Danesmoate House, Georgian castle in Rathfarnham, Ireland
Danesmoate House is a Georgian stone house in Rathfarnham, a suburb south of Dublin, with a symmetrical facade and tall windows typical of the period. It sits within grounds that include a garden and open land near the Little Dargle River.
The Southwell family built the house in the mid-1700s as a country residence. A member of the family, the Irish politician William Southwell, later lived there, connecting the property to the public life of that era.
U2 recorded their album The Joshua Tree at Danesmoate House in 1986, making it a landmark in Irish music history. Visitors who know this detail tend to look at the building with different eyes, seeing it as both a country house and a recording location.
The house is located behind Taylors Pub on Kellystown Road and can be reached on foot through the grounds. It is worth leaving enough time to walk around the garden and the surrounding area.
In the grounds stands a stone structure known as the Brehon's Chair, formed by three large upright slabs that create an open square space. This structure is far older than the house itself and points to a much earlier use of the land.
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