Portrait of Duchess of Leinster back on display in Kildare after 62 years

The Office of Public Works (OPW), together with the Castletown Foundation, have acquired a portrait of a former Duchess of Leixlip, to hang at Castletown House in Celbridge, county Kildare.

The OPW has bought the portrait of Emily Fitzgerald, the Duchess of Leinster, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, with the support of the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland.

It is expected to be available for public viewing when Castletown House opens for tours on March 1 coming.

The portrait was unveiled in Castletown House in Kildare on Thursday morning, January 24.

The portrait was painted in 1774, when she was in London visiting her dying sister, Caroline, Lady Holland. It shows Emily looking stately in a pink dress and ermine shawl, within a painted oval. She was 43 at the time, a year after her husband’s death,

Speaking at the launch, Jeanne Meldon, co-chairperson, Castletown Foundation, said they were “delighted” with the repatriation of the the 344 year old painting, which originally hung in the dining room of Carton House, seat of the Fitzgerald’s.

It was bought at Bonham’s in London on July 4 last for £81,250 (€90,536).

It will now be displayed in Castletown House, once the home of her sister, Lady Louisa Conolly.

It is not certain how much Reynolds was paid for the painting.

But in his book (1950) on Emily’s sister, Lady Louisa Connolly of Castletown, Brian Fitzgerald says that Emily’s son, Lord Henry Fitzgerald, in 1778, liked the painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds vastly but he said to his aunt: “To think of £500 being given for one of his pictures when a Raphael might be got for the money.”

The sum of £500 in 1778 is approximately £78,500 in 2018 prices.

Emily was regarded as a beauty. The Fitzgerald book says that Sir Joshua Reynolds “despaired of ever being able to depict her exquistie features and peculiar ‘sweetness of expression.”

A article on the painting is due to be published in the summer edition of The Irish Arts Review.

Ms Meldon, thanking all who contributed to the purchase, said the Frinds of the National Collections of Ireland, were very generous.

David Sheehan, c0-chairperson, Castletown Foundation, said Emily was between 42 and 44 years old when it was painted in 1773-74.

Mary Heffernan, OPW, said the Lady Lousia room in Castletown will house the painting, along with other, miniature, works.

The OPW said the portrait was last displayed in Ireland in 1957 and has been hanging in the dining room of Carton House for many years.

Emily had a fascinating life, and gave birth to 22 children with two husbands. Fourteen of her children predeceased her.

She was married to James FitzGerald, the first Duke of Leinster and was referred to as the “Queen of Ireland” for her role as a political influencer.

Her son Edward, was a major figure in the United Irishmen, was injured during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and died in prison of his wounds.

Born on 6 October 1731, Emily Lennox was the god-daughter of George II and was the second of seven surviving children of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond and Lennox and Sarah, daughter of William Cadogan, Earl Cadogan.

She married James FitzGerald, the 20th Earl of Kildare on February 7, 1747.

After their wedding in London, the couple returned to Fitzgerald’s native Ireland and resided in Carton House, Frascati House, Blackrock and Leinster House, Dublin.

Their marriage was reportedly a happy one, despite Lord Kildare’s infidelities and the couple had 19 children together (although the paternity of the last child was questioned).

After his death she caused quite the scandal when she married her Scottish lover William Ogilvie, who originally had come to Carton House as a tutor to her children. They had three further children and lived well thanks for a generous £4,000 annual allowance that was left to her in her first husband’s will.

She died on March 27, 1814, aged 82.

The Office of Public Works (OPW), together with the Castletown Foundation, have acquired a portrait of a former Duchess of Leixlip, to hang at Castletown House in Celbridge, Kildare.

The OPW bought the portrait of Emily Fitzgerald, the Duchess of Leinster, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, with the support of the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland.

It is expected to be available for public viewing when Castletown House opens for tours on March 1 coming.

The portrait was unveiled in Castletown House in Kildare on Thursday morning, January 24.

The portrait was painted in 1774, when she was in London visiting her dying sister Caroline, Lady Holland.

It shows Emily looking stately in a pink dress and ermine shawl, within a painted oval. She was 43 at the time, a year after her husband’s death.

Speaking at the launch, Jeanne Meldon, co-chairperson of the Castletown Foundation, said they were “delighted” with the repatriation of the 344 year old painting, which originally hung in the dining room of Carton House, seat of the Fitzgerald’s.

It was bought at Bonham’s in London on July 4 last for £81,250 (€90,536).

It will now be displayed in Castletown House, once the home of her Emily’s sister, Lady Louisa Conolly.

It is not certain how much Reynolds was paid for the painting.

But in his book (1950) on Emily’s sister, Lady Louisa Connolly of Castletown, Brian Fitzgerald says that Emily’s son, Lord Henry Fitzgerald, in 1778, liked the painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds vastly but he said to his aunt: “To think of £500 being given for one of his pictures when a Raphael might be got for the money.”

The sum of £500 in 1778 is approximately £78,500 in 2018 prices.

Emily was regarded as a beauty. The Fitzgerald book says that Sir Joshua Reynolds “despaired of ever being able to depict her exquistie features and peculiar sweetness of expression”.

An article on the painting is due to be published in the summer edition of The Irish Arts Review.

Ms Meldon, thanking all who contributed to the purchase, said the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland, were very generous.

David Sheehan, c0-chairperson, Castletown Foundation, said Emily was between 42 and 44 years old when it was painted in 1773-74.

Mary Heffernan from the OPW, said the Lady Louisa room in Castletown will house the painting, along with other, miniature, works.

The OPW said the portrait was last displayed in Ireland in 1957 and had been hanging in the dining room of Carton House for many years.

Emily had a fascinating life, and gave birth to 22 children with two husbands. Fourteen of her children predeceased her.

She was married to James FitzGerald, the first Duke of Leinster and was referred to as the “Queen of Ireland” for her role as a political influencer.

Her son Edward, was a major figure in the United Irishmen, was injured during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and died in prison of his wounds.

Born on 6 October 1731, Emily Lennox was the god-daughter of George II and was the second of seven surviving children of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond and Lennox and Sarah, daughter of William Cadogan, Earl Cadogan.

She married James FitzGerald, the 20th Earl of Kildare on February 7, 1747.

After their wedding in London, the couple returned to Fitzgerald’s native Ireland and resided in Carton House, Frascati House, Blackrock and Leinster House, Dublin.

Their marriage was reportedly a happy one, despite Lord Kildare’s infidelities and the couple had 19 children together (although the paternity of the last child was questioned).

After his death she caused quite the scandal when she married her Scottish lover William Ogilvie, who originally had come to Carton House as a tutor to her children.

They had three further children and lived well thanks to a generous £4,000 annual allowance that was left to her in her first husband’s will. She died on March 27, 1814, aged 82.