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Crotto (or Crotta), Co.Kerry

Kilflyn par, between Tralee and Listowel, Co.Kerry (see map).

• References:
  • CROTTO in [Irish Country Houses]
  • CROTTO in [Houses of Kerry]

  • CROTTO in [King]
  • KITCHENER in [Gaughan, 1974]
  • Kilflynn Chronicle, Kilflynn box, [KCL] Local studies.
  • Note on Crotta Demesne, Kerry Champion, 12 Jan 1935, p.8, [KCL] Hardcopy.

Crotto House (or Crotta House), Co.Kerry.
Drawing by John Preston Neale. Engraving published 1821, London, by Thomas Barber.
See larger and full size.

• CROTTO is supposed to appear in a volume of Views Of The Seats Of Noblemen And Gentlemen by John Preston Neale.
• This scan of vol.6, dated 1823 is confusing. It has two indexes at the end, both apparently for "vol.6".
• One index matches the scan here, and CROTTO does not appear.
• CROTTO is however listed in the other index for "vol.6", the contents of which do not match the scan here. There must somehow be another "vol.6".

Crotto House (or Crotta House), Co.Kerry,
was built 1669 by Henry Ponsonby.
It was inherited by James Carrique Ponsonby (died 1796).

Crotto was inherited 1796 by William Carrique Ponsonby.
He made alterations to the house 1819, from plans drawn by Sir Richard Morrison, giving it a more Elizabethan look.
He was still living there as at 1829.

Crotto was inherited before 1837 by Thomas Carrique Ponsonby.
He sold it 1842.
Kitchener (born 1850) lived as a child in Crotto House (his father leased it from 1850 to 1863).

Sadly, this rare 17th century house was demolished, possibly in stages, in the 20th century.
[Gourley, 1965] says the house fell into decay for some years before it was demolished.
["Horatio Kitchener at Crotta", Kilflynn Chronicle 11th edn, Dec 2006] says Crotto was occupied in 1910, fell into ruins some time after that.
Crotto was already in ruins by 1925. See a poem in The Kerryman, 2 May 1925, republished in Kilflynn Chronicle issue no.5, Dec 1998.
[Gourley, 1965] describes substantial ruins surviving as at 1965: "From the massive ruined walls of to-day, we can judge it to have been a stately home.".
[Gaughan, 1974] says "part of Crotta House" was then still standing.
[Houses of Kerry, 1994] says little now remains of Crotto except some stone walls and part of the stableyard.

Crotto House. 1829 to 1842 period.
From OSI.

Crotto House. 1887 to 1913 period.
From OSI.

Crotto House.
See larger and full size and original.
From opposite p.40 in Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener: His Life and Work for the Empire, Edwin Sharpe Grew, 1916 (and search).
See also scan from royalirishconstabulary.com. Used with permission.

Site of Crotto House. Modern map.
The LHS wing (that used to adjoin the main central block) survives.
From OSI.

Site of Crotto House.
This is the LHS wing (that used to adjoin the main central block).
Click to rotate.
Huge trees now grow where Crotto House once stood.
From Google Street View.