NEWPORT HOUSE October 20th & 21st 2026

Mr. Kieran Thompson greeting Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife Princess Charlene, at Newport House. Newport House, Co. Mayo A country mansion of character and elegance, Newport House overlooks the waters of Clew Bay in County Mayo and adjoins the town of Newport, which was founded in the early 18th century by the Medlycott family and flourished briefly thanks to a linen industry established by a community of Quakers. The Medlycott estate was acquired in 1785 by Sir Neale O’Donel, a member of the illustrious O’Donnell clan of Tyrconnell (Co. Donegal) and a descendant of Niall Garve O’Donell, who had played a prominent (if controversial) role in the Ulster wars of the late 16th century. A Catholic by upbringing, Sir Neale became a member of the Church of Ireland in 1763 and was thus enabled to play a full part in the life of Georgian Ireland; he was created a baronet in 1780. His two eldest sons sat in the Irish House of Commons and vehemently opposed the Act of Union with Britain, urging that if the act was passed the people of Ireland should “assert their rights and die as freemen rather than live as slaves”. Sir Neale was the builder of Newport House, which was greatly enlarged by his descendants in the early 19th century, the staircase hall with its arches and plasterwork being particularly notable. The site was carefully chosen: the principal rooms command views across the Newport River, and the surrounding estate connects closely with the river, harbour and fishing. For a time, Newport House was home to the sixth-century Cathach of St Columba, the oldest surviving Irish manuscript and second-oldest Latin psalter in the world. Once carried into battle by the O’Donnells as a talisman of victory, it had been lodged for safekeeping in a Belgian monastery, with instructions that it was to be offered to the legitimate chief of the clan. It was given in 1802 to Sir Neale O’Donel, 2nd baronet, and his son Sir Richard, 4th baronet, presented it to the Royal Irish Academy in 1842. Sir GeorgeO’Donel, 5th baronet, died in 1889 leaving no children, whereupon the baronetcy became extinct. The house and estate were inherited by his niece, Millicent Agnes, and her husband, Edwin Thomas (who had been land agent to Sir George); they assumed by deed poll the additional surname of O’Donel. Their only child, George Frederick Thomas-O’Donel, an officer in the Royal Fusiliers, was killed in action in 1915 at the battle of Bellewaerde Ridge during the Great War. He had no children, and in 1942 his widow put the estate up for sale, thus ending the O’Donel connection with Newport. The estate was purchased by Michael McShane, a returned Irish emigrant who had won the Irish Sweepstakes prize. In 1945, McShane sold Newport House estate and fishery rights to a British businessman and angler, Henry Mumford-Smith, who transformed the historic property into a luxury fishing hotel. Management subsequently passed to his son Francis and wife Eleanor, who continued to develop and build on Newport’s legacy of hospitality and sport. Among the many distinguished guests at this time were the film star Grace Kelly and her husband, Prince Rainier III of Monaco, who in 1961 came to visit the cottage nearby whence her grandfather had emigrated to the United States in 1887. In 1985, Newport House and estate were purchased by the late Kieran and Thelma Thompson, the present owners. TheThompsonperiod isparticularly important in the modern history of Newport House, as it saw the property firmly established as both a working Country House Hotel, and piece of living Irish Heritage. Accounts describe the house as having nineteen bedrooms, formal reception rooms, a grand staircase hall, and dining facilities befitting its Georgian origins. With the imminent sale of this great house, the unique contents accumulated over many generations now come to market. Items include original furniture, paintings, and artefacts and also those purchased by Kieran and under the direction of his brother, Anthony Thompson, a well-known Bond Street art dealer and foundingmember of the Irish Antiques Dealers Association. This sale offers a unique opportunity to the discerning collector to acquire a piece of this illustrious history. The House will continue to stand beside Newport River but the wonderful objects that have graced its rooms for generations will now begin new chapters of their own.