Desmond Guinness is an Irish author on Georgian art and architecture and a radical conservationist.

Born on 8 September 1931, he was the second son of the author and brewer Bryan Guinness. Bryan Walter Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne (October 27, 1905 - July 6, 1992), was an heir to the Guinness family brewing fortune, lawyer, poet and novelist. ...

Educated at: Eton, Gordonstoun and Oxford. [1] The Kings College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor, commonly known as Eton College or just Eton, is a prestigious and internationally known Public School for boys. ... College name Christ Church Named after Jesus Christ Established 1546 Sister College Trinity College Dean The Very Revd Christopher Andrew Lewis JCR President William Dorsey Undergraduates 426 MCR or GCR President {{{MCR President}}} Graduates 154 Home page Boat Club Christ Church (Latin: Ædes Christi, the temple or house of Christ...

In 1958 he bought Leixlip Castle, Leixlip, County Kildare, Ireland, while Master of the North Kildare Harriers. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Naas Code: KE Area: 1,693 km² Population (2006) 186,075 Website: www. ... A fox hunt Fox hunting is a form of hunting for foxes using a pack of scent hounds. ...

Irish Georgian Society

He and his first wife Mariga founded the Irish Georgian Society in April 1958 to help to preserve Irish architecture of all periods. This was timely as the Irish planning laws were enacted only from 1963. [2] The Irish Georgian Society (IGS) is a group concerned with conservation of the Irish architectural heritage. ...

The IGS became involved in numerous projects and started publishing quarterly bulletins. Some early preservations or campaigns were at: Damer House (Tipperary) The Conolly Folly (Kildare) Mountjoy Square and Hume Street (Dublin) and the Dromana Gateway (Waterford).

The IGS also held Georgian cricket matches played to the rules of 1744.

In 1967-79 the Guinnesses bought and started to preserve Castletown House, near Celbridge, said to be the finest Palladian house in Ireland. [3] [4] Castletown House, Irelands finest Palladian country house, is an imposing building built in 1722 for William Connolly, the Speaker of the Irish House of Commons. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ...

In more recent years he has founded a scholarship for students of architecture: [5] [6]

His conservation work has been recognised by many American and English cultural groups, and Europa Nostra. In 1980 he was made an honorary Doctor of Laws at Trinity College Dublin. In 2006 he was presented with a Europa Nostra award by the Queen of Spain. The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin or more commonly Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Irelands oldest university. ... Europa Nostra is a non-governmental organization in Europe which promotes the preservation and appreciation of cultural heritage. ... Queen Sofia of Spain Queen Sofía (Sophia Margarita Victoria Frederika), born Princess Sofia of Greece and Denmark is the Queen Consort of King Juan Carlos I of Spain. ...

Books

• “Portrait of Dublin” (New York, Viking Press, 1967)

• “Georgian Dublin” (Batsford, B.T., Ltd.1979) ISBN 0-7134-1908-3

Three books with Julius Trousdale Sadler:

• “Mr Jefferson, architect” (New York, Viking, 1973) ISBN 0-670-49261-2
• “Palladio: A Western Progress” (New York, 1976) ISBN 0-670-53732-2
• “Newport preserv'd : architecture of the 18th century” (New York : Viking Press, 1982) ISBN 0-670-50938-8

With William Ryan:

• “Irish Houses and Castles”; with William Ryan. (London: Thames & Hudson 1973).
• “The White House: An Architectural History” (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1980).

With Jacqueline O'Brien, wife of the famous racehorse trainer Vincent O’Brien:

• “Dublin - A Grand Tour” (Weidenfeld & Nicholson 1994)
• "Great Irish Houses and Castles" (Harry N. Abrams, Inc.) ISBN 0-8109-3365-9 (December 1998) and in paperback (Weidenfeld & Nicolson September 1993) ISBN 0-297-83236-0.

He has also written numerous articles such as: "Thomas Jefferson: Visionary Architect." Horizon, 22 (1979): 51-55.

Family

Married at Oxford in 1954 to Mariga von Urach, whose father came from Lichtenstein, near Stuttgart, Germany: [7]

In 1984 he remarried to Penelope Cuthbertson, granddaughter of the artist Nico Jungman: [8] [9]

He has also been a member of Irish groups such as the Iveagh Trust, the CKAS, the RIAC and the Kildare Street & University Club. [10] [11]

He is a well-loved raconteur and is the grandfather of the famous fashion model Jasmine Guinness. [12]