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Florence Court Review

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Florence Court

Address: 11 km (7 mi) south of Enniskillen on A4 and A32, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh
Phone: 028/6634-8249
www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Category: Houses/Mansions
Location: Florence Court

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Fodor's Review:

When it comes to Early Irish Georgian houses, there are few as magical as Florence Court. Less known than some showier estates, this three-story Anglo-Irish mansion was built around 1730 for John Cole, father of the first earl of Enniskillen. Topped off about 1760 with its distinctive two flanking colonnaded wings, the central house is adorably adorned with a positive surfeit of Palladian windows, keystones, and balustrades thanks to, as one architectural historian put it, "the vaingloriousness of a provincial hand." Even more impressive is its bucolically baroque setting, as the Cuilcagh Mountains form a wonderful contrast to the shimmering white stone facade. Up until a few years ago, the house—victim of a disastrous fire in the 1950s—was barely furnished, but a magnificent National Trust restoration, as well as a 1988 legacy left by the last countess of Enniskillen, have returned many family heirlooms to these interiors. Showstoppers in terms of decor are the Rococo plasterwork ceilings in the dining room; the Venetian Room; and the famous staircase, all ascribed to Robert West, one of Dublin's most famous stuccadores (plaster workers). For a peek at the "downstairs" world, check out the restored kitchen and other service quarters.

Cost: £5.50
Open: Grounds Oct.-Apr., daily 10-4; May-Sept., daily 10-8; mansion Mar.-May and Sept., weekends 1-6; June, weekdays 1-6, weekends 1-6; July and Aug., daily noon-6

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