As the largest and most significant Palladian-style country house in Ireland, Castletown House in Celbridge, County Kildare is well worth a visit. It was built circa 1722 for the Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, William Connolly. The entire estate was sold by the family in 1965 and was purchased, together with some of the parkland, by the Hon. Desmond Guinness. Both Mr Guinness and subsequently the Castletown Foundation, who acquired the house in 1979, devoted considerable effort and resources to maintaining the house and restoring the principal rooms. Castletown was transferred to State care on 1st January 1994.