History of Eden Hill

website by:
Niamh Barrett Computers

Eden Hill, a beautiful house located deep in the heart of the Blackwater valley, is a remnant of the Georgian era, built in the late eighteenth century. It has been owned within the O'Callaghan family, for three generations. Eden Hill was traditionally a working farm, encompassing horses, cattle, sheep and crops.

In the mid to late 1980's, William O'Callaghan, who had come to ownership, was by now instructing horse-riding, married Martha, a qualified English teacher. They decided to combine their respective talents, and invite foreign students to learn English and horse-ride in Eden Hill. Students began coming in the late 1980's, firstly in ones and twos, and it wasn't long before bigger numbers came calling. In the mid 1990's, William and Martha decided to concentrate on this enterprise, and built The Courtyard, on the site of the old Courtyard buildings. Today, at the beginning of the new century, Eden Hill is thriving, attracting numbers upwards of 25 students per week throughout the summer months.