Arklow shooting lodge built in 1890 by renowned Dublin surgeon immortalised by Joyce, once hosted Parnell and Redmond

Irish Independent

16-05-2025

Asking price: €1,995,000
Agent: Sherry Fitzgerald [phone]
​A Victorian shooting lodge, built by a renowned Dublin surgeon, was once used to entertain the elite of Dublin society, including the nationalist politicians Charles Stewart Parnell and John Redmond.
Ballyteige Lodge was built in 1890 and is largely unchanged, so it's easy to imagine the post-hunting soirees held there at the turn of the last century, hosted by the man who built it, John McArdle.
A colourful Dublin character, McArdle was known as 'the poor man's surgeon' for his work amongst the disadvantaged.
'During the 1916 rising, he's reported to have opened St Vincent's Hospital, which was then in St Stephen's Green, to treat the insurgents against the directions of the British authorities,' says Séan McArdle, a descendant of the doctor and the current owner of Ballyteige House. 'He's even ­mentioned in James Joyce's Dubliners.'
In 1909, McArdle was also named in an infamous court case taken by a dentist, John Bishop, over the alleged adultery by his wife, Ethel who was reputed to have had an affair with McArdle. This was not proven, however.
'He was certainly a man about town,' adds Séan.
McArdle's main residence was in Merrion Square, Dublin, but he built Ballyteige House as a hunting lodge and regularly entertained guests there.
'It's superb for entertaining because of the way it's laid out,' says Séan, who bought the property in 1986.
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No expense was spared in the construction of the 4,549 sq. ft. six-bedroom lodge, which has views of Lugnaquilla, and is located in a valley with the River Ow running through it.
It came with 6,000 acres of land, and, unusually for its time, had electricity, which ran off a hydro generator.
Séan and his family moved here from Cheshire in the UK and set up a business developing farmer's markets.
'When I came to see the house, I fell in love with it,' he says. 'My wife and I had two young children at the time and moving here was a bit of an adventure.'
While the building was structurally sound, the interior of the house needed work.
'Most of the original features were there, but they'd been heavily coated in paint in odd colours and had to be restored,' he says. 'We started work immediately, and it has just evolved over the years into a lovely family home.'
In that time, the house has been re-plumbed and repainted, and all of the original features restored. The elaborate cornicing and ceiling roses were intact, but needed touching up.
The original pine sash window shutters and separation pieces also needed work. 'We had to strip them back and beeswax them. We did all the restoration work ourselves. The wooden flooring throughout is also original.'
The cupboards and the island in the kitchen are modern but have an old world feel. The kitchen has an Aga stove, which heats the water.
'We've oil-fired central heating too, and all the original fireplaces are in working order. As we have access to acres of wood here, we burn it in the winter.'
Downstairs, there are four reception rooms, all of which have high ceilings.
The dining room, with its blue walls, chandelier, original wooden floor and bay window is his favourite. 'We call it the 'big room',' he says. 'I love it because you've got a stunning view over the garden and some of our specimen trees.'
The house now comes with 20 acres of land, most of which was planted in 1890 and includes a Himalayan garden with a range of trees like Sequoia and Monkey Puzzles; a Japanese garden with a waterfall; and a suspension bridge over the river, which was once the site of a shooting incident.
'We were living here about four years when an old lady knocked on our door. She'd been here for a shooting party when she was young and had been due to catch a train home from Aughrim, when somebody ran in to say there was an IRA flying column in the area.
'They sent down to Aughrim for an escort and an armoured car was despatched, but the troops driving it were ambushed on the bridge.'
McArdle and his partner Patricia now tend to the garden themselves. 'It's very manageable and I'm retired, so it's a hobby for me,' he says.
The east-facing conservatory was built around existing Victorian ironwork.
The stables too have been modernised, but retain their character, and have been used for occasional events. 'We mostly do foraging events and workshops with small groups of people,' he says.
Upstairs there are six double bedrooms, three of which they let out to visitors as the house is on the Wicklow Way.
This year, Ballyteige Lodge was re-roofed, and a new water system and septic tank were installed. 'There isn't anything that needs to be done to it,' he says. 'It's a big house, but not a massive size and therefore easy to maintain.'
Aughrim, with its variety of amenities, is just 10 minutes away by car, but there are no neighbouring houses.
'It's very peaceful setting and a wonderful nature reserve,' says Séan. 'We have red squirrels, deer, and otters in the river, a pair of breeding red kites and a fox family living close to us. The river has fresh trout for fly fishing too. It's idyllic.'
With his sons now grown-up and attending university, he feels the time is right to downsize. 'Ballyteige Lodge needs someone younger to look after it. The house needs people,' he adds. 'I could see a young family living here.
'I'm quite pragmatic about these things,' he adds. 'But I have lovely memories of raising my family here. Living here for almost 40 years has been fantastic.'
Ballyteige Lodge has an asking price of €1,995,000 with Sherry Fitzgerald.