THE COLOURFUL HISTORY OF EUROPE’S TOP RESORT
The K Club is centred on one of Ireland’s best-known properties – Straffan House. Over its long history, it has been the home of Anglo-Norman invaders, rebellious aristocrats, a legendary wine family, the visionary importer behind the Mercedes and Volkswagen franchises, a James Bond movie producer, a property tycoon and even an Iranian general.
With such a colourful history, it is hardly surprising that what sets the K Club apart from other hotels is character – a character now available for all to enjoy since Dr Michael Smurfit’s Jefferson Smurfit Group bought the house and converted it into The K Club, voted Best European Resort 2005 by the readers of he US Condé Nast Traveler magazine. |
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The origins of Straffan House go back to the year 550 AD. After the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland, Straffan was granted by Strongbow to Maurice Fitzgerald, whose eldest son passed it to his younger brother, Gerald, an ancestor of the Duke of Leinster. Richard the Lionheart's brother, who later became King John of England and signed the Magna Carta in 1215, subsequently confirmed this grant.
The 16th century
Prominent titled families held ownership of the property and, by the 16th century, it was in the hands of the de Penkiston family. They paid dearly, however, for their part in a rebellion and forfeited the lands.
The 17th century
The lands were disposed of to the Gaydon family in the early 17th century and, in Cromwellian times, were forfeited again and granted to Thomas Bewley. The Gaydon family, declared innocent of the charges by which the property was seized from them, were eventually granted back the 700 acres, which they later sold to Richard Talbot in 1679 for the sum of £700.
The 19th century
In 1831, Hugh Barton – grandson of Thomas Barton, whose name endures in the famous Barton & Guestier wine label – purchased the property. The Bartons, originally from Buttevant in Co. Cork, had extensive vineyards in France but Hugh Barton was forced out of the country during the infamous Reign of Terror. He ploughed his fortune into Straffan House and other lands in Ireland and started building a grand house for his family in 1832 – it forms the basis of the present day hotel. While it was under construction, the Bartons lived at nearby Barberstown Castle.
The design of the new house, which is now the east wing of the hotel, was based on that of a great chateau at Louveciennes, to the west of Paris. For Hugh Barton and his wife, Ann, Straffan became a haven of peace and contentment after the turmoil of France. Long after the house was built, Hugh Barton added a final touch, the Italianate campanile tower, still there today. Hugh Barton died on May 25 1854 aged 89 and is buried in the Church of Ireland graveyard in Straffan alongside his wife.
The 20th & 21st century
The house remained in the Barton family until 1949. It was bought by businessman Steven O'Flaherty, who acquired the Volkswagen franchise for Ireland and Britain in the late 1940s and manufactured the first Beetle outside Germany. He later added Mercedes to the roster and his sons, Michael and Nigel, now control Motor Distributors Limited, which also controls the Audi and Skoda franchises in Ireland.
Later, Straffan House passed to Kevin Mc Clory, producer of Thunderball and Never Say Never Again. It was then owned by an Iranian General and, latterly, by property developer Patrick Gallagher and the Ferguson family.
The Jefferson Smurfit Group purchased the house in 1988 and The K Club was opened as a resort in July 1991, comprising a 36-bedroom hotel and the instant classic that is the Palmer Course. Since then, a second golf course - the Smurfit Course – has been developed, and an additional 33 bedrooms, garden and courtyard suites, another clubhouse with ballroom and conference facilities and a luxurious spa have been added to the resort.
Dr Michael Smurfit and Mr Gerry Gannon privately purchased the K Club in 2005.
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