Ballinure House.

The attached photos show the old Ballinure House in the 1970s, it was demolished soon afterwards.

It was located in the present day grounds of the Nagle College, some trees from the estate still stand on these grounds and in Loughmahon Park.

The large imposing entrance was located on the old Ballinure road and the house itself was surrounded by trees.

The large house was associated mainly with the Perrier family.

Sir Anthony Perrier (1712-1772) married a Jane Black of Limerick and they had eight children, two of whom were Mayor’s of Cork. The family was in the glass manufacturing business and also had a distillery. Sir David Perrier (1765-1826), the Cork Mayor in 1814, seems to have been a particular target for ridicule, for wasting money due his use of a 20 oar barge, with which he visited big houses around Cork Harbour along with his use of “appropriate hospitality”.

His younger brother, Sir Anthony Perrier (1770-1845) was also Cork Mayor in 1821. He had 16 children and one of his sons was William Lumley Perrier (1805-1895) who married Anna Lumley of Douglas House and the family was in the insurance business.

William was an Alderman, a JP and High Sheriff in 1832/3. They had two sons and a daughter and the family lived in Ballinure House from 1850 until 1930. William Lumley Perrier Junior married Maria Francis Clarke, they lived in Maryborough House and Ballinure House and had 11 children.

The Perrier motto was “Consilio et Vi” (Courtesy and Strength). There is a stone plaque on the wall of St Luke’s Cemetery in Douglas, which states “The Burial Place of Anthony Perrier and Family” while there is a plaque to the Perrier family in Christ Church on South Main Street. (see photo 1).

Many older residents remember this very large house surrounded by trees in which the Wolfe family, (Rosie and Willie Wolfe) lived. The imposing entrance to the house on the old Ballinure Road was the scene of many road hurling games on summer evenings. Some old orchard walls and trees still survive.

If anyone has further information or photos we will be happy to publish them. It is vital that we retain a record of the heritage of the area.

Photo 1. Christ Church wall plaque.

Photo 2. We are grateful to John Wolfe for supplying photo 2.

Photo 3. Courtesy of Muriel Swaine.

Photos 4 – 6. The location of Ballinure House and the trees from the old estate on the grounds of the Nagle College and Loughmahon Park.