Bessborough
The Bessborough Estate is located in Kildalton near Piltown in County Kilkenny. It was first built in 1745 by Francis Bindon for the Ponsonby Family.
Bessborough House
Photograph of Bessborough House, Piltown, County Kilkenny
Bessborough House
Bessborough House
Photograph of Bessborough House, Piltown, County Kilkenny
The land on which the house was built was originally owned by the Daton family. The Datons arrived in Ireland during the Norman conquests of the 12th century. They settled in south Kilkenny after becoming a wealthy family. However, their lands were confiscated in the 17th century by Major John Ponsonby.
Ponsonby was an officer of the Cromwellian forces, who was awarded extensive lands at Kildalton for his services to the Crown.
20th Century
Bessborough House had to be rebuilt in 1929 after it was burned down in 1923. The Ponsonbys never returned to the house after this.
In March 1940 the Oblate Fathers established a seminary at Bessborough House. The Oblates worked their own bakery, and farmed dairy cows, poultry, cattle, pigs, sheep. They grew potatoes, grain and other crops. They also had a very good orchard.
From 1941 to 1971, 360 priests were ordained in Bessborough House, Kildalton. By 1970 numbers joining the order had fallen and the Oblates decided to sell the property.
It was bought for £250,000 by the Department of Agriculture in 1971. It was then opened as an agricultural and horticultural college and renamed Kildalton College.
Kildalton College
Kildalton is the largest agricultural college in the country. It offers education on a wide variety of subjects including horticulture, equine studies, machinery and agriculture.
The college is run by Teagasc, who are the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority.
The college is linked with Waterford Institute of Technology and at present there are roughly 350 students registered for various courses in the college.