Lissan House Trust

General information

The Lissan Estate was founded in its modern form by Thomas Staples of Yate Court near Bristol.

In about 1610, with the encouragement of the Draper's Company of London (who were encouraging the settlement of English and Scots planters on their lands in Ulster) he settled in the new town of Moneymore in Co. Londonderry and set about making his fortune. Upon making a very good marriage, he utilized his wife's dowry to purchase an Iron Forge and lands situate at the townland of Tatnagilta known as Lios Áine (the Fort of Áine, Celtic Goddess of summer) which lands today lie at the heart of the Lissan Estate. In addition he also purchased the town of Cookstown. As a result of his efforts he was created the 1st Baronet Lissan by King Charles I in 1628.

It is thought that the above-ground structure of today's Lissan House was largely constructed by Sir Thomas' third son Sir Robert Staples in c.1670 incorporating several earlier structures including his father's dwelling.

The Staples family remained at Lissan, extending and improving Lissan House (though never demolishing what had gone before) until 2006. This is thought to be the longest occupation by a single family of any domestic dwelling in Ireland.

When the last member of the Staples family to reside at Lissan, Hazel Radclyffe-Dolling (née Staples), died in 2006, she bequeathed the house and remaining Estate of around 350 acres to the Lissan House Trust. The Trust was founded in 1997 (and reformed in 2004) to find a sustainable future for the Lissan Estate which would secure its historic heritage whilst supplying the local community with a valuable leisure and tourism asset.

It is planned that the Estate will encompass community and leisure space; holiday accommodation; workshops; events space and working gardens whilst the House will become the restored centre piece of the project as a heritage tourism attraction and unique events venue.

Phase I of the Restoration of Lissan House commenced in 2010 and major structural restoration work was carried out on the main House including making the building structurally safe; re-roofing; removal of the 1940's cement render and its replacement with limewashed lime mortar and re-fenestration with Georgian glazing. In addition, the interior of the house was re-presented, forest trails laid, an adventure playground constructed and an interpretative exhibition installed in the house.

Funding for Phase II (the restoration of the interior decorative schemes, re-building the Conservatory and the complete restoration of the farmyard and outbuildings) is currently being sought.

The restored House opened to the public for the first time in April 2012.