1600-1700's
In the 1600's the Quin family settles in Adare. The first recorded member of the family in the village was Donagh Quin (d. 1671) He was buried in the Franciscan Abbey, a sign that he was a highly-placed and well-respected member of the community. At the time of his death, his landholdings were relatively modest, producing about £100 a year in income. While this was a respectable living for the time, it was very far from a grand estate. Thady Quin, Donagh’s son, was urged by his father to take up a practical profession. He made his fortune as a country lawyer in Adare and by a series of financially advantageous marriages throughout his life. Over the years, he acquired large tracts of land in the area, including thousand-year leases on some of the forfeited Fitzgerald properties. Valentine Quin, Thady’s eldest son, inherited his father’s property and leased land in Adare. He built on his father’s accomplishments and followed in his footsteps, buying the leased land outright and purchasing more in the 1720s. He also married a wealthy heiress, Mary Widenham of Court, Kildimo. Valentine probably built the first documented Quin family house in Adare. Built on the former manorial demesne, it was simply named “Adare House”. The two-story house faced south, with seven bays, a three-bay pedimented breakfront, and tall chimney stacks with a steeply pitched roof. The house faced over a plain garden with strict geometric topiaries, and the surrounding estate was dominated by formally laid out avenues and tall boundaries of trees. CONTINUED
Rare Luxury Living 151
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