In the Barony of Kitartan, County Galway, about three miles south-by-east of Gort, is situated Lough Cutra Castle, the beautiful mansion of Viscount Gough.

The demesne extends along the west and south shores of the lake, and the gardens slope to the water’s edge in terraces.

Mr. Blake Foster, in “The Irish Chieftains,” says that the name was derived from a leader of the Belgic tribe, called Cutra, who owned the district before the arrival of the Milesians.

The mansion is a castellated building of Tudor style. It has massive walls of finely-cut limestone, and was erected during the last century at a cost of over £50,000.

Mr. Paine was the architect, but he died before the building was finished, and the lodges, &c., were carried out in the same style by Mr. Nash, while the gardens and grounds were exquisitely laid out by Mr. Sutherland.

It is considered one of the show places of the west.

John Prendergast Smith was created Viscount Gort in 1816. He had inherited the O’Shaughnessy estate through his uncle, and he began to build the present mansion.

The story goes that being enchanted with East Cowes Castle, in the Isle of Wight, which belonged to, and had been designed by, Mr. Nash, Lord Gort decided to erect a similar building on the shores of his beautiful lake. It is strange that the present Lord Gort now lives in East Cowes Castle, from which the design of his ancestor’s castle in Ireland was borrowed.

The first Viscount Gort adopted his nephew, Colonel Vereker, as his heir.

This soldier so distinguished himself at the battle of Coloony that he and his heirs were granted supporters to the family arms and allowed to adopt “Coloony” as their motto.

When the 3rd Viscount Gort succeeded to the estates they were heavily encumbered, and the famine of 1848 completed the ruin of the family.

The castle was sold for £17,000 to Mrs. Ball, Superioress of the Religious Order of Loretto, Dublin. She turned it into a novitiate house and opened a school. After a few years the community was recalled, and the castle was again put up for sale. This time it was purchased for £24,000 by the first Lord Gough.

Two pieces of ordnance which he captured in India are mounted at the entrance.

The present Viscount Gough is Resident British Minister at Dresden.