About
Tullymurry House is a historic country house in Donaghmore, County Down. Originally built around 1650 and updated in the 1700s, it has stayed in the McMinn family for generations. Nestled amidst rolling parklands and orchards, Tullymurry House stands as a timeless witness to centuries gone by, its elegant Georgian form now graces the landscape. It has evolved through the ages, whilst retaining the soul of the past. This historic house has occupied its site since the 17th century; the original dwelling was built circa 1650 and evolved through the centuries to its present Georgian form – circa 1740.
The very bones of the house tell their tale — roof timbers, hand-hewn from nearby trees, speak of craftsmanship and care. 52 acres of fertile farmland stretch beyond the house, where once the rhythm of rural life filled the air. The house stands on an area of land known as the Tullymurry Triangle, marked by Donaghmore Presbyterian Church, the Church of Ireland and McGaffin's corner.
Tullymurry was a mixed working dairy, beef, and arable farm, its fields abundant with potatoes, grain, and orchard fruit, sustaining both family and farmhands alike. In the kitchen — the true heart of the home — candles and soaps were once lovingly handmade, their warm glow and scent infusing every corner with lavender and beeswax, mixed in with the delicious smells of homemade bread baking on the griddle.
The Weir family were the owners who established Tullymurry, and they married into the Marshall family, comprising two brothers. One of the brothers was responsible for landscaping the beautiful gardens and "Park" Field with its magnificent trees, the other brother was a bit too fond of gambling and the "devil's buttermilk" – alcohol, and unfortunately, ended up insolvent in 1890.
Joseph McMinn a farmer from Castle Ennigan, near Rathfriland bought the farm and Tullymurry House in 1895, his brother Robert McMinn standing surety on the deal from Haddon Partnership, Insolvency Practitioners from London. In 1903 Jospeh fell in love and married Margaret Heron from Rathfriland, she moved into Tullymurry House as a bride. Joseph raised the ceiling in the kitchen to allow bacon and ham to hang, and you can still see the hooks in the ceiling to this day.
They were blessed with 5 children – Joseph, Malcolm (born 1908), Robert, Bessie & Mary. Malcolm, who is the grandfather of the current owner David McMinn, trained as a doctor and tended his patients in the kitchen. He used to ride his bicycle to Belfast and on one eventful afternoon encountered one of the cows which had been sold at market earlier in the day. The cow so loved Tullymurry House, she escaped twice, to return to the farm.
The house's music room, still resonates with the memories of Mary McMinn (David's Aunt) who lived with her brother Joseph in Tullymurry, who would have hosted and played for the local church choir from Donaghmore Presbyterian Church (which you pass on the way to the house), their voices rising in harmony beneath the ornate plaster ceilings. Joseph and Mary ran the farm – all the business was conducted in the kitchen, where all the cooking was once done on an open fire, until Jospeh installed the Range when Mary was ill. She was not best pleased and saw no need for it.
Dr Malcolm McMinn relocated to England and bought a general practice in Lydbrook, Gloucestershire. He married Annie Caldwell from Ballynaskeagh near Banbridge in 1938 and she joined him in England just before WWII. Joseph and Mary didn't get married, they stayed at Tullymurry House to help their mother, who had been sadly widowed at a young age.
When labourers or workmen called, they never got further than the kitchen, the fire was there along with a table, telephone and radio and all business was conducted there and if you arrived at mealtimes, you got fed as well. Up until 2005 there was no fridge freezer or running water – the well and pump was out along the edge of the Well Field, windows froze over on the inside in winter. The pantry was the coldest room in the house and when a new fridge freezer was installed Mary was not impressed, she didn't like change and continued to set the milk on top of the fridge. To make matters worse the fridge freezer was delivered on a Sunday, and she was scandalised as to what the neighbours would think.
Most visitors were not allowed into the main part of the House, so when the House was completely renovated by David's father Richard McMinn in 2012 and central heating installed, along with the spa in what was the cowshed, Tullymurry House opened to the public and the locals couldn't wait to explore the rest of the House which very few ever got to see.
And among the many tales woven into Tullymurry's fabric, none is more captivating than that of the family Bible — lost for generations, only to find its way home again, as though guided by the house's enduring legacy.
David McMinn (4th generation) with his lovely wife Kristin and daughters Emma and Olivia (5th generation) are now the custodians of Tullymurry House. In the footsteps of his father, David undertook a refurbishment of the House in 2025 and is in the process of returning the gardens to their original landscape design. This is just the latest chapter in this much-loved House.
Through the centuries, the Marshall, Weir, and McMinn families have each left their mark on Tullymurry, bound by love, legacy, and the deep sense of belonging that only a place like this can inspire. Today, the house stands not just as a piece of history, but as a living story — elegant, enduring, and forever welcoming and the McMinn Family invite you to step inside and be part of its long-cherished history.
Guide Prices
| Ticket Type | Ticket Tariff |
|---|---|
| Adult | Free |
Please contact the organiser for any further information that's required.
