Sir, – With regard to the otherwise excellent article on the upcoming Mount Congreve sale (Lights go out in last ‘Big House’, Property, July 5th), although there have been many content sales of “Big Houses” over the last decades, there has also been much restoration and recovery.
The “last Big House” description is not one that the owners of historic properties such as Westport House, Kilruddery, Curraghmore, Ballyfin, Tullynally, Enniscoe, Churchill, Abbeyleix, Lyons, Beaulieu and many other heritage properties, who work so hard to keep them up, would recognise.
More importantly, it sends an unhelpful message about these properties and others like them that play an important role in the growing cultural tourism sector. – Yours, etc,