Ballynestragh

A country house erected to a design by Dermot St. John Gogarty (b. 1908) of Merrion Square, Dublin (DIA), representing an important component of the twentieth-century domestic built heritage of north County Wexford with the architectural value of the composition, one rooted firmly in the contemporary Georgian Revival fashion, confirmed by such attributes as the deliberate alignment maximising on scenic vistas overlooking 'a very fine parkland with a large ornamental lake in front' (Craig and Garner 1975, 54); the compact near-square plan form centred on a restrained doorcase demonstrating good quality workmanship; the diminishing in scale of the openings on each floor producing a graduated visual impression; and the Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944)-esque high pitched sproketed roofline: meanwhile, a colonnaded "loggia" survives as an interesting relic of 'the beautiful residence of Senator Sir Thomas Henry Grattan Esmonde [1862-1935] set on fire and burned to the ground' (The People 14th March 1923, 3). Having been well maintained, the elementary form and massing survive intact together with substantial quantities of the original fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior, thus upholding the character or integrity of the composition. Furthermore, a walled garden (see 15700707); and a ruined gate lodge (see 15700709), all continue to contribute positively to the group and setting values of an estate having historic connections with the Esmonde family including Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Laurence Grattan Esmonde (1863-1943), thirteenth Baronet; Sir John Lymbrick Esmonde (1893-1958), fourteenth Baronet; Sir Anthony Charles Esmonde (1899-1981), fifteenth Baronet; and Sir John Henry Grattan Esmonde (1928-87), sixteenth Baronet.