Previous House Owners

Robert Donough O'Brien

Birthdate:

1844

Death:

1917

Immediate Family:

Son of William Smith O'Brien and Lucy Caroline O'Brien

Brother of Edward William O'Brien; William Joseph O'Brien; Lucy Josephine Gwynn; Very Reverend Lucius Henry O'Brien;

Charlotte Grace O'Brien and 1 other

Donough was a truly eccentric man, born in 1844, he was only 

 

 

 

Lucy Gwynn

 

Lucy Gwynn was born in County Donegal in Ireland. Her father John Gwynn was a Syriacist

and Regius Professor of Divinity at Trinity College Dublin. Her mother was Lucy O'Brien,

daughter of MP William Smith O'Brien. Her eight brothers included the author and politician

Stephen Gwynn, the academic Edward Gwynn, the career soldier Major General Sir Charles

Gwynn, the cricketers Lucius Gwynn and Arthur Gwynn, the academic cleric and social

reformer Robin Gwynn, the Indian civil servant and journalist Jack Gwynn and the Irish civil

servant Brian Gwynn. She had one sister, Mary Gwynn, the wife of Henry Bowen and

stepmother of the writer Elizabeth Bowen. She was a niece of Harriet Monsell (1812-1883)

Lucy Gwynn was appointed Trinity College Dublin in February 1905.

Trinity College had

Despite coming from a family of academics Lucy Gwynn had been unable to get a university

education herself. She was 39 years old when appointed to her position in the university.

In 1922, the Dublin University Women Graduates’ Association was founded, under Lucy

Gwynn's presidency.

Lucy Gwynn never married. As an eldest daughter she was required to assist in the

management of her parents' household and attend to them in their old age. From her mother's

brother Robert Donough O'Brien (1844-1917), an architect, she inherited the house he had

designed and built at Parteen-a-Lax in County Clare, close to Limerick town. It was there that

she retired at the end of her working life. Her hobby was tending its beautiful garden which lay

next to the river Shannon.

 

Geraldine O'Brien

Geraldine Mary O’Brien was born on 27th February 1922 in Limerick to father Donough Richard O’Brien and mother Cicely Maud Carus-Wilson. Artistic abilities ran through her blood as her mother was a successful artist, as well as her cousins Dermod O’Brien, Brigid Ganly, and Kitty Wilmer O’Brien. She honed her craft and was educated in Dublin, eventually defining herself as a botanical artist, working primarily with oils.

At the age of 17, O’Brien was winning prizes from London’s Royal Drawing Society, and by 18 she was exhibiting at the Royal Hibernian Academy, a place she would exhibit consistently throughout her career.

Her professional career began to take off around the time of the second world war, and this meant it was near impossible to travel to study in other locations. O’Brien did not let this effect her creativity, as during this period she turned her hand to mechanical period until she ultimately returned to still lives of botanical scenes.

After her studies in Dublin she was led back to Limerick where she worked in her studio, or ‘The Piggery’ as it was known. She would bring plants that she grew in her garden into the studio and would work directly with them. Her work is always rich in colour and brings life to the canvas with realism and depth.

A proud Limerick woman, she lived with her husband, David Coote Hely Hutchinson, in Parteen from 1948, until she padded away in 2014.

The Old River House at Parteen

The Old River House at Parteen, County Clare is a private family house, with a number of annexes, either offering guests rooms in a home share or the option to book exclusive use of the entire house. Currently, the estate offers accomodation in the main house, known locally by its Old Irish / Viking name of Parteen-a-Lax, but is preparing the annex cottages and buildings for booking, starting in the Spring of 2025.

 

The grounds, comprising of eight acres of gardens, woodland and river bank are being reclaimed from nature after a 25 year lapse in management.

Recent Reviews

  • Don, August 2024

    Mark is a gracious host and goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure his guests feel right at home. This is an idyllic location —unique and steeped in history. The location is just perfect—a rustic feel within close proximity to Limerick....

    Read More …

  • Thomas, August 2024

    Parteen-a-Lax is an utterly charming country home that feels like its own slice of the world but is within a 10-minute drive of Limerick city centre. Mark is a fantastic host and raconteur who made sure we had a pleasant stay. The house is storied...

    Read More …

  • Marcela, October 2024

    Great quiet sleep, beautiful wilderness Quiet, warm, period home with great history. Mark was an excellent host, very kind and knowledgeable of the home’s history. Beautiful all around!!

    Read More …

  • Lars, September 2024

    Our stay with was amazing! Mark was a super nice guy with a lot of interesting stories. He made sure that we felt comfortable from the first second. The apartment itself was spacious and gorgeous. It's an old country house with a lot of charm...

    Read More …

  • Finbar, October 2024

    Cant wait to go back! A Memorable Stay with an Exceptional Host! We had a wonderful time staying at Mark’s place while attending a wedding in Limerick. From the moment we arrived, we were overwhelmed by the beauty of the building. Mark welcomed us...

    Read More …