Episode 17- Hampton Hall, home of Balbriggan’s Gaeltacht and Hitler Youth Summer Camps

If you live in Balbriggan, you live on land that was once owned by just one family- the Hamiltons. Their home was Hampton Hall, which has achieved fame for different reasons. I went to speak to the current owner and custodian of Hampton Hall, David Pratt about how he came to own this building and discuss its history and his current and future plans.

This is a building with extraordinary history and I also discussed with Historian Gerry Mullins as regards ‘that photo’ and with Cathy Mullan about the Gaeltacht experience in the 1970s.

George Hamilton (1732-93) was an MP for Belfast but was chiefly known for developing the town of Balbriggan. His grandson George Alexander Hamilton (1802-71) was also an MP but was known for a reputation as a landlord where no tenant died during the famine. As Chairman of the company that developed the Dublin to Belfast rail line, he also famously negotiated the building of a private family train station, just for his family, as the location at what is known as Lady’s Stairs at the coastal entrance to Ardgillan.

Hampton Hall is dated from 1758 but there was a previous building at this site called Straw Hall dating back to the 1400s.