History behind the Signature Suites at Adare Manor

Step into the rich history and refined luxury of our Signature Suites at Adare Manor. Our Signature Suites are our most luxurious bedrooms, all featuring their own adjoining sitting room. Each of our suites are named after four Countesses of Dunraven who lived at Adare Manor from 1810 to 1940. Each room is a masterpiece, inspired by centuries of heritage and adorned with exquisite details that honour our storied past. Read on to learn more about each of the suites and the remarkable ladies they are named after.

Lady Caroline Suite

This lavish Signature Suite epitomises graceful living at Adare Manor, where the Manor House’s aristocratic legacy endures in every luxurious detail. Beneath The Gallery is Lady Caroline’s Private Sitting Room, offering a prized view of the River Maigue through grand arched windows. This space was among the rooms used during the transition from the original Georgian home to the current Manor House.

Caroline Wyndham Quin

Caroline Wyndham was born in Wales, the second of three children of Thomas Wyndham of Dunraven Castle. Following the deaths of her brothers, she became sole heiress to her father’s estate.

In 1810, she married Henry Windham Quin, future 2nd Earl of Dunraven. The romantic marriage of Windham Quin to Caroline Wyndham was arguably the most momentous event in Adare’s history because it was Caroline’s unexpected inheritance that paid for the construction of what would soon be hailed as one of the Great Houses of Ireland. During the course of his forty-year marriage to Caroline Wyndham, the 2nd Earl of Dunraven’s love for his wife only ever deepened. She was a remarkable lady: immensely active, ambitious and good humoured, but also extremely sensible and prudent with money.

In the 1830s, they undertook an ambitious project to transform their Georgian house into a Neo-Gothic Manor. The couple travelled throughout Europe in pursuit of ideas. Caroline’s interest in history and architecture is exemplified by the publication of her Memorials of Adare Manor, in 1865, providing a full description of their newly built Manor House and a history of the area.

One of her first projects after her move to Adare was to convert the old Augustinian priory into a school, the running of which was entirely paid for by her. Founded in 1814, it had 181 pupils by 1823, including 24 Roman Catholics, making it one of the largest schools in the area. Lady Caroline was deeply involved in local charities, distributing relief and providing spinning work and other employment for Adare’s women. In 1830 she established a Fever Hospital in Adare, with eighteen beds, after she survived ‘a long and dangerous illness.’ The hospital, which proved especially useful during the cholera epidemic of 1832, was later converted into the Christian Brothers School by her son, the 3rd Earl.

Lady Augusta Suite

Lose yourself in the ultimate comfort of your expansive king-sized bed for a deeply restorative night’s sleep in the peace and quiet of the Irish countryside. Perfectly appointed and exquisitely designed, in this Signature Suite there is something beautiful to behold everywhere the eye rests. The striking blue and white tiles in the fireplace of the Lady Augusta Suite illustrates scenes from the Old and New Testaments.

Augusta Charlotte Goold

Augusta Goold, daughter of Thomas Goold, a Master in the Irish Court of Chancery, married Edwin Richard Wyndham Quin, the future 3rd Earl of Dunraven, in 1836. To celebrate, they hosted a grand dejeuner for 150 people in The Gallery, followed by dancing on the lawn. When the 2nd Earl Dunraven asked Mr Goold about Augusta’s spending habits, her loyal father assured him that, ‘if my daughter does not bring your son a large fortune, she will save him one, for she is the most economical creature in the world!!’ However, the 2nd Earl was to become more and more appalled by Edwin and Augusta’s extravagant lifestyle. ‘They are consuming their income with interest,’ he bemoaned, recalling how, before the great coal discovery, he and his wife had sold their London townhouse and tightened their belts.

As one of Queen Victoria’s Ladies-in-Waiting, Augusta is believed to have influenced the purchase pieces of Limerick lace for the Queen.

Lady Florence Suite

Discover timeless elegance in the Lady Florence Suite at Adare Manor. This 132-square-metre haven features a sitting room with a private library, a balcony with seating, and exquisite décor, including 19th-century art and Georgian-inspired furnishings. Relax in your luxurious king-sized bed or spacious sitting room. Your dedicated Manor Butler ensures every detail is perfect, offering personalised, attentive service throughout your stay.

Florence Kerr

Florence Kerr, daughter of Lord Charles Kerr, married Windham Thomas Wyndham Quin, the future 4th Earl of Dunraven, in 1869. The couple honeymooned in the US. Although they primarily mingled with high society on the East Coast, they also caught their first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains, and returned the following year for a closer look. In Nebraska, Buffalo Bill Cody helped him shoot his first wapiti stag; its head was hung in the Gallery at Adare Manor. The Viscount was to return to the Rockies every year for the next 15 years, sometimes several times a year, with Texas Jack as his principal guide.

Adare Manor’s most prestigious visitors during the Lady Florence’s time were the future King George V and Queen Mary or, as they were known at the time of their visit in 1897, the Duke and Duchess of York. The house party during their visit included the Balfours and Field Marshal Lord Roberts, the then Commander-in-Chief in Ireland.

They had three daughters: Florence, Rachel and Aileen.

Lady Eva Suite

The Lady Eva Suite is an invitation to slow down and savour the gorgeous surroundings: historical tapestry wall hangings, original 19th century art, elegant Georgian-inspired furniture and just outside the window, spectacular views of the tranquil beechwalk. As a guest in one of our opulent Signature Suites, the Manor Butler is your dedicated personal assistant for the duration of your stay with us.

Eva Constance Aline Bourke

Eva Bourke, daughter of Richard Bourke, the 6th Earl of Mayo, married Major Windham Henry Wyndham Quin, the future 5th Earl of Dunraven, in 1885. Eva oversaw extensive tree-planting across the estate, including the Arboretum to showcase specimen trees. She spent much of her younger years in India, during which time she shot the tiger whose skin and head adorned her sitting room at Adare Manor.

From 1909 until 1921, Colonel and Lady Eva Wyndham-Quin lived at Castletown Cox in Co. Kilkenny. During the Second World War, he was a Commandant of the Line of Communications, overseeing supplies and reinforcements for the Western Front. The colonel was nearing seventy when he succeeded his first cousin, the 4th Earl of Dunraven, and moved to Adare with Lady Eva. They continued to run the house along traditional lines with a butler, a cook and five footmen in livery waiting at the table. The kitchen was at the far end of the house from the Oak Room, where they dined, and down a floor. Despite the distance, the maids kept the food hot with a warming cupboard placed outside the Oak Room, while breakfast was heated up in silver chafing dishes. Luncheon generally comprised of a fish course, an entree, a meat course and a pudding, together with cheese and fruit. At tea, there were lashings of scones and hot buttered toast. And at dinnertime, the family and guests sat down to a banquet of soup, fish, a main course, a pudding and a savoury.

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