From Rome to Russborough: An 18th century Grand Tour Collection

...through analysis of the Milltown library, donated to the National Gallery of Ireland in 1902, and later deposited with the National Library of Ireland and the Oireachtas Library, thus shedding some new light on Irish country house libraries.

In 1744 Joseph Leeson (later 1st Earl of Milltown) embarked on his first grand tour to Italy - his purpose to gather both the material and intellectual trappings of refinement. These were essential to the furnishing of his Richard Castle designed Palladian country house at Russborough and his unerring social ambitions. In little over a decade Leeson would succeed in assembling one of Ireland’s greatest, if sometimes idiosyncratic, country house collections.