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The first Somerville to land in Ireland in 1690 was a refugee, fleeing persecution of the Church of Scotland of which William Somerville was a minister. He took his family and rowed twenty miles over rough water to Ulster, where they found refuge through family connections. He died four years later aged just 51.

Thomas Somerville was aged two when he made the journey by boat. The younger of two sons, he decided to make his career in the Church of Ireland. He went to Trinity College, Dublin, and became ordained. The family fortunes changed when he married Ann Neville in 1723. She came from a family of means,  had an annuity of £500 a year, and they prospered and had eight children. In 1732 the family moved to West Cork, Thomas having landed the living as the Rector Of Castlehaven. He bought as his vicarage the old O’Driscoll Castle next to the church at Castlehaven Strand and although both now lie in ruins, there still remains in the house his portrait, his stick and his 1685 edition of Bedel’s Irish Bible. He died in 1752.

Of the four sons of Thomas and Ann, three brothers emigrated to Savannah, Georgia and became very prosperous. The eldest son, also called Thomas, lost an eye in an accident at Trinity. This prevented him from being ordained, so instead he built up a fleet of ships with which he traded very successfully with America. He married Mary Townshend (the first of three consecutive marriages to the Townshend family) and they had eleven children. He bought the estate and built Drishane and several other notable buildings in Castletownshend, notably the warehousing on the main harbour quay, the Custom House and his Dower  house on the Mall.

The family fortunes waxed and waned with successive generations until in 1895 Edith Somerville took over the running of Drishane in the absence of her younger brother Colonel Cameron Somerville, who never married and remained overseas much of his life. Both the house and gardens reflect much of her taste and enthusiasms; she painted many of the pictures on the walls, gained literary acclaim as one half of the Somerville and Ross writing partnership, led the local Hunt, farmed the land, bringing the first Friesans to Ireland, and played the organ in Church every Sunday.

When Cameron Somerville died, the house passed to his nephew Brigadier Desmond Somerville, a veteran of the battles of Gallipoli and the Somme, whose grandchild Tom and his wife Jane moved to Drishane in 2007 and are now guiding the house into the twenty-first century.

Drishane House is available for rent by the week. Please inquire for terms.  A substantial and distinguished family home, awash with history, stories and the tang of the ocean. All to return to after an energetic exploration of west Cork’s bewitching charisma – or perhaps a simple round of croquet on the lawn.  Vintage elegance in an atmosphere of timeless indulgence; perfect for a gathering of the clan.

Built around 1780 in classic Georgian style, Drishane House has been in the same family for nine generations. Impressive double doors with fleur de lis strap hinges allow entrance to a baronial hall.  A sweeping stair case, dominated by a soaring, arched, multi-light window, occupies the centre of the house. Interconnecting double doors link through to the original entrance foyer, with its dramatic fan-lit glazed portal spilling out onto the east lawn.  The classical dining room is august and formal; dressed with gilded ancestral portraits hanging mutely on rich wine walls. Swags above the curtained windows date from 1820, and yes, there’s still a chamber pot hidden behind the shutters – lest a gentleman get caught short.

FACILITIES

The house is equipped with everything you would expect from a traditional large home – and sometimes more than one of them. The house is centrally heated in parts and there are wood-burning stoves or open fires in all the public spaces.  If you have a particular requirement, such as a chef, catering staff or a babysitter, please be sure to tell us in advance…

Upstairs accommodation has 6 bedrooms and sleeps 11, which consists in 4 double (3 en suite), 1 twin, and 1 single (en suite).

The modern kitchen has been fitted out in light oak and has a gas hob and a raised electric oven to compliment the traditional four oven Aga. There is a full height fridge and a matching freezer, and a utility room for laundry and pantry requirements. A tight little secret stairs runs up to the west wing bedrooms.

Drishane is the perfect venue for a romantic wedding.   Many options are available, which must include a marquee on one of our lawns. There are plenty of cottages and B&B’s nearby for guests.  If you have a local connection to the area, and want a particular wedding, have a chat with us to discuss it: we have all the contacts you will need.

The house and 4 bedrooms, and the gardens, may be rented as a venue for 3 days over the wedding day for €10,000.

Edith Somerville was a major influence on Drishane and the surrounding neighbourhood. The museum, situated in her studio, is a celebration of her very full life, containing many letters, drawings and photographs. Although most widely known for her collaboration with her cousin and very dear friend Violet Martin of Ross, she was far more than just a writer, which the exhibition attempts to demonstrate.

Edith Somerville (1858-1949) spent most of her life in Drishane House. Memorable for her writings in collaboration with her cousin under the pseudonym Somerville and Ross- of which The Experiences of an Irish R.M is probably the best known – she was also a highly regarded painter, with many examples of her work in the house.

SOMERVILLE AND ROSS

Edith Somerville met her cousin Violet Martin in 1886, and their first book An Irish Cousin appeared in 1889 under the names Geilles Herring (from the maiden name of her ancestor, the wife of Sir Walter de Somerville of Linton and Carnwath) and Martin Ross, though the pen names were dropped after the first edition.  In 1898 Edith Somerville went to paint at the Etaples art colony, accompanied by Violet.  There they created the stories later gathered in Some Experiences of an Irish R. M., completed the following year.  By the time Violet died in 1915, they had published fourteen books together.

Drishane House has been the home of the Somerville family for nine generations, or nearly 250 years. Thomas Somerville built the house around 1780 in classic Georgian style, its elevations hung with purple Benduff slate and surrounded by park-like gardens with mature trees, including several rare specimens. Situated at the top of the hill, with fabulous views of Castlehaven Bay and the point, he could keep an eye on the progress of his fleet of merchant ships that traded with America.

The house has changed slightly over the years, adjusting organically with the demands of family life. The front door moved from the east to the north wall in 1820. Edith Somerville added a French door to the southern aspect in 1901. An American admirer wanted Edith to have her own bathroom upstairs so a room supported on stilts was added to her bedroom. There has been some sensitive modernisation to bring the house into the twenty-first century, but the swags above the curtains in the dining room date from 1820. Some rooms still bear their 1830s wallpaper, and there’s still a chamber pot hidden behind the shutter in the dining room, where the portraits of past family members look down benignly.

Visitors can enjoy the House, Gardens and Museum. Three holiday cottages and Drishane House itself are for rent, and Weddings can be booked. We look forward to welcoming you.