Naas - Jigginstown House

1mi/2km southwest of Naas on the N7 are the massive remains of Jigginstown House (National Monument), begun by the Earl of Strafford in 1633 as a summer residence for himself and for the entertainment of Charles I, but left unfinished after Strafford's execution in 1641. It was one of the first houses to be built entirely in red brick, and, with a frontage of 374ft/114m, it would have been one of the largest mansions in Ireland. In its present state the most notable features are the groin-vaulted basement and a series of handsome rooms on the ground floor.