made quality items that are built to last.
Irish author, recipe creator and lifestyle influencer, Indy Parsons, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
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Cork-born Irish actress, Sarah Greene, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
Yvonne Aupicq had met Orpen, we understand, while working as a nurse during the war. He had been admitted to hospital with a suspected case of scabies which ended up being a far more serious case of blood poisoning as he recounts in his wartime memoir ‘An Onlooker in France’. Their relationship continued after 1918 when Orpen was appointed as the official artist to The Paris Peace Conference. They relocated to capital and over the following decade he painted her numerous times, often nude as in Amiens 1914, or The Rape and Nude Girl Reading (1921). Working with her as his model during these early years after the war allowed Orpen an opportunity to re-fuel his creativity.
Editor-in-Chief of IMAGE Publications, Lizzie Gore-Grimes, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
Our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction on September 13th features a prime example of Van Cleef & Arpel's renowned 'Mystery Setting'
Our June auction offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the great masterpieces of Irish art and icons of Dublin’s history.
Georgia Chiesa selects some of her favourite lots in the upcoming Vintage Wine & Spirits Auction
"Beating the bounds is a tradition that can be traced back to the medieval period. At this time, land was divided into parishes and the clergy and church wardens held the responsibility for its upkeep and management. It was up to the Church to ensure that its parishioners knew the local boundary lines and, before maps became commonplace, this had to be kept as a mental record."
Adam’s in conjunction with Suzanne MacDougald are proud to host an online timed auction of artworks to aid the Irish Red Cross’s humanitarian work in delivering vital services to millions of people impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. With no buyers premium 100% of the hammer price will go directly to the Irish Red Cross.
Ros Drinkwater writes of Jack B Yeats' 'The Boat' in the Business Post:
With a consolidated result of €320,000,the At Home sale in Stephan’s Green, was a great success.
James Adam & Sons Ltd, Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers, 26 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
D02 X665, Ireland
