Built around the remains of a medieval tower house, this elegant Georgian residence served as a charter school from approximately 1753 to 1826, educating local children during a transformative period in Irish education history.

The incorporation of the original tower house into the later Georgian structure represents a common practice in 18th-century Ireland, where landowners often chose to modernise rather than demolish their ancestral homes. These tower houses, typically built between the 14th and 17th centuries, served as fortified residences for Gaelic and Anglo-Norman families; sturdy stone structures designed for defence in turbulent times. When Georgian architectural tastes swept through Ireland, many of these robust medieval buildings found new life as the bones of fashionable country houses.

Today, Viewmount House stands as a tangible link between medieval and Georgian Ireland, its walls literally containing centuries of architectural evolution. The building’s time as a charter school adds another layer to its story; these institutions, established by royal charter, aimed to provide Protestant education to Irish children and were part of broader attempts to anglicise Irish society during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The house is recognised for its architectural significance and is listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage under registration number 13007038.