Pic shows ( l to r ) Liz Halpin, Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Dublin, Cllr. Howard Mahony, Mayor of Fingal and AnneMarie Farrelly Chief Executive Fingal County Council. Newbridge House and Farm have upgraded its Servants Quarter offering to create a more immersive and engaging experience for visitors this Summer.
The upgrade comes following a grant of investment of €107,000 through Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Surprising Stories Scheme and additional support from Fingal County Council’s Small Projects Grant has finally been brought to life at the mansion.
Newbridge House refurbishment reveals what life was like in the Servants Quarter.
Pic shows ( l to r ) AnneMarie Farrelly Chief Executive Fingal County Council, Cathal Dowd Smith, Curator for Newbridge House and Farm, Liz Halpin, Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Dublin and Cllr. Howard Mahony, Mayor of Fingal.
Newbridge House and Farm has upgraded its Servants Quarter offering to create a more immersive and engaging experience for visitors this Summer. The upgrade comes following a grant of investment of €107,000 through Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Surprising Stories Scheme and additional support from Fingal County Council’s Small Projects Grant has finally been brought to life at the mansion. Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Howard Mahony, Failte Ireland’s Head of Dublin, Liz Halpin and Fingal County Council Chief Executive, AnnMarie Farrelly, joined Cathal Dowd Smith, Curator for Newbridge House and Gardens to officially launch the completed updates, which will allow guests receive the full “upstairs-downstairs” experience of what life was like for those who maintained one of Ireland’s best intact Georgian mansions. New additions include ambient sound, projected sights, and real-life artefacts that will transport visitors back in time to the real engine room of the building. With personal stories about the actual servants that lived and worked here, guests will get a real sense of what their daily lives consisted of.
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Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Howard Mahony, Failte Ireland’s Head of Dublin, Liz Halpin and Fingal County Council Chief Executive, AnnMarie Farrelly, joined Cathal Dowd Smith, Curator for Newbridge House and Gardens to officially launch the completed updates, which will allow guests receive the full “upstairs-downstairs” experience of what life was like for those who maintained one of Ireland’s best intact Georgian mansions.
New additions include ambient sound, projected sights, and real-life artefacts that will transport visitors back in time to the real engine room of the building. With personal stories about the actual servants that lived and worked here, guests will get a real sense of what their daily lives consisted of.
The new research, displays and audio-visual installations were developed in collaboration with exhibition designers Bright 3D, Storyline, and Thought Different, who worked together to ensure authenticity and experience combined.
Cllr. Howard Mahony, Mayor of Fingal commented: “Newbridge House and Farm is an important and significant historical site, being one of Ireland’s best examples of an intact Georgian mansion. I am delighted this grant has been used to upgrade the Servants Quarter, where many from the local area would have found employment. The new visitor experience will enable visitors from near and far to immerse themselves in the fascinating heritage of the house and I would encourage people to visit the house and its beautiful gardens.”
Liz Halpin, Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Dublin said: “Creating new ways for visitors to enjoy the history, heritage and culture of Dublin will ensure our capital city’s attractions remain on the must-visit list for domestic and international visitors. We know that the modern tourist expects an interactive and accessible experience, therefore enhanced audio-visual capability and innovative storytelling, such as the project completed at Newbridge House and Farm through our Dublin’s Surprising Stories scheme, will be a key selling point for visitors in the years to come.”
Cathal Dowd Smith, Curator for Newbridge House and Farm said:
“We are delighted to be able to expand our offering with this grant from Failte Ireland and Fingal County Council. Servants were the heartbeat of large country houses, yet historiography has often neglected them.
We are honoured to give a voice to the people who kept Newbridge House running. We worked closely with museum design experts to ensure that authenticity and experience are in tandem in the new updates, and we are really looking forward to sharing it with visitors from home and abroad”
Newbridge House was built in 1747 and remains the residence of the Cobbe Family today. Following a unique arrangement with Fingal County Council who acquired the property in 1985 which allows the family to retain a part-time residence and keep the historic collection of the house in situ and on display. Set in over 360 acres, it remains one of Irelands best intact Georgian mansions thanks to this arrangement. Today the visitor offering includes a working farm, children’s playground, a café, and a range of seasonal events.
The interiors, from the Red Drawing Room to the Cabinet of Curiosities, are remarkably complete and amongst the best preserved in Ireland and provide insight into three centuries of Irish history. The family archives preserved in the house were a key resource in researching and interpretating the servant’s stories and we are grateful to the Cobbe family for their ongoing collaboration and commitment to Newbridge.
The Servants Quarters, and Newbridge House and Farm are open the public and guided tours run daily and make up one third of Fingal’s award-winning heritage attractions alongside Malahide Castle and Gardens and the Casino Model Railway. Visitors can experience the beauty and benefits these three sites have to offer with the new annual pass that gives access to all sites for one year, with prices starting from €45 per person (T&Cs apply).
