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Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
How a gin-selling Wall Street banker bought and restored his ancestral west Cork castle
When Stephen Ralfe Evans-Freke, a retired Wall Street banker, bought back the castle that had been in his family for generations, an oil painting of it had already followed him across the Atlantic. And back again. The estate actually comprises two castles, Castle Freke, and nearby Rathbarry Castle, in a townland east of Rosscarberry, west Cork . It had been the homestead for centuries, until 1921. 'As a child I was brought here by my father on a cold and windy day,' he says, recalling the first time he saw the ancestral home in real life. 'It was forlorn and overgrown, although nothing like when I bought it.' The purchase took place 25 years ago, at the turn of the millennium. The way he tells it, it was as if the fates intervened to unite him with his heritage. READ MORE He was at the christening of an Irish friend in London, when that man's father came 'stomping over to tell him that the family pile was for sale'. On a roll, he didn't stop there either. 'I gather you've done well in the States,' he stated, barking, 'What's the matter with you boy? You should be buying it back.' Evans-Freke had indeed done well. He studied law at Cambridge and went to South Africa in 1972 to work with IBM, building the first computer programme for valuing gold mines. Four years later, he moved to New York and became an investment banker working on Wall Street. [ Move or improve: should you renovate your home or buy somewhere new? Opens in new window ] The oil painting of his stately Castle Freke had hung in the playroom of the house where he grew up, now the Ashbourne House Hotel, Co Meath. It followed him to England when the family moved there for work. His father, the late Peter Evans-Freke, the 11th Lord Carbery, was an engineer. Stephen took it with him when he went away to university at Cambridge. One night he told a friend, after consuming a large amount of single malt, that he was going to buy the house back. After the London christening and back in Dublin, he says, he felt his feet 'turning of their own accord' into an upmarket estate agency to ask if that had any castles for sale in Co Cork. And that was it. On the eve of the millennium he made good on that promise. He doesn't say exactly how much he paid for it, but intimates that it was somewhere below €500,000. Solomonic columns at Castle Freke, west Cork. Photograph: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision During his time stateside, he had gained some experience of historic construction, having redone a large period house in Tuxedo Park in upstate New York. It should have taught him a lesson to steer clear, but it didn't, although nothing could have prepared him for the task at hand in west Cork. Meanwhile around Castlefreke, word had gotten out that the property had a new old owner, and he was approached to come see the restoration works at the local school. 'The parish priest was in attendance, the post mistress, kids in costumes. There was tea, china, children singing and with all of the village dancing.' While it sounds like an episode from the Irish RM, it was a warm welcome back to the parish and its talented stonemasons and other tradespeople. The restoration started about four years after he bought it, in 2004, when he also bought Rathbarry Castle. A manor house, it lies about a field over from Freke, is built on a lower level and within the walls of an earlier abode. It is where he now resides, and loves living there. Stephen Evans-Freke's home, Rathbarry Castle, Castlefreke, west Cork. Photograph: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision Construction companies were already on the scent of a big job. 'There was a knock on the door, and someone came to me to tell me that the word was out across Munster and if you want in here's the deal: It involved very large numbers and mark ups and how it was to be split between subcontractor and the people running the business,' he explains. 'I decided not to do it the conventional way,' he says. He had visited an architectural firm 'who promised to assemble a dream team,' he recalls. 'A couple of months later the idea was presented. There were about 20 people in the large meeting room, who spent about an hour and a half describing what they were going to do. One and a half million euro was the fee to detail what needed to be done and how much these works would cost,' he explains. 'That's with no one picking up a spade or a shovel.' So, he proceeded with the works, hiring Steve Hancock as his project manager, who subcontracted various trades and craftspeople, including master stonemason Mícheál O'Sullivan. View to the west from battlements of Castle Freke, west Cork. Pic Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision Built on a bluff, on a clear day, you can see from Castle Freke all the way to the Fastnet Lighthouse in the Atlantic. It extends to 4,645 sq m (50,000 square feet) but, if you factor in towers and courtyards, he says, he concentrated on about half of that, 2,313 sq m (25,000 square feet). [ Before and after: transforming a vacant Blackrock bakery into a luxury downsizer home Opens in new window ] The property's 40-plus chimneys have been relined. The battlements, knocked for their lead in the 1950s, have been repaired, as have many external walls surrounding the castle. But it is in the decorative plasterwork in the property's principal rooms on the piano nobile where the most dramatic visible changes can be seen. Work began about eight years ago on the fan vaulted ceilings of the music room. It was, he says, very organic. 'There were no mood boards to work to. It was free form and a team effort.' Restored Music Room at Castle Freke, west Cork. Photograph: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision He loved the high point of Irish Georgian decorative art when a lot of newly wealthy landowners brought in Italian craftsmen, or stuccodores , to decorate their interiors. 'The Irish brought a level of creativity and whimsy to it. I wanted it to be authentically Irish, not bound by the classicism of that time.' The two principal stuccodores were Kevin Holbrook and Dolcie Keogh. In recognition of their restoration work, the pair were recently appointed with the title of master plasterers of The Worshipful Company of Plasterers, a 500-year-old City of London livery company – a guild or professional association that has its origins in the city's medieval times. Keogh is the first woman master plasterer in the company's long history. Plaster and scagliola specialist Kevin Holbrook at Castle Freke, west Cork. Photograph: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision In addition to renovating the castle, Stephen is also launching a super-premium gin in the US market this autumn. The genesis of this side hustle is that he is a dry martini drinker, and felt that there wasn't a gin being made for this classic drink – 'a wonderful punctuation between the working day and the time to enjoy family and friends'. About 10 years ago, while overseeing the works at Castle Freke, he spent several months recovering from foot surgery. To entertain himself, he ordered 120 essential oils and a large stock of vodka and set up a laboratory at the dining room table of Rathbarry Castle, spending an hour or two each evening mixing botanicals, all the while watched over by the family oil painting. Stephen Evans-Freke with his premium gin and dry martini. Photograph: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision He and his favourite tipple are now immortalised in plasterwork within an intricate frieze on the grand staircase hall. He is a rotund mole holding a martini glass. The staircase swoops around and on up to the bedrooms. Above it, the Children of Lir are in relief, designed to represent his Irish heritage. In the ballroom, in stucco, you can see one of the Arthurian legends showing the Lady of the Lake presenting Arthur with the Excalibur sword, which pays homage to his Welsh Celt background, on the Evans side of the family. Odin with two wolves Geri and Freki in plaster at Castle Freke, west Cork. Photograph: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision In the saloon is another stucco work, this time of Norse god Odin with his two wolves, one of whom is called Freke, and represents the Freke's Viking lineage. Another standout example of the workmanship can be seen in the fan ceilings of the music room. Underfoot, there remains a concrete floor where he plans to lay inlaid stone floors with parquet in the bedrooms and some of the lesser reception rooms. So far, no rewiring or replumbing has been carried out. How much money has the work cost so far? Describing it as 'a pay-as-you-go project'– he received no grant aid – he estimates he's paid out between €500,000 and €1 million a year for the last 20 years or so. That amounts to somewhere between €10-€20 million. 'There's no way that you can recapture that money purely from a financial point of view,' he concedes. 'To be clear, I never saw this as a 'financial investment'. It's more about heritage, an opportunity to leave behind something for future generations, a rare privilege. 'Our time here is pretty fleeting, and it gives me a deep, deep satisfaction that I did something with my money that will outlast me.' Ground floor restoration at Castle Freke, west Cork. Photoraph: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision It's still not finished yet: all utilities are yet to be installed, and the bedroom floor and half-basement need to be finished. But this requires decisions on the final use of the place. 'Once those decisions are taken, I estimate another three years to complete the main block of the castle,' he says. Does he plan to take up residence the castle at some stage? 'I had thought that I'd live in the castle, but a castle is an inconvenient place as a private house. If you have to let the dog out in the middle of the night, you've to take quite a journey to get to the outside door,' he says. 'Is the best use of the place a family home?' he asks. With that in mind, he's carried out a feasibility study to determine if it could be turned it into a super-luxury hotel property. 'But before we do the practical, we're focused on the important still impractical stuff. 'Sometimes more is less,' he says.
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- BreakingNews.ie
Kinsale property with stunning views of harbour on market
A stunning property in Kinsale has gone on the market with views over the harbour and within walking distance of Kinsale's town centre. Constructed in the 1950s, 9 Father McSweeney Terrace is one of 14 semi-detached houses perched high on the hillside in Ardbrack overlooking the southern approaches to Kinsale Harbour. Advertisement Nearly all these south-facing properties have been extended, upgraded and improved over the years to capitalise on the breathtaking elevated views over Kinsale's picturesque harbour, looking towards the town, the marina, and the forts. In 2016 the house was extended and totally modernised to an exceptional standard with generously proportioned accommodation designed to capitalise on the truly outstanding panoramic views, stretching from the inner harbour and town of Kinsale over to the famous James Fort, across the estuary then down the approaches to Charles Fort, both of which protected Kinsale during the Williamite Wars in Ireland from March 1689 to October 1691. Kinsale was originally a medieval fishing port and is known far and wide for its natural beauty and rich history. Kinsale, from the Irish Ceann tSaile – 'Head of the Sea'. Situated 25km south of Cork City and Cork International Airport, it is deemed to be the gateway to the scenic region of 'West Cork' and the start/finish of the much-acclaimed 'Wild Atlantic Way'. The town is a cacophony of brightly coloured buildings, an outstanding harbour, and is much influenced by its mediaeval history. Apart from the architecture and harbour, Kinsale is a vibrant, thriving town, also internationally known as the 'Gourmet Capital of Ireland', with numerous cafes, public houses and restaurants catering for all tastes and budgets. Advertisement Leisure activities are well catered for, Kinsale provides excellent sailing, yachting and fishing facilities from its two marinas. There are two world-class golf courses, including the renowned Old Head of Kinsale. Other recreational pursuits include scenic coastal walks, bathing, surfing, horse riding and field-based sport activities through the local sports clubs. There are numerous cultural events held throughout the year, such as the world-famous Kinsale Arts Festival, the Cork Jazz Festival, the Cork Film Festival, Kinsale Gourmet Festival. Cork City has several fine theatres, and Cork Opera House hosts many exceptional productions throughout the year. The harbour is a destination port for the yachting enthusiast, whether on passage or looking to keep a boat within the West Cork area with the most magnificent coastal and sailing scenery For more information, visit
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Greedy' fishermen blamed for driving whales from Irish coast
A whale-watching boss has blamed overfishing for driving cetaceans away from the Irish coast as he announced his firm was going out of business. Colin Barnes announced the closure of Cork Whale Watch after 25 years in business, saying 'greedy fishermen' had ruined what used to be a premier wildlife destination. He said overfishing on the south coast by large trawlers meant sprat fish, the main food source for whales, had been fished almost to extinction, driving the humpbacks and other species elsewhere in search of food. 'Sadly, our world-class whale watching is now a thing of the past. A small number of greedy fishermen with huge trawlers have overfished the sprats to the point of near extinction,' Mr Barnes wrote on social media. 'There is nothing left for the whales to prey upon so they have moved on in search of prey elsewhere.' Mr Barnes, who has 53 years of experience in Irish waters and started his whale-watching business after leaving commercial fishing, said the change has been dramatic. He explained commercial trawlers fish for sprat in September and October when they are spawning. The fish pack themselves together and allows the fishermen to catch vast quantities of them at the same time. Mr Barnes said the depletion of stocks was an 'ecological disaster'. 'At the start of our first season in 2001 it became very clear to me that we had world-class whale watching in the waters off the West Cork coastline, featuring 3 species of baleen whales, fin, humpback and minke whales amongst huge numbers of common dolphins,' Mr Barnes added in his post. 'All we have now in our search area is just a few minke whales and small groups of dolphins, and over the last couple of years our trips have become totally disappointing.' Mr Barnes said whale activity peaked in November 2004 when a massive sprat shoal brought together what he estimated as 75 fin whales, 15 humpbacks and 150 to 200 minke whales 'amongst common dolphins in thousands'. 'There was never again such a gathering of so many cetaceans since then,' he said. Mr Barnes told The Irish Times: 'I've given it up in disgust. There is loads of plankton but the bird life is gone and the fish are gone. It's an empty, lifeless sea.' Sprat, small sardine-like fish, are crucial to the marine food web, but increased demand for fishmeal from fish farms has intensified commercial fishing of the species. The closure of Mr Barnes's business has prompted Irish government officials to promise action. Christopher O'Sullivan, the minister responsible for nature and biodiversity, said measures must be introduced 'to protect this forage species, not just for whales, but for all the other fish stocks and wildlife that depend on it – to prevent the collapse of an entire food web.' Mr O'Sullivan said Ireland hopes to emulate UK restrictions on sprat fishing, which have shown positive effects. Mark Gannon, who operates Atlantic Whale and Wildlife Tours from Courtmacsherry, agreed with Mr Barnes and said there was a severe decline in wildlife off the coast of Ireland due to overfishing. 'It's a devastating form of fishing,' Mr Gannon said. 'It's like a farmer taking all the grass out of his fields and expecting his cows to thrive.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
‘Greedy' fishermen blamed for driving whales from Irish coast
A whale-watching boss has blamed overfishing for driving cetaceans away from the Irish coast as he announced his firm was going out of business. Colin Barnes announced the closure of Cork Whale Watch after 25 years in business, saying 'greedy fishermen' had ruined what used to be a premier wildlife destination. He said overfishing on the south coast by large trawlers meant sprat fish, the main food source for whales, had been fished almost to extinction, driving the humpbacks and other species elsewhere in search of food. 'Sadly, our world-class whale watching is now a thing of the past. A small number of greedy fishermen with huge trawlers have overfished the sprats to the point of near extinction,' Mr Barnes wrote on social media. 'There is nothing left for the whales to prey upon so they have moved on in search of prey elsewhere.' Mr Barnes, who has 53 years of experience in Irish waters and started his whale-watching business after leaving commercial fishing, said the change has been dramatic. He explained commercial trawlers fish for sprat in September and October when they are spawning. The fish pack themselves together and allows the fishermen to catch vast quantities of them at the same time. Mr Barnes said the depletion of stocks was an 'ecological disaster'. 'At the start of our first season in 2001 it became very clear to me that we had world-class whale watching in the waters off the West Cork coastline, featuring 3 species of baleen whales, fin, humpback and minke whales amongst huge numbers of common dolphins,' Mr Barnes added in his post. 'All we have now in our search area is just a few minke whales and small groups of dolphins, and over the last couple of years our trips have become totally disappointing.' Mr Barnes said whale activity peaked in November 2004 when a massive sprat shoal brought together what he estimated as 75 fin whales, 15 humpbacks and 150 to 200 minke whales 'amongst common dolphins in thousands'. 'There was never again such a gathering of so many cetaceans since then,' he said. Mr Barnes told The Irish Times: 'I've given it up in disgust. There is loads of plankton but the bird life is gone and the fish are gone. It's an empty, lifeless sea.' Sprat, small sardine-like fish, are crucial to the marine food web, but increased demand for fishmeal from fish farms has intensified commercial fishing of the species. The closure of Mr Barnes's business has prompted Irish government officials to promise action. Christopher O'Sullivan, the minister responsible for nature and biodiversity, said measures must be introduced 'to protect this forage species, not just for whales, but for all the other fish stocks and wildlife that depend on it – to prevent the collapse of an entire food web.' Mr O'Sullivan said Ireland hopes to emulate UK restrictions on sprat fishing, which have shown positive effects. Mark Gannon, who operates Atlantic Whale and Wildlife Tours from Courtmacsherry, agreed with Mr Barnes and said there was a severe decline in wildlife off the coast of Ireland due to overfishing. 'It's a devastating form of fishing,' Mr Gannon said. 'It's like a farmer taking all the grass out of his fields and expecting his cows to thrive.'
BreakingNews.ie
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- BreakingNews.ie
Funeral takes place of 13-year-old girl who died in racing accident
The funeral will take place later today of a 13-year-old girl who died whilst taking part in a rally at the Cork Autograss Racing Club track in Enniskean, West Cork on May 4th. Lauren O'Brien of Knockane, Terelton, Co Cork was pronounced dead at the scene last Sunday afternoon. Her car went out of control when she was competing in a heat and crashed in to a barrier, Advertisement A requiem mass for Lauren will take place at St Joseph's Church in Castletownkenneigh at noon on Friday with burial following at Terelton cemetery. Mourners are asked to donate to West Cork Rapid Response in lieu of flowers. Lauren previously attended Coppeen National School in Enniskean. In a statement on social media management and staff said that they had 'nothing but warm memories of a wonderful girl full of life, determination and positivity.' McEgan College in Macroom, where Lauren attended first year, said that she was 'a beautiful girl, inside and out, bubbly, fun loving, kind, caring, a loveable rogue.' Her parents Timmy and Therese previously thanked the emergency services, the Cork Autograss community, neighbours and friends for their assistance in the aftermath of the death of Lauren. Advertisement Lauren is survived by her parents, her brother Josh, sister Shannon, grandparents Christy, Teresa, Connie and Ellen, godparents, extended family and her friends. She grew up in Castletownkenneigh, Co Cork with the family subsequently moving to Terlelton. Lauren was one of four junior drivers competing in a heat at the hot rod event when the accident occurred. A garda investigation has been launched in to the incident. The scene was preserved to allow a forensic crash investigator to attempt to establish the cause of the collision. An inquest will be held at a later date.
