Information about Florence Court
Florence Court is a large 18th century house and estate located 8 miles south-west of Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is set in the foothills of Cuilcagh Mountain. The nearby village is distinguished by the one-word name Florencecourt. It is owned and managed by the National Trust and is the sister property of nearby Castle Coole. The other National Trust property in County Fermanagh is the Crom Estate.
Florence Court was the family home of the Cole family, who were known as the Earls of Enniskillen, after the nearby county town. The National Trust acquired Florence Court in 1953, shortly before a devastating fire destroyed the upper floors of the house. Extensive restoration efforts have since returned Florence Court to much of its former glory, although some rooms on the upper floors remain closed. The house is best known for its exquisite rococo decoration and fine Irish furniture. Many original items of furniture, previously sold, have been re-acquired and returned.
The estate includes a walled garden with displays of both temperate and semi-tropical plants, a working water-powered sawmill, an ice house, and a natural spring well. The Larganess River flows through the estate. Pasture lands and forestry occupy much of the estate. It is a prime source of Irish yew wood.
Lady Enniskillen discovered the fire, which broke out during one of her husband’s rare absences from home. After rushing downstairs to the servant’s quarters to raise the alarm, she went to nearby Killymanamly House to telephone her elderly husband at the Ulster Club in Belfast to tell him that the house was on fire. He is said to have cried “What the hell do you think I can do about it?”.
Much of the damage to the interior of Florence Court was caused by the gallons of water pumped onto the flames. The Dining Room, with its exquisite plasterwork decoration, was saved only by the prompt action of local builders Bertie Pierce and Ned Vaughan, who drilled six holes in the flat part of the ceiling to allow the water which had accumulated on the floor above to quickly drain away and thereby preventing ceiling collapse. These holes are still evident in the Dining Room today.
The fire was only one of a series of momentous events in 1950’s and 60’s Florence Court which hurried on the pace of change and marked the end of an era for the house and family. Following World War II, falling agricultural prices, rising wage costs, death duties and a drastic reduction of the size of the demesne, the way of life of John Cole, the 5th Earl of Enniskillen and his second wife Mary, was increasingly difficult to sustain. To secure the long term future of the house, Lord Enniskillen gave Florence Court to the National Trust in 1953, which opened to the public the following year. Dramatic events were to follow. After the devastation of the 1955 fire, the following year Lord Enniskillen’s only son and heir died suddenly. In 1961, as the restoration of the house was nearing completion, Hurricane Debbie devastated the estate. Finally in 1963, Lord and Lady Enniskillen died within three months of each other. An era had ended, and life at Florence Court would never be the same again.
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Florence Court
Florence Court was the family home of the Cole family, who were known as the Earls of Enniskillen, after the nearby county town. The National Trust acquired Florence Court in 1953, shortly before a devastating fire destroyed the upper floors of the house. Extensive restoration efforts have since returned Florence Court to much of its former glory, although some rooms on the upper floors remain closed. The house is best known for its exquisite rococo decoration and fine Irish furniture. Many original items of furniture, previously sold, have been re-acquired and returned.
The estate includes a walled garden with displays of both temperate and semi-tropical plants, a working water-powered sawmill, an ice house, and a natural spring well. The Larganess River flows through the estate. Pasture lands and forestry occupy much of the estate. It is a prime source of Irish yew wood.
The Fire
Early on the morning of March 22 1955, a fire broke out on the first floor landing at Florence Court, adjacent to Lady Enniskillen’s bedroom. Whilst fire brigades almost had control of the fire by 9am, dry weather conditions helped re-ignite the blaze. Flames reached the roof of the building which crashed down into the hall, so that by that evening around two-thirds of the Florence Court interior lay in ruins.Lady Enniskillen discovered the fire, which broke out during one of her husband’s rare absences from home. After rushing downstairs to the servant’s quarters to raise the alarm, she went to nearby Killymanamly House to telephone her elderly husband at the Ulster Club in Belfast to tell him that the house was on fire. He is said to have cried “What the hell do you think I can do about it?”.
Much of the damage to the interior of Florence Court was caused by the gallons of water pumped onto the flames. The Dining Room, with its exquisite plasterwork decoration, was saved only by the prompt action of local builders Bertie Pierce and Ned Vaughan, who drilled six holes in the flat part of the ceiling to allow the water which had accumulated on the floor above to quickly drain away and thereby preventing ceiling collapse. These holes are still evident in the Dining Room today.
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Florence Court estate in early autumn; nestled in the foothills of Cuilcagh Mountain
The fire was only one of a series of momentous events in 1950’s and 60’s Florence Court which hurried on the pace of change and marked the end of an era for the house and family. Following World War II, falling agricultural prices, rising wage costs, death duties and a drastic reduction of the size of the demesne, the way of life of John Cole, the 5th Earl of Enniskillen and his second wife Mary, was increasingly difficult to sustain. To secure the long term future of the house, Lord Enniskillen gave Florence Court to the National Trust in 1953, which opened to the public the following year. Dramatic events were to follow. After the devastation of the 1955 fire, the following year Lord Enniskillen’s only son and heir died suddenly. In 1961, as the restoration of the house was nearing completion, Hurricane Debbie devastated the estate. Finally in 1963, Lord and Lady Enniskillen died within three months of each other. An era had ended, and life at Florence Court would never be the same again.
References
- 50 Years Since the Fire – An Exhibition to Celebrate the Reconstruction of Florence Court, The Print Factory: Enniskillen (not in print)
External links
The 18th Century lasted from 1701 through 1800 in the Gregorian calendar.
Historians sometimes specifically define the 18th Century otherwise for the purposes of their work.
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Historians sometimes specifically define the 18th Century otherwise for the purposes of their work.
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Enniskillen
Irish - Inis Ceithleann
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Irish - Inis Ceithleann
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County Fermanagh (Contae Fhear Manach or Fear Manach in Irish), is the westernmost of the six counties that form Northern Ireland, and the westernmost part of the United Kingdom. It is part of the province of Ulster.
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The Union Flag is the official flag used by the government to represent Northern Ireland. The former official flag, the Ulster Banner, continues to be used by groups (such as some sports teams) representing the territory in an unofficial manner (see Northern Ireland flags issue).
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Cuilcagh is the highest mountain in the Breifne area and the 165th highest on the island of Ireland [1]. The summit lies on the border between counties Fermanagh (in Northern Ireland) and Cavan (in the Republic of Ireland), and is the highest point in both
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National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as The National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust does not operate in Scotland, where there is an independent National Trust for Scotland.
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Castle Coole (pronounced cool) is a late-eighteenth-century neo-classical mansion situated in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
Set in a 1200 acre (5 km²) wooded estate, it is one of three properties owned and managed by the National Trust in County
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Set in a 1200 acre (5 km²) wooded estate, it is one of three properties owned and managed by the National Trust in County
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The Crom Estate (pronounced crumb) is a nature reserve located in the south of County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland along the shores of Upper Lough Erne. It is one of three estates owned and managed by the National Trust in County Fermanagh, the others being Florence Court
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A county town is the 'capital' of a county in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county.
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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1920s 1930s 1940s - 1950s - 1960s 1970s 1980s
1950 1951 1952 - 1953 - 1954 1955 1956
Year 1953 (MCMLIII
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1920s 1930s 1940s - 1950s - 1960s 1970s 1980s
1950 1951 1952 - 1953 - 1954 1955 1956
Year 1953 (MCMLIII
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A style of 18th century French art and interior design, Rococo style rooms were designed as total works of art with elegant and ornate furniture, small sculptures, ornamental mirrors, and tapestry complementing architecture, reliefs, and wall paintings.
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walled garden is a garden enclosed by high walls.
These walls may serve a decorative or security purpose, but their original function was to shelter the garden from wind and frost.
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These walls may serve a decorative or security purpose, but their original function was to shelter the garden from wind and frost.
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sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.
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Sawmill Process
A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of 100 years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end.- Logging fells and cuts trees to length.
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Pasture is land with herbaceous vegetation cover used for grazing of ungulate livestock as part of a farm or ranch. Prior to the advent of mechanized farming, pasture was the primary source of food for grazing animals such as cattle and horses.
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T. baccata
Binomial name
Taxus baccata
L.
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia.
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Binomial name
Taxus baccata
L.
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia.
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Belfast
Irish - Béal Feirste
Pro Tanto Quid Retribuamus
"What shall we give in return for so much"
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Irish - Béal Feirste
Pro Tanto Quid Retribuamus
"What shall we give in return for so much"
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The 1961 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1961, and lasted until November 30, 1961. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.
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