Hazelwood House, Sligo

Hazelwood House is an 18th-century Palladian style country house located in a 70-acre (28 ha) demesne in the parish of Calry, some 2 miles (3 km) south-east of the town of Sligo in north-west Ireland. It has been described as one of County Sligo's most neglected treasures. In addition to its very high quality architectural value, the house is important both socially and historically.

Situated on a peninsula jutting into Lough Gill east of Sligo town with views of Ben Bulben to the north, the house stands in a wooded estate originally 15,000 acres (6,100 ha) in extent, but now reduced to 81 acres (33 ha).

The house is noted as the first Palladian house in Ireland designed by Richard Cassels (c.1730), the architect who designed Leinster House, Powerscourt House and Russborough House.

It consists of a 5-bay by 3-bay main block in three storeys with 2-storey wings on either side connected to the main block by single-storey quadrants. The building is constructed of limestone ashlar with slate roofs.The house has suffered decades of neglect and inappropriate alteration.

In the 1870s, a three-bay, two-storey wing was added on the western side of the main block. The main staircase was removed in the 1950s and replaced with a concrete flight of stairs. Many chimney pieces were stolen and replaced with replicas.

The original name for the area is Annagh (Eanach) meaning "marsh" and was on land belonging to the Ó Conchobhair Sligigh Lords of the territory of Cairbre Drom Cliabh.

There was an O'Conor castle located here that according to O'Rorke (1889) was at Castle Point on Lough Gill south of the present house.

This area belonged to the O'Connor's throughout the Medieval period before passing to the merchant Andrew Crean in the early 17th century, then to Lord William Strafford.

In 1635, during the planning for the aborted Plantation of Connacht, the estate was bought by Sir Phillip Perceval acting secretly on behalf of the Lord Deputy Wentworth and Sir George Radcliffe. Subsequent allegations claimed that Perceval tricked O'Connor into selling by claiming that it belonged to the Crown and would be subject to Plantation without any recompense to O'Connor. The hostility created by this was instrumental in the Sligo gentries taking part in the 1641 rebellion.

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