Newbridge House is a Georgian mansion in north county Dublin on which building commenced in 1747. The renowned English architect James Gibbs house was commissioned to design the house in 1744 on lands Charles Cobbe had purchased on the Donabate peninsula. Charles Cobbe had come to Ireland in 1717 as private secretary to the then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and 2nd Duke of Bolton Charles Paulet. Cobbe was appointed Bishop of Killala in 1720 and progressed to Archbishop of Dublin in 1743. The building was granted to the Archbishop’s son Thomas as it neared completion in 1755. After Thomas married Lady Elizabeth (Betty) Beresford, he extended the house and began collecting pictures and commissioning furniture from Irish cabinetmakers. The house didn’t pass into the hands of Thomas’ son Charles who died young after running up considerable debt. Instead Thomas gifted the House to his eldest grandson also named Charles, improvements were made to the estate and the living conditions of the tenants. Charles’ daughter, Frances Power Cobbe was an early feminist, writer and philanthropist. Charles lives at the house until his death and passed it on to his son, appropriately titled Charles, who passed it to a nephew in 1905.

The family sold the lands in 1985 and gave the house to Fingal County Council, most of the furniture and fittings remained and the Cobbe family is still in residence at Newbridge for part of the year.

Finally Duchas has thrown up an old ghost story, while not mentioned elsewhere I always feel its good to add colour and also to understand how these places were seen in the early part of the 20th century,

“Newbridge House on the other side of the road from Turvey is also supposed to be haunted. An ancestor of the present owner, Mr Cobbe, is supposed to drive past the front door at midnight in a coach, drawn by headless horses – the only sound made being the opening and shutting of a gate. “
Informant – Mrs Julia Bates aged 60