The site, now managed by Coillte, was once the ancestral seat of the Aylmer family, who held these lands from the 15th century until the early 20th century. At its heart lies a 15th-century tower house, around which the grander residence was built in 1624, an event commemorated by an armorial plaque that still survives on the structure.

The house’s history mirrors the turbulent politics of Ireland itself. During the Confederate Wars, it was destroyed in 1641, only to be rebuilt by the determined Aylmer family in subsequent years. The 18th century brought expansion and refinement to the structure, whilst the 19th century saw perhaps its most elegant transformation when renowned architect Richard Morrison added a distinctive bowed centre to the building’s façade. These layers of construction and reconstruction created a unique architectural palimpsest; each generation leaving its mark on the family home.

Today, visitors to Donadea Forest Park can explore the ruins of this once-grand residence, where medieval defensive architecture blends with Georgian elegance and Victorian additions. The surviving stonework reveals the evolution of both architectural tastes and the changing fortunes of one of Kildare’s most prominent families, offering a tangible connection to centuries of Irish landed gentry life.