Rosslare Hall

The main house was originally built in the 17th century, but has been renovated and internally modernised since. The house includes six bedrooms on the first floor, of which two are guest, and on the ground floor a living room, a library, a study, a dining room, a modernised kitchen with a pantry and a staff room.

Rosslare Hall is located between the villages of Rosslare Strand and Rosslare Harbour. The estate includes a horse stable and small competition grounds under the name Rosslare Equestrian.

Floorplan ・ Map of the estate

The short history of the Keane Family and Keane Industries

Rosslare Hall was the family seat of the McDermott family until 1920, when it was put up for sale. Lady McDermott lost her husband during the Great War to influenza, and both her sons, younger one in the World War and older one in the Irish War of Independence. After putting up the family home for sale, Lady McDermott and her daughter relocated to Dublin.

Lochlann Keane, only 21 years old and the new head of the Keane Industries due to his father's sudden passing, purchased Rosslare Hall and its lands in 1922. Keane Industries owned a few railways in Ireland and in addition manufactured locomotives, its headquarters in Dublin. Lochlann's father only had a house in Dublin, but Lochlann had always wanted a life in the more quiet countryside, to which Rosslare was perfect for.

The major renovations of Rosslare Hall finished in 1924. Lochlann had taken an interest in horse sports through spending his time in the betting ring as a young man, and decided to build a stable in the Hall's grounds, which was finished in 1925. The stables' 10 stalls were soon filled with competition horses full of potential, and the stable area was soon filled with their riders and trainers.

In 1931 Lochlann had a son, Logan Keane, and two years later another son, Deaglán Keane, with his wife Saraid Keane. Logan grew more interest in the horse world, and became a rider, competing in eventing. Deaglán had more touch for the business, and he became the CEO of Keane Industries in 1959, after the company had to close down its railways and switch completely to locomotive manufacturing. The family had and still had major ownership of the company, the running of it belonging more to Deaglán's decendants. The company has customers all over the world, and today manufactures railway transportation vehicles, including trams.

Logan had started his competitive career in eventing at a young age, and it was in its high between 1951 and 1959. He had great success, acquiring a cabinet full of medals and trophies. The peak of his career was to represent his country in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, in Stockholm. Logan married his girlfriend of two years, Nora McFarland, in 1959, and the pair moved permanently to Rosslare Hall.

Continuing his career both nationally and internationally, Logan started to dip his toes into training and coaching both riders and horses. In 1964 Logan and Nora had their first son, Liam Keane, and a girl two years later, in 1966, Lydia Keane. After many happy decades of supporting her husband and children and finding her own passion in designing jewelry, having her own small shop in Wexford, Nora passed away in 2012 due to Alzheimer's.

Soon after Lydia's birth, Logan retired from international competitions and mostly from competing altogether, focusing on building a family life and training riders and horses. In 1970, Logan started the buildings of the small competition center on the Rosslare Hall estate, which is still in use today.