Clós na Feirme, the farmyard of the Ebor Hall estate was built before Griffith's Valuation by General Booth on land leased from the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin. Booth later sold his interest to Lord Mountmorres who was murdered nearby in 1880. It belonged to the Boyd family for much of the 20th century. Seperated plots were extensively renovated in the late 20th century, Clós na Feirme is now a courtyard of well maintained residences on the shore of Lough Corrib.
This Lodge, Ardilaun Lodge was named after the Ardilaun Island on Lough Corrib which is the long thin island covered in trees (to the left as you look out on to the lake), as are all the lodges in the complex, except for Carrowkeel Lodge and Tumneenaun House Lodge which are named after local areas where we grew up.
Ardilaun Lodge began life as the HARNESS HOUSE for Clós na Feirme (“the farmyard”) in the Ebor Hall Estate. The Harness House is where the leather collar, bridle, heams, britchel, straddle and saddles were kept for the horses. They were cleaned and preserved here and hence the fireplace in a stable! During later years after the famine, this store was rented out to a Whelan family for work and became a home for the first time.