Moore Hall, the house and estate of George Henry Moore and family, is situated to the south of the village Carnacon in the barony of Carra, County Mayo, Ireland in a karst limestone landscape. Named for the Irish landed gentry family who built the estate between 1792 and 1795, Moore Hall lies on Muckloon Hill overlooking Lough Carra. The house was designed by the Irish architect John Roberts. Several members of the Moore family played major parts in the social, cultural and political history of Ireland from the end of the eighteenth century to the early twentieth century. The house was burned down in 1923 by anti-Treaty IRA during the Irish Civil War as Maurice Moore was viewed as pro-Treaty.

Background

The Moores were a landed gentry Irish family who built Moore Hall between 1792 and 1795. The first Moore of Moore Hall was George Moore, a wine merchant, a name borne by many members of the family down the generations. The Moores were originally an English Protestant family but some became Catholic when John Moore married a Roman Catholic, Jane Lynch Athy of Galway, and when their son, George, married Katherine de Kilikelly (a.k.a. Kelly), an Irish-Spanish Catholic, in 1765. Notable members of the Moore family, associated with Moore Hall, include:

History

The house at Moore Hall was designed by John Roberts, an architect from Waterford who also designed Tyrone House in County Galway in a similar style. It was built between 1792 and 1796, and was occupied by various members of the extended Moore family until the turn of the 20th century. Moore Hall house was burned down on 1 February 1923 during the Irish Civil War. An account of the burning was given shortly afterwards by the owner in a letter to the press.

Later ownership

The house, lake, farm, and estate is now owned by the forestry company, Coillte, and it is a visitor attraction in the area. The house is not open to the public due to its poor condition – it has not been refurbished since it was burned. Non-native forestry grows on the estate lands along with areas of natural regeneration of clearfell areas recently cut by Coillte. Trees have begun growing over the farm walls and buildings behind the ruins of the grand house. Local people who lived and worked on the Moore Hall estate remembered it fondly. The estate passed to the Irish Land Commission upon the death of George Moore, and a campaign to restore the house has been waged. In 2018 the Mayo County Council purchased the 80-acre site with the intent of turning it into a tourist destination. The project is being undertaken as a strategic partnership between the Mayo Council, Coillte, and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. As of 2020, the first phase of work was underway, and included restoration of the Walled Garden, and new visitor facilities including walkways, seating, play areas and signage. Storyboards telling the story of Moore Hall, the Moore Family and their role in the history of the Irish nation are also planned for the site.

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