From Wexford’s answer to Downton Abbey to a derelict site ravaged by years of squatting
Wexford PeopleThose who remember Kerlogue House in its heyday say it was “like something straight out of Downton Abbey”. Built in 1884 for a Mr Francis Boxwell, this stately manor was modelled on an Elizabethan house in Wiltshire, England and, at the time of its construction, had scenic views of Wexford Harbour and extensive lands featuring stables, an orchard, and tennis courts.
While the exterior still retains many of the features from the original building and offers a glimpse into the vision Mr Boxwell had when he commissioned the property, the interior is decimated, completely and utterly devastated by years of squatting, years of parties and unwelcome visitors.
It has remained vacant for the past 18 years and, in that time, has gradually become a haven for anti-social behaviour, a place for those with nowhere else to go to seek refuge in the winter months.
As a resident in a neighbouring housing estate, and someone whose home overlooks the property, former garda superintendent Denis Whelan is keen to see the issues in Kerlogue House addressed.
Inviting us to see it for ourselves, Denis acted as tour guide/estate agent as he showed us round what is left of a property which, at its peak, would have fetched seven-figure sums on the private market. With the main gates padlocked Denis, accompanied by Councillor Tom Forde, directed us through an alternative entrance at the side of the main road.
Completely obscured from traffic, surrounded by trees and greenery, you wouldn’t know Kerlogue House existed unless you were looking for it. However, once you shuffle your way over a fence, round a corner, and past the Gate Lodge, you find yourself in the grounds proper where you are instantly confronted by the years of neglect. The Gate Lodge itself has been ransacked, ripped to shreds, the host of one party too many, while outside it the debris from those parties lays scattered along a path which once served as the road to and from the main building.
On either side of that path are old spotlights, once used to illuminate the building at night they are now smashed to pieces, barely visible as nature slowly reclaims the land. The overgrowth makes it difficult to navigate the path without falling foul of at least one briar.
Two caravans sit comfortably outside the front of the building. A table sits outside one of the caravans, a sliced pan and a pound of butter open and ready for use, beside it, a selection of chairs and a still smouldering fire.
A ground-floor room in Kerlogue Manor in Wexford. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
A camper van outside Kerlogue Manor in Wexford. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
The conservatory in Kerlogue Manor in Wexford. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
The kitchen area in Kerlogue Manor in Wexford. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
A caravan outside Kerlogue Manor in Wexford. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
The livingroom in Kerlogue Manor in Wexford. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
Ground floor in Kerlogue Manor in Wexford. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
A room at the rear of Kerlogue Manor in Wexford. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
The stairs in Kerlogue Manor in Wexford. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
A storeroom inside Kerlogue Manor in Wexford. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
The hallway upstairs in Kerlogue Manor in Wexford. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
A ground-floor bathroom in Kerlogue Manor in Wexford. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
An upstairs bathroom in Kerlogue Manor in Wexford. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
Denis shows us inside the building to show us what 18 years of dereliction gets you. While there are occasional remnants of better days; a chandelier which hasn’t been fully ripped from the ceiling, a sun room which, if you squint, transports you back to the building’s pomp; the overall sensation is that we are entering a war zone. Each room is worse than the last. Anything of worth has long since been pillaged. That includes fireplaces, the copper piping in the floors, and the contents of a safe stowed safely in one of the back rooms.
The amount of cans, broken glass, and drug paraphernalia spread across the floors means progress is slow, and it becomes slower still once you reach the hallways, where the floorboards have been ripped up to get to that valuable copper.
Upstairs there are two libraries; books on metaphysics lay beside a Mikael Gorbachev biography and a Spike Milligan tome about depression, but most of the shelves are empty, their contents burned during the winter months, used as fuel to warm the squatters in the building on those cold January nights.
Bathrooms are a no-go area, their contents likely to upset the sturdiest of stomachs, however, remarkably, the kitchens have withstood much of the punishment meted out to the building, their cupboard and presses still attached to the wall - albeit with many of the doors torn off just for the sake of it.
What’s abundantly clear is that Kerlogue House is beyond saving. No amount of money could restore it to anything approaching a habitable property.
‘We are very concerned about the ongoing issues’
Ordinarily, Wexford County Council (WCC) would place such a structure on its derelict sites list, thus forcing the owner to pay an annual levy until the building is either renovated or sold to a third party. However, Kerlogue House is a protected structure and the 7 pc levy (of the building’s value) does not apply here.
But a local authority can require the owner of a protected structure to carry out specified measures or works. It can also acquire the property by agreement or compulsorily. Furthermore, under the Planning and the Development Act, the endangerment of a protected structure, directly or indirectly through neglect, is an offence.
While WCC’s housing department is “aware” of the issues at Kerlogue House and has been liaising with some of those living there, there has been no confirmation of a course of action.
As a result, Denis and his neighbours in Kerlogue Manor and Seaview Court must continue to look on from afar as bonfires are lit and those frequenting the house enjoy the long summer nights.
“We are very concerned about the ongoing issues” he says. “There are fires being lit in here all the time and there’s a fear that the whole building could go up. We’re also concerned that more and more people are going to end up staying here if something isn’t done.
“We urgently need decisive action to secure the property and preserve what remains of this important landmark before it is lost forever.”
Cllr Tom Forde and local resident Denis Whelan outside Kerlogue Manor in Wexford on Monday. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell
While Councillor Forde shares Denis’s concerns regarding anti-social behaviour and has received reports that drugs are being dealt in the house, he believes that those living there need somewhere safe to go at night.
“There’s nowhere for people to go for homeless services if they do have addiction issues,” he says. “Ozanam House, understandably, is a dry hostel, you can’t use alcohol or any drugs there. We need a wet hostel in Wexford.”
The behaviour of those living in the house have also come to the attention of Cllr Ger Carthy who, in his role as a paramedic, is fearful that he and his team will be called to Kerlogue Manor to assist those with addiction issues.
Having initially raised the alarm at the June meeting of WCC, he once more asked what the council intended to do with the property at July’s meeting.
“Did we take any action following my request at the last meeting?” he asked. “I hope the council has visited that site and has good news for me seeing as I raised the issues around dereliction, anti-social behaviour, and pit bulls, at June’s meeting.”
Cllr Catherine Biddy Walsh had also been made aware of the problems at the site and she asked whether the council had the power to issue any levies on the building and thus compel its owner to take action to return it to use.
“Can we apply levies to Kerlogue House?” she asked. “Maybe that’s how it will get sorted. Sometimes people only understand the gravity of something when it hits them in their pocket.”
“We’ll take a look at it and come back,” replied Mr Taaffe.
Later in the meeting, acting director of services, Eileen Morrissey, confirmed the council’s housing department is “aware of the situation” at Kerlogue House and has been engaging with some “individuals who want to engage with the HSE’s addiction services”.
The owner of Kerlogue House has been contacted for comment but said they were precluded from commenting due to legal issues.