Overview
The O’Conor family have lived on this patch of Roscommon for over 1,500 years. They descend from Cathal Crobhdearg Ua Conchobair, King of Connacht, brother of the last High King of Ireland, and the current house is home to the 27th generation. That continuity is the reason to come: Clonalis isn’t a state-run heritage attraction but a living family home, and it holds things you won’t see anywhere else – the harp of the blind bard Turlough O’Carolan, the inauguration stone of the O’Conor kings, and the last recorded verdict handed down under Brehon Law, the native Irish legal system, before it was swept away in the 17th century.
The house you see today sits on the banks of the River Suck just outside Castlerea. It’s a late-Victorian one, completed in 1878 by Charles Owen O’Conor to replace an earlier Georgian house on the site that flooded repeatedly. Designed by Frederick Pepys Cockerell in a mix of Italianate and Queen Anne styles, it was built of mass concrete – one of the first concrete houses in Ireland.
If you have one thing to prioritise, make it the guided house tour: the objects and the family story are the point here, more than the grounds.
A living history
Clonalis is often called the last remnant of the ancient Kingdom of Connacht, and the family’s own archive backs the claim – around 100,000 volumes and manuscripts, with a private library of about 7,000 books that’s reckoned one of the finest in the country. The walls carry portraits tracing a line of eleven High Kings of Ireland and twenty-six Kings of Connacht.
The 20th century left its mark too. During the War of Independence the IRA used the house as a base; in the 1922 Civil War, Free State forces shelled and captured it before it was returned to the family and restored.
The tour and the estate
Guided house tours
Tours are led by family members or trained guides through the drawing room, dining room, chapel and library, each room hung with heirlooms, manuscripts and art. The guides give the harp and the coronation stone the context a museum label never could – this is the material culture of a dynasty told by people with a personal stake in it. Tours must be pre-booked, especially in high summer.
Library & archives
The library is a working scholarly collection, not a lending one, ranging from medieval manuscripts to 19th-century political papers. On a guided tour you can view selected items and hear about the family’s ongoing preservation work.
Woodland & river walks
The estate runs to roughly 700 acres of parkland, old woodland and open meadow along the River Suck, with a walled garden and riverbank paths. It’s a quiet setting for a stroll, and the stone courtyard and long drive frame the house well for photographs.
Self-catering cottages
Several self-catering cottages on the estate – the Garden, Orchard, Mews, Steward’s House and the Forge among them – are open all year, and the main house also offers B&B. Staying on-site puts you a short walk from the house, the trails and Castlerea town.
Seasonal events
- Summer themed tours: In peak season, special guided walks such as ‘Kings & Queens of Connacht’ focus on the O’Conor lineage and regional history.
- Traditional music: The estate occasionally hosts small music sessions in the garden pavilion; dates vary, so check the website.
- Family workshops: Craft and storytelling for children on select Saturdays in July and August.
Getting there & practical details
- By car: Clonalis is reached via the N5, with clear signage to Castlerea and the estate turn-off. Free on-site parking for up to 30 vehicles.
- Public transport: Castlerea railway station (Iarnród Éireann) is a short drive away, and local buses stop in the town centre.
- Accessibility: The main ground floor is wheelchair accessible, with a designated disabled parking space near the entrance. Note the honest caveat: the upper floors and some historic features are reachable only by stairs.
- Dogs: Not allowed inside the house or library; well-behaved dogs are welcome on the estate walks and in the cottages, subject to each cottage’s policy.
- Contact: 094 962 0014 | clonalis@clonalis.com | Clonalis House, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon, F45 H265.
Nearby attractions in Roscommon
- Roscommon Castle – A 13th-century fortress in Loughnaneane Park.
- Boyle Abbey – Cistercian ruins with a long monastic history.
- Arigna Mining Experience – An underground tour of the region’s coal-mining past.
- Castlecoote – A well-preserved 17th-century manor and gardens.
- Rathcroghan Royal Site – Ancient ceremonial grounds linked to Queen Medb.
Opening times & booking
The catch is the short season: house tours run only from 21 June to 31 August, Monday to Saturday, 11am–5pm, with the last tour at 4pm. Group tours can be pre-booked from April to September. Admission is €7 for adults, €6 students and seniors, €5 for children aged 7–12. Book ahead via the official tours page.
Come early in the day for the first tour slot and the quieter trails before the afternoon groups arrive, and leave time after for the river walk – the last tour goes at four, so don’t roll up at half three expecting to get round.