Fire Service attending at Bunbrosna fire

Caitlin Connors

Mullingar Fire Service are attending at a fire that has broken out in a Farragh House in Bunbrosna.

Smoke is visible from the turn off at Bunbrosna and Multyfarnham on the N4 road.

The 6,344 sq ft house, originally built as a chartered Protestant boys school in the 1750s, was restored by Irish artist Roy Lyndsay in the late 90s and early 00s.

The Tyrone born artist, who is known for his Irish folk and sports themes, particularly horse racing, sold his art for five-figure sums at Sothebys of London. He came across the near derelict Farragh in 1995 when he and his son were taking a walk on a day trip from the latter's boarding school.

Farragh has 18 main rooms and could house the equivalent of six standard three-bed semis inside it. It's robust and built of a mix of local flint and limestone. Perhaps its most impressive room is the majestic entrance hall with an ornate dual access staircase running up two sides above the entrance.

The hall is 555 sq ft, more than half the size of an average family house and with a huge period fireplace and very detailed stucco work overhead. The gallery room is a long affair of 1,000 sq ft, the equivalent floor area of an entire three-bed house. There's a living room, a dining room, a very large traditional kitchen, and nine bedrooms (one of which is ensuite). It has 3.9 acres overlooking Lough Owel and includes an extensive range of period outbuildings under restoration.

Lyndsay sold the property in 2020 for €469,000. At this time the fire services are still on site, the Westmeath Examiner will provide details as they become available.