History of the Rural College
In 1809 Derrynoid Cottage, later known as “The Big House” was built as a residence for Judge Torrens. It had a thatched roof to begin with but the building was enlarged seven years later with the addition of a slated roof. In 1952 it was badly damaged in a fire and was later totally demolished by the Forestry Service.
When Judge Torrens acquired the estate it was practically all a wasteland bog. He spent vast sums of money putting roads through the grounds, and converting it into good agricultural land. He also had a lot of rare plants imported from as far afield as
‘Judge Robert Torrens, 1776-1856, original owner of the land and buildings’
The Rural College & Derrynoid Centre
Derrynoid,
Tel: +44 28 796 29100 Fax: +44 28 796 27777
Email: enquiries@ruralcollege.co.uk