| Description |
Wilson referred to Ards as the seat of Mr. Wray in 1786. Lewis recorded Ards as the seat of A. Stewart in 1837. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation it was occupied by Alexander Stewart when the buildings were valued at £100. In 1906 Ena D. Stewart was the owner when the house was valued at £90. Local sources suggest Ards remained in the Stewart family until 1927 when it was taken over by the Irish Land Commission. The house was later acquired by the Capuchin Order. A serious fire in the 1940s led to the demolition of the old house and a new friary was built some distance away. The demesne is now known as Ards Forest Park and is in the care of Coillte, the Irish forestry service. |
