Headfort House was commissioned by Thomas Taylor, 1st Earl of Bective, and built during the 1760s and 1770s as the family seat following their elevation to the Irish peerage. Designed by the renowned Scottish architect Robert Adam, it is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s finest Palladian country houses and among Adam’s most important works.

In 1800, the Earl’s son was created the 1st Marquis of Headfort. Among the family’s best-known residents were Geoffrey, 4th Marquis of Headfort, and his wife, Rosie Boote, the celebrated Gaiety Theatre actress who became the 4th Marchioness of Headfort. The house is particularly celebrated for its magnificent eighteenth-century interiors, which were selected by the World Monuments Fund for restoration in 2004 in recognition of their international architectural significance.

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In 1949, the 5th Marquis and Marchioness of Headfort helped establish Headfort School and leased the main house to the newly formed school. Headfort House has remained in continuous educational use since 1949, an adaptation that has ensured the preservation of one of Ireland’s great Palladian houses. Today, the school educates generations of children from Ireland and around the world, welcoming pupils of all faiths and backgrounds.

During term time, Headfort House is first and foremost a living school. Many pupils board on campus throughout the week, making this remarkable historic house not simply a place to visit, but a place where children learn, grow and create lifelong memories. Set within beautiful parkland, the campus offers tennis courts, rugby pitches, tyre swings, ancient magnolia trees and magnificent birches, providing an environment where the outdoors is as much a part of learning as the classrooms themselves.

 

To enquire about events at Headfort please contact office@headfortschool.ie.