Saturday 25 June 2022

Ballymenoch's Fate

The Belfast Newsletter reported on the 4th July, 1914:-

BEAUTIFUL MANSION NEAR BELFAST GUTTED: DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £20,000 (£2.3 million in 2019).

BALLYMENOCH HOUSE [Holywood, County Down], one of the largest and most stately mansions in Ulster, was totally gutted by fire yesterday. Between five and six o'clock yesterday morning it was discovered that the building was on fire. 
Although the brigade remained on the scene until half-past three yesterday afternoon, they were unable to do any effective work after the water supply failed; and when they left, the whole of the roof collapsed. 
About four o'clock, when the fire seemed to have spent itself, huge sheets of flame commenced to shoot up from the cellars, and burnt fiercely until everything of a combustible nature had been destroyed. 
No explanation can be given for the origin of the fire, but two copies of The Suffragette, the organ of the militant women, were found in the grounds, and on the windows of the conservatory, which are painted white, the words 'Votes for Women' had been written.

First published in June, 2020. 

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

Very unusual fenestration.

Timothy Belmont said...

Anon, isn't it just? Most irregular. Odd even.

Anonymous said...

Yes, hardly "beautiful" as the article generously suggests!