North Wicklow's own Hotel California?

Posted on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 01:00 PM

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Now that the days of squeezing pennies out of the peasants has passed the descendants of the local landed gentry have to find new ways to pay for the upkeep on their large homes and estates. Killruddery House in North Wicklow is no exception.

There are concerts there during the summer, movie and television programs are filmed there (Angela's Ashes, The Tudors, Camelot are three you might know) and there is a regular stream of events for which the general public can pay into the estate. All very praise-worthy, much better than their plan to sell off more of the land for housing development.

All of which brings me to their new sign.

The other day after my trip away I was driving by Killruddery when I saw that they had a new sign outside the main gate. The sign is an attractive invitation to the passing public to drop in.

You can (pay to) visit the house, (pay to) visit the beautiful gardens, (pay to) walk the hills that make up much of the estate or (pay to) enjoy one of their many special events. The sign is a lure.

Nice sign, I thought, but then I saw what was written on it. Immediately I said to myself, "Sometimes phrasing and grammar matter."

Right there on their nice new sign beneath the name Killruddery was their new slogan: "A Place To Escape." Uggh.

Of course I knew what they meant, but my reaction was to laugh at them. "Sounds like Colditz or Alcatraz or, better yet, Hotel California."

You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave!

I'm know that's NOT the image Killruddery's owners have in mind. In fact, I'd be surprised if they weren't happy at the end of each day when the last of the riffraff leaves their grounds.

That's not what their sign says, however. According to the sign getting away from the place is the real joy. Time for Killruddery sign 2.0.

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Towngate | Jun 16, 2011, 10:23 AM EDT

That's okay,Yank. Obama caught me a glancing blow on the side of my head with his hurley stick in Dublin and then Prince Philip did the same to the other side in London ~ so I haven't been quite myself! ~ ~ Sorry I missed the humour in your piece. ~ ~ ~ I have a 'thing' about these Big Houses who now have to struggle for existance since the people who were pleased to plough twenty acres for a crust of bread are all now swanking about in houses of their own with picture windows and parquet floors! ~ ~ ~ This noble Seat of the Earls of Meath probably has a better 'Story of Real Life in Ireland Today' for you to tell other than you just having a pop at their rather sad sign. Slainte!

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TheYank | Jun 15, 2011, 05:24 PM EDT

Towngate,

I was just having fun. I have no idea whether Kilruddery's owners exploited the local peasants or not. I know the heir to the estate was killed in WWI and I believe an earlier generation funded an expedition to the North Pole. That's as much as I know.

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Towngate | Jun 15, 2011, 12:47 PM EDT

Aw,Yank ~ I am disapointed in you! You seem to disapprove of Kilreddery on principle for trying to make a living and assume they exploited the peasants in the past. Often the 'Big House' nurtured and protected their 'tenants' and staff. This was mutually beneficial, of course, but I know from personal experience that it was often the defensive employees of these Estates who gave any intruding 'peasants' a rough time and kept them 'in their place'! I have no connection, so I cannot speak for Kilruddery, but I feel you should not tar everything with the same (hackneyed old) brush.

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