This book is designed to provide those interested in the history of landed estates and Irish big houses, with practical advice regarding the availability of primary sources, their strengths and weaknesses. It examines the vast array of sources available for the study of big houses, other than estate papers, such as published and unpublished auction catalogues, photographs, oral archives and architectural drawings, and provides an overview of the history of landed estates and big houses in Ireland from 1800 to the present day.

The gripping story of the tumultuous destruction of the Irish country house, spanning the revolutionary years of 1912 to 1923 During the Irish Revolution nearly three hundred country houses were burned to the ground. These "Big Houses" were powerful symbols of conquest, plantation, and colonial oppression, and were caught up in the struggle for independence and the conflict between the aristocracy and those demanding access to more land. Stripped of their most important artifacts, most of the houses were never rebuilt and ruins such as Summerhill stood like ghostly figures for generations to come. Terence Dooley offers a unique perspective on the Irish Revolution, exploring the struggles over land, the impact of the Great War, and why the country mansions of the landed class became such a symbolic target for republicans throughout the period. Dooley details the shockingly sudden acts of occupation and destruction--including soldiers using a Rembrandt as a dart board--and evokes the exhilaration felt by the revolutionaries at seizing these grand houses and visibly overturning the established order.

This is a history of Ireland's big houses from the post-famine years until the 1950s.

Readers receive step-by-step guidance as to how to conduct their research and are alerted to some of the problems they might encounter in working with particular collections. Possible avenues for research are suggested and relevant secondary works are also recommended."--Jacket.