Notes: Friday 17 October 2014 Hi 16°C | Lo 11°C | WEATHER Sligo INDEPENDENT.IE NEWS SPORT ENTERTAINMENT LIFESTYLE LOCAL NOTES OPINION SEARCH Lady of the Manor determined to restore Longford House to former glory PUBLISHED 11/10/2002 | 00:11SHARE The Georgian mansion which requires extensive restoration works. by Paul Deering It's probably one of Sligo's least known country manors b ut Longford House in Beltra, West Sligo is nonetheless just as significan t. 850% + Investment Returns Invest In Alternative Investments. Huge Profits. Free Top-Pick Guide! the-best-investments-today.com How to Become a Vet Nurse Study online, at your own pace. Download a free course guide now! opencolleges.edu.au/Certificate-IV Ads by Google SHARE Its current owner has spent thousands of euro on restoring most of the pr operty to its former glory but she desperately needs help with saving a s ubstantial portion of the property from ruin. With no state funding available, the chances of major restoration work be ing carried out are slim but Lady Sally Crofton, owner of the magnificen t estate, remains determined. A whole series of proposals are floating ar ound in her mind about how best to maximise the use of the property inclu ding its use as a concert venue. Longford House is an imposing sight set amongst 45 acres of wooded ground s and gardens. The property comprises three buildings, a Georgian house b uilt around 1783, the original mansion nearby which was severely damage d by fire in 1916 and another building called the Smoke House which lie s adjacent to the entrance. There's even a lake on the grounds. Lady Crofton's husband, Sir. Malby Crofton, died last year aged 78. Longf ord House has been in the ownership of the Croftons since the 1500's. Born in Middlesex, Lady Crofton has an interesting life story to tell bu t prefers instead to talk about her house and her plans for it. The original estate contained around 40,000 acres but over the years thi s has dwindled to around 45. Close to the Smoke House is a large mound up on which was located a Celtic fort and later a 12th century castle. This was demolished by the Croftons in the early 17th Century and the sto ne was re-used in later houses. It is known that a number of rooms and ex tensive passages run from beneath this site to other forts, one of whic h is located close to the lake. The entrance to these tunnels was backfil led in the late 19th century. Given its tranquil setting, it's no surprise that it inspired the writer , Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan). The well known 19th century poet and nove list and author of the Wild Irish Girl, lived as a governess to the youn g Croftons at Longford House for a number of years during which she penne d a number of her works. The approach to the property is through an impressive set of gates and al ong a magnificent avenue of mature lime trees. Views of West Sligo immedi ately come into view and also very visible are Ben Bulben and Knocknare a in the distance. Neglected Both the Smoke House and the Georgian House have been extensively re-fitt ed and decorated but the large mansion closeby lies neglected. There are interesting facets all over the estate including an ancient Pra yer House which was part of the original castle. A number of interestin g native religious carvings are very visible on its inside walls and it i s known that family weddings were held in this small building as recentl y as the 1920's. Lady Crofton studied sculpture in Paris as a young girl before joining th e advertising world in London as an accounts executive. Amongst the man y interesting accounts she looked after was Britain's Milk Marketing Boar d. The slogan, "Drink a Pinta" was dreamed up by a copy writer during Lady C rofton's time there. She later travelled to Africa where she established her own advertising a nd P.R. agency. Her husband, Sir Malby Crofton was a former mayor of Kensington and Chels ea. When they came over to live in the property at Beltra there was no he ating and water was seeping down the walls. 'Absolute wreck' "It was an absolute wreck. We moved into one room and started renovating, " she recalls. They had married In May 1998 and during the summer they thought about mov ing to their idyllic setting in the West of Ireland. Lady Crofton, a well known interior designer, wants to make use of the fi ne restored house and earn enough money to tackle the mansion nearby. S o far no grants have been allocated to preserving the buildings. "If I could just get enough money together to replace the roof so that i t would prevent further deterioration I would be very happy," she said. Family week-end breaks with fishing on the lake included, is one idea sh e has hit upon to make use of her property. The house can sleep up to 20 . Other revenue earners include the hosting of company parties, especiall y at Christmas time. Weddings and Christenings are also in the pipeline. The most audacious of her proposals would be the hosting of concerts in t he expansive grounds. "It would make a great hotel but it needs to be saved not just for our fa mily but for Sligo. It would be simply terrible if it fell into ruin alto gether. It is a heritage building and I have spent so much already restor ing the rest of the estate. "I am determined to put Longford on the map. Like Lissadell, Templehous e and Markree Castle, it is of tremendous heritage value to Sligo," she s ays. Lady Crofton was forced to put the entire estate up for sale during the s ummer but has now decided to open it to the public for special occasions . She's determined to keep it and turn it into one of Sligo's best know n landmarks.