One of the great joys of rural Ireland is the way in which its countryside throws up the occasional house with classical quality. Sometimes these are unknown to all but a few people who come to admire them, particularly if they are country Georgian houses.
In the late 1700s and early 1800s quite a number of these were built by the landed gentry and prosperous business people. The best of the Georgian houses reflect the superb qualities of the period - grace, elegance and space. The builders also believed in making the best use of natural light by installing large elegant windows to capitalise on the landscape.
Rossennara House, at Kilmoganny, Co Kilkenny, is such a house. Built in 1824 to the design of James Hoban, who also designed The White House in Washington, the three-storey mansion has been kept in impeccable condition by a succession of owners.
It first came on the market towards the end of 1996 and to show that they are now serious about selling it, the Irish-American owners have dropped the asking price to around £1.5 million, according to joint selling agents Sotheby's International Realty and Carlow-based Thomas M Byrne.
The house could turn out to be one of the great bargains of the year.
Rossennara has been owned for the past 19 years by Walter and Christine Griffith, whose main home is in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They also have a string of homes in other parts of the world.
The couple have run the Kilkenny mansion with great style since they bought it in 1980 from the US novelist and playwright Richard Condon.
Previous owners include Sir John Lavery, husband of Lady Lavery, whose portrait appeared on the Irish pound.
The house is built on classical lines in the Palladian style. The five-bay centre block has two matching wings, which greatly enhance the overall appearance. Rossennara House stands on 10 acres of superb parkland among beautiful lawn and mature trees. Red Rum, three-time winner of the English Grand National, was bred on the estate.
The house is particularly suitable for entertaining, having a large entrance hall and four reception rooms. The drawingroom has exceptional appeal with its attractive marble fireplace and tall windows looking out over the sloping gardens. Lavery's painting of this room hangs in the National Gallery.
There is a particularly fine diningroom, which can easily seat 20 people. On the opposite side of the hall, there is a library/billiards room and at the back of the house a lovely morning room, which catches the sun in the early part of the day.
The inner hall has a particularly handsome staircase leading to a spacious landing, where there are three large bedrooms with en suite bathrooms. There is also a children's room on this floor, next to the staff staircase which leads down to the kitchen.
There are five more bedrooms on the third floor, the most striking of them Lady Lavery's old room.
Rossennara House is a gracious country house with wonderful proportions, delicate plasterwork and large fireplaces, all with gas fires. There is also oil-fired central heating.
There are two kitchens - the first in one of the wings where there is also a staff quarters. The other kitchen, laid out and fitted for catering on a grand scale, is located in the basement. The second wing of the house is given over to double garages and stores.
Mr and Mrs Griffith built an indoor, heated swimming-pool complex with large windows, which keep it bright. The leisure centre also includes a huge Jacuzzi.
The house is reached through electronically controlled gates at a end of tree-lined drive.
Rossennara is seven miles from Mount Juliet Country Club. It is 16 miles from Kilkenny and 87 miles from Dublin.
