Built around 1730 for the Ievers family, who had arrived in Ireland from Yorkshire in the previous century, the house represents a period when Protestant landowners were consolidating their power and expressing their status through grand country estates. The three-storey limestone mansion, with its symmetrical façade and distinctive pedimented doorcase, was designed to impress; its carefully chosen hilltop location offering commanding views across the Clare countryside towards the Burren.

The Ievers family’s tenure at the house lasted until the early 20th century, when the property passed through various hands before falling into decline. Like many of Ireland’s big houses, Mount Ievers faced an uncertain future in the decades following independence, suffering from neglect as the old Anglo-Irish aristocracy’s influence waned. The house stood empty for years, its roof collapsing and interiors stripped, becoming yet another romantic ruin dotting the Irish landscape.

Today, Mount Ievers has been given a new lease of life through careful restoration work that began in the 1990s. The current owners have painstakingly rebuilt the roof, restored the original Georgian windows, and brought back many period features whilst sensitively adapting the house for modern living. The walled gardens, which once supplied the estate with produce, are being gradually reclaimed from nature, and the house once again serves as a family home. Visitors passing through this quiet corner of Clare might catch a glimpse of its restored grandeur from the road; a testament to both the ambitions of its original builders and the dedication of those working to preserve Ireland’s architectural heritage.