Hollybrook House

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Hollybrook House, Ballinafad is Georgian mansion, beautifully situated on the banks of Lough Arrow (about 6 miles from Boyle, Co Roscommon). Hollybrook Demesne is also known as the townland of Ballyhealy (Bail’ Aodh Éiligh - home of Hugh Healy in 1590’). Hollybrook, the seat of the ffolliot family, was built in 1756 as a successor to an earlier castle.

In 1786, Wilson refers to it as the seat of William Phibbs (The estate passed to the Phibbs family in the late 18th century, and was later bought back by another member of the Ffolliott family.

In 1802, McParlan described it as "a very good house". The "Descriptive Remarks from the Ordnance Survey Parish Namebook" (1830-40) state 'The proprietor John Follitt [sic] resides in a handsome house near the centre of the townland called Hollybrook House…built in 1725 and repaired in 1826'.

Albeitthe "seat" of the ffolliot family, the house was not occupied by them.

John ffolliott (d. 1868) 'late of Hollybrook County Sligo' (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1868, 158); Lieutenant-Colonel John ffolliott (1824-94) and Grace Charlotte ffolliott (née Philips) (1827-1909) 'late of Hollybrook House County Sligo' (Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1895, 264; 1910, 191); and Margaret Zaida ffolliott (----), 'Landowner' (NA 1911).

In 1814, Hollybrook was the residence of John Knott & Jane Loughead (b. 1793 in Ballybrennan Co. Sligo). Who raised the following children there:

Hugh Knott* married Jane Brett on 28 Jan 1846, resided at Hollybrook until 1861, when the family emigrated to Canada.
James Knott (b. 1814) married Rachel Taylor
Jane Knott (b.1821)
Eliza Knott (b.1830)
William Knott (ca. 1831-1873) married Susanna
Margaret Knott (b.1835)

In 1844, Hollybrook was the seat of John Ffolliot Esq. M.P. [Fraser]. At the time of Griffith's Valuation John Ffolliott is recorded as the owner of the house. On both of these occasions, Hollybrook was actually the residence of John Knott, succeeded by his son, Hugh Knott.

*Hugh Knott & Jane Brett (b. 1819) had the following children born at Hollybrook:

Eliza Jane Knott (1847-1884)
Christopher Knott (1848-1946)
John William Knott (1850-)
Susannah Knott (1852-1912)
James Knott (1854-1922)
Sarah Ann Knott (1855-)
Rebecca Elenor Knott (1857-)
Hugh Knott (1860-)

In 1906 it was the property of Agnes Ffolliott when the house was valued at £55.

Hollybrook then became a sporting hotel, run by Edgar Smith and his mother up to 1960. (See 'Holiday at Hollybrook House' on YouTube depicting a family's holiday spent there in 1938).

Hollybrook house, which has remained vacant ever since (but in excellent condition) is currently for sale.