Aesthetically, inside and out, Lismore is essentially a vast 19th
century rebuild and restoration. Having substantially contributed to the dazzling improvements at Chatsworth, Paxton was
asked to work his magic at Lismore, which had been acquired by
the Cavendishes in the mid-eighteenth century. With Gothic
Revival the rage, as exemplified by the new Houses of Parliament by the Thames in London, Paxton, fittingly, executed a
domestic masterpiece of similar ilk by the Blackwater in Lismore. To emphasize the aesthetic and political connections
between the two buildings, Pugin was commissioned to create
a hall at Lismore reminiscent of those found at Westminster.
Suzy���s evenings of Irish reels, dining and divine services are
infused with great dignity when they occur in this Pugin masterpiece.
HYLAND
