The house and grounds were owned by the Conyngham family who came to Co. Armagh from Scotland as part of King James l's Plantation of Ulster. The family lived in the house until financial issues led to Capt. William Lowry Lenox-Conyngham bequeathing it to the National Trust in 1957, just three days before his death.
Among the riches within are a rare 18th century English Gothick wallpaper, a very old nursery teddy bear and, dating back to the mid-17th century, one of the most extensive libraries in Ireland. But it is the costume collection that is the star of the show, with a changing selection of its 2000+ items on display each year at its on-site museum.
