Everyday Life

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Managing a Big House

On smaller estates, landlords often managed their own affairs. On middling and larger estates, the day to day management was usually left to an agent. Big houses and estates were the largest sources of employment in rural Ireland.

A mansion such as Castletown required an army of servants to keep it going including a butler, housekeeper, cook, governesses (to look after the younger children's education), valets, footmen and a variety of different types of maids. Gardeners, herders to look after livestock, gamekeepers, labourers, masons, carpenters and a variety of other tradesmen were employed on the demesne.

A Servant's Lot

A servant's life was an extremely difficult one. They worked very long hours, usually six and a half days per week, for very little pay. In Irish big houses, many of them, particularly those in closest contact with the family, were imported from Britain. They were usually Protestants, as landlords, for a variety of reasons, preferred to employ those who shared their religious beliefs.

Servants usually lived in the big house in a specially designed wing or on the upper floor. Some lived in cottages on the demesne: most servants remained single.