If stones could speak: The rise and fall of a Drumquin landmark

A HISTORIC house on the outskirts of Drumquin, known as Burrell’s Folly, met its ultimate demise in recent decades, marking the end of a legacy that stretched back to the late 1700s.

This property came from a wealthy family during the late 1700s, named Sproules.

The origins of this house came from the newly-weds, Robert Sproule and Hully Murray, who decided to construct their forever home on the village outskirts. Though a house is said to have existed on the site, Robert decided to build a place of his own.

Yet the old site is believed to have played a part in naming this new house, with sources citing George Burrell as the former landowner.

By 1779 the house above the stream was complete, at a cost of £350, a meagre sum of £51,503 in today’s currency (You’d be laughing if you got that mortgage now!).

It is not fully known why ‘folly’ was included in the name – ‘folly’ by definition is an ornamental commercial property with no practical purpose.

English origins

However, Drumquin historian James Monaghan explained that the name may have had English origins.

“The land which Burrell’s Folly most likely got it’s name after the Plantation lord John Davies, who was granted that land when he arrived to Ireland in 1610. George Burrell came from Northumberland in England, which had a lot of surrounding locations called ‘Folly’.”

“So even locally it was always named ‘Burrell’s Folly’, even after the Sproules built their house on the land,” he said.

James further explained that Robert’s son, Edward, expanded the house at the dawn of the 19th century.

“In the 1830s Edward expanded the family home to have a two-storey set of offices. The lower floor of the offices kept the horses and the upstairs accommodated the servants. There were also two chimneys at both ends of the gable walls.”

The family themselves were heavily involved in their local church, with several donations and memorials made on behalf of the family over the years.

In his youth, Edward married Strabane woman Mary Porter, but, after her passing, he donated a stained glass window beside the choir stalls, in memory of his late wife.

Another link with the church came after the death of Robert’s sixth daughter, also named Hully, or sometimes Helena.

The pulpit of the church was dedicated to Hully after her death in 1859, with an inscriptions which reads, “To the glory of god in memory of Hully Sproule, wife of Thomas Simpson, died August 12, 1859, aged 60. Erected by her husband.”

Following the Sproule’s legacy in their family abode, the house was taken over by a local doctor.

James said, “In 1877, the house was then owned by Dr Johnston, who was the village GP. Around that time the local creamery was constructed not far from the house too.”

“Then by the early 1900s the house and the land of Burrell’s Folly was donated to the local Church of Ireland minister T.L.F Stack, who had built and owned the creamery.

“Shortly after in 1910 the house was sold on to Michael O’Kane, who was a JP,” he added.

Dance hall

However after Mr O’Kane’s short stay in the house, the upstairs section of the offices were used as a dance hall, which operated until the 1950s.

By the late 50s Burrell’s Folly had fallen silent and was recorded as being ‘in ruins’.

Whilst the site lay empty, many rumours and folklore began to surround the lost history, with claims that the house was haunted.

Yet this was probably a scare tactic to keep curious children from exploring the now-crumbling house.

In 2009, the site was cleared for development, ending a 300-year chapter in Drumquin’s history.

While Burrell’s Folly no longer stands, its story endures as a testament to the families, communities and cultural shifts that defined its era.