We are now on the first floor landing, above where you entered the hall earlier. The surrounds and pediments above the doors are eye-catching as is the plasterwork in the centre of the ceiling. The chandelier is Waterford glass bought inexpensively in Venice at the end of the 19th century. The door at the end of the landing leads to another staircase. We will go through the door on the left into the drawing room.
Above the fireplace is an 18th century picture of Barmeath before it was castellated and extended in 1828. If you turn around you can see the rest of this rather long room – it has four windows that face south and look across lawns to the lake.
The cupboard at the end is known as Marie Antoinette’s cabinet. It is decorated with painted porcelain panels. I was told as a child that it came into the family when a French ancestor’s sister was lady-in -waiting to the queen. This was not true though my aunt was in the Conciergerie at the same time as Marie Antoinette and was guillotined a few days before her. Being a sensitive child I was told she died of a fever in prison. The cabinet nevertheless was of the highest quality and came from the de Rutant’s chateau outside Nancy.
My grandfather thought it would be worth having it valued. Such a move usually led to the item being sold. The expert purred over the quality of the workmanship, saying that copies were made to a very high standard in the 19th century. It seemed a previous generation had been strapped for cash too. Now come out onto the landing again and we will look at the library.
The books are protected by wire mesh doors although there isn’t anything of value any more. There was a small sale of the better books to pay for my education half a century ago. Take a look at the ceiling. The plasterwork was the finest in the house until a moment of madness. The room was used for Masonic meetings so the centre of the ceiling was rather ineptly re-worked with Masonic emblems – there’s an all-seeing eye and a set square. No sooner was the plaster dry than the Pope banned Catholics from being Masons. I believe the meetings continued but without the Bellew of the day in attendance. The view is rather good. You are looking north across Dundalk Bay to the Cooley peninsular and, if the weather were better, you could see the Mourne mountains in the distance.
Now we will go round the garden.
(To be continued)
