The History

1598

The previous owners rebelled and the Hyde family lost the castle but were reinstated in 1602 and remained on the estate for 250 years. It was a descendant of this family, Dr Douglas Hyde (1860-1949) who was founder of the Gaelic League in 1893, and became the first President of Ireland in 1938.

1740

By 1740 it is inconceivable that the Hydes were still living in their medieval castle. The family genealogy show that an Arthur Hyde married an heiress in the late 1720’s or early 1730’s so it is likely that the money was used in some form to alter the living circumstances of the family.

1801

A house was built for John Hyde consisting of a centre block of 3 storeys over a basement. The house stands beside the River Blackwater with its back up against a cliff. Some of the features of the house seem to date prior to the 1800’s and this house might possibly be a rebuilding of an earlier house.

1832

The last recorded dual in County Cork was fought in the grounds of Castlehyde where it was watched by hundreds of people. The dual was fought by pistols.

1851

The Hydes ran into financial difficulties like many, and John Hyde, the younger son of the builder of the house, was forced to sell the property to Arthur Guinness for a meagre £3935 and moved to the nearby Cregg Castle where he eventually died. The estate at this time contained several acres of mature oak trees and twenty-two acres of gardens and pleasure grounds, laid out in terrace walks with clipped hedges of yew and box.

1856

Castlehyde was now owned by John Sadleir, the notorious MP and Junior Lord of the Treasury, who committed suicide in England some years later, when his involvement in a gigantic fraud was exposed.

1862

The estate was sold again to Sir Henry Beecher who gave the residence to his brother John, who lived there for 20 years.

1893

Two years after Sir Henry’s death the house was passed on to another brother William Beecher.

1905

There was a great discovery at this time. While in the employment of William Wrixon Beecher Esq, farm labourers engaged in ploughing in a field at the back of the house struck a large flagstone hidden beneath the surface. On removing the flagstone, they found a pagan tomb consisting of a clay urn filled with incinerated human bones. It dated back about 2000 years BC. It was fortunate that the urn had fallen in appreciative hands of owners who placed it in the National Museum in Dublin.

1999

The property now belongs to Dr Michael Flatley, who carried out extensive restoration to the house and estate. The ruins of the old castle of the Condons still remain, rising from the cliff immediately above the house.

2003

On 29th April while digging a drain, a stone was overturned and found underneath was a beautiful urn and bones. It was very fortunate that Michael Flatley was on the site. He called University College Cork Archaeology Department and Professor Peter Woodman looked after the dig.