cork, cloyne and ross
Kingston Charity Trust (Incorporated)
Kingston College, Mitchlestown. Founded 1761
Chaplain: The Rev'd Martha Gray-Stack
Telephone: 025 85975
Administration: 021 4272262 (Diocesan Office)
Kingston College was built and endowed in 1761 by James, Fourth Lord Baron Kingston. The College (i.e. ‘community’ – not an educational establishment) consists of thirty small terraced houses grouped around a large square, with a chapel in the centre. The setting is very attractive and the buildings are fine examples of Georgian architecture.
The foundation was intended originally for former tenants of Lord Kingston’s estate, which is long since gone. The houses are now occupied mostly by retired, people from all walks of life and from all parts of Ireland and beyond. The houses are not identical, but each is a separate, self-contained unit, with garden and out-offices, and the residents live completely independently, while still enjoying the benefits of being part of a community. As well as a chapel, there is a community room, which is used from time to time for various functions.
While the buildings of Kingston College are over two hundred years old, most have been renovated and modernised in recent years, often by the residents themselves, who are encouraged to improve their own houses as far as possible. The Trust endeavours to maintain the houses to as high a standard as is practicable in the light of limited endowment income and the age of the property. The accommodation is suitable for one or two people.
There is a resident Warden in the College, who has general oversight of the property and is available to assist the residents in matters relating to their houses, and also a resident Chaplain.
Kingston College is situated in Mitchelstown, thirty-three miles north-east of Cork City, on the main road to Dublin. The town is well provided with shopping and other necessary facilities and there is a satisfactory bus service to Cork and throughout the surrounding area.
The construction of Kingston College in the second half of the eighteenth century was a far-sighted and progressive development, and only in recent years have similar establishments become an accepted and essential part of the housing scene. Accommodation for elderly and retired people in particular can often present a problem, when departure of family or reduction in income may require a move to a smaller house, and the majority of the College residents are in this category.
The College is administered by the members of the Kingston Charity Trust, which includes the Bishops of Cork, Cashel and Limerick, and the Archdeacon of Cork, the Bishop of Cork being Chairman.
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Applications for accommodation should be submitted to:
The Secretary, Kingston Charity Trust,
Diocesan Office, St. Nicholas’ House, 14, Cove Street, Cork.
Telephone: 021-4272262 Fax: 021-4320960 E-mail: click here
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