Standing at the head of Waterford Harbour, where the Barrow, Nore, and Suir rivers converge, Faithlegg has played a pivotal role in the history of Waterford — and of Ireland itself. This strategic location made it a natural entry point for early settlers, with the nearby Minaun Hill serving as a vital lookout post over the harbour. According to legend, the giant Cainche Corcardhearg, son of Fionn of the Fianna, sleeps beneath the Minaun, stationed there to guard Leinster.

In 1170, the Norman adventurer Strongbow landed at Waterford Harbour, followed by King Henry II in 1171. Legend claims Henry’s fleet numbered 600 ships, among them vessels supplied by Bristol merchant Aylward. In gratitude, Aylward was granted 7,000 acres centred around Faithlegg. The Aylwards first lived in a motte-and-bailey fortification, whose remains are still visible today, and later constructed Faithlegg Castle. The nearby 13th-century church also dates from this era. The Aylward family held Faithlegg for nearly 500 years until Oliver Cromwell’s forces seized it in 1649, later granting it to Captain William Bolton, a Cromwellian soldier.

In 1783, Cornelius Bolton, who had inherited the estate from his father in 1779, began construction of the present Faithlegg House. An MP and progressive landlord, Bolton faced mounting financial difficulties, and in 1819 the estate was sold to Nicholas and Margaret Mahon Power. It is said that Margaret’s dowry funded the purchase. The Powers adorned the estate with the stag’s head and cross — the family crest — an emblem that remains associated with Faithlegg to this day.

The estate later passed to Hubert Power, the only son of Pat and Lady Olivia Power, and in 1920 to Hubert’s daughter, Eily Power. In 1935, Eily and her husband sold Faithlegg House to the De La Salle Brothers, who operated it as a junior novitiate until 1986. In 1998 it was acquired by FBD Property and Leisure Group.

The manor house is said to be haunted by the spirit of Nicholas Power, with reports of ghostly footsteps and mysterious cold spots attributed to his presence. The Margaret Power Room (formerly known as “The Blue Room”) is occasionally visited by the lady herself, who is said to be witnessed searching for her jewellery.