Edgeworthstown House

History of Edgeworthstown House

Edgeworthstown House was built by Richard Edgeworth (1701-1770) in the mid-1720s. Richard was descended from Francis Edgeworth, who was granted land in the area in 1619 during the Plantation of Longford.

Edgeworthstown’s name comes from the Edgeworth family name, having been originally called Mostrim (or Meathas Troim).

Richard was succeeded by his son Richard Lovell Edgeworth (1744-1817), a renowned engineer, surveyor and educationalist. He spent most of his early life in England but later settled in Edgeworthstown, where he renovated Edgeworthstown House.

Richard Lovell’s daughter, Maria Edgeworth (1767-1849), a novelist of adult and children’s literature, is now the most famous member of the family. The Maria Edgeworth Visitor Centre is located in the town and the Maria Edgeworth Literary Festival takes place in Edgeworthstown every year.

In time, the house passed to another distinguished family member, Maria’s nephew Francis Ysidro Edgeworth (1845-1926). He was a statistician and an economist who had a professorship at Oxford University.

Francis died unmarried, and Edgeworthstown House passed to a relative, CF Montague.

In 1935, it was purchased by Bernard Noonan, a native of the area who lived in the USA. Later, Noonan donated the house and some land to the Sisters of Mercy. They carried out major renovations and established a nursing home, which they continued to run until 2009. It is now Our Lady’s Manor Nursing Home.