Forgotten magicians: creating the landscapes and gardens of the Irish landed elite during the nineteenth century

Abstract

This thesis examines the development of the nineteenth-century landscape and gardens of the Irish landed elite, a period that saw considerable activity in garden design in England, but about which little has been recorded in an Irish context. The garden styles in England, Scotland and Europe are briefly reviewed in order to compare with what was happening in Ireland.This thesis is an interdisciplinary study weaving social history with the history of design, drawing on a diverse range of sources from memoirs, diaries, correspondence and account books. The gardening periodicals of the time have been examined to see what was being recorded about Irish horticulture. Demesne maps and plans and surviving evidence of the estates themselves have been examined and photographed as well as some of the more popular photographic archives. The biographies of several figures who influenced the development of the Irish landscape and garden are researched: these are the 'forgotten magicians' who have been overlooked in past records but are now brought to notice. The impact of Scottish gardeners/designers such as Alexander M'Leish, James Fraser and Ninian Niven is examined further. The innovative glasshouses of Richard Turner is recorded, as is the work of Sir Joseph Paxton at Lismore, Co Waterford. The role of elite women in the development of the garden and landscape is shown to have been a much greater influence than has been previously recognised. Their records in paintings and botanical drawings as well as their personal gardening journals are an important contribution to the study of the life of the women of the landed elite. The case study of Doneraile Court provides a record of an elite families gardening's exploits over the nineteenth century: the design of the demesne, the plants grown and the working conditions and pay of the gardeners. Irish During the nineteenth-century Irish landscape development was tempered by very different social, economic and political factors compared to England: absentee landlordism, poor landlord-tenant relations, famine, and, by the end of the nineteenth century, the break-up of landed estates. The culmination of these factors and personalities in the Irish environment has ensured a legacy of horticulture excellence still evident in the landscape today.

Thesis embargoed until 31st July 2025.

Date of Award	Jul 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Supervisor	Olwen Purdue (Supervisor) & Leonie Hannan (Supervisor)