He commissioned the architect James Franklin Fuller (1835-1924) and the building contractor Denis William Murphy (1799-1863, father of William Martin Murphy) with the creation of a house, later called "Garinish Lodge", and a garden on the island.

The house, Garinish Lodge, was burned in September 1922 during the Irish Civil War (1922–1923), but later rebuilt.

[citation needed] When Lord Dunraven died in June 1926, aged 85. he left Garinish Island to his only surviving child, Lady Aileen May Wyndham-Quin (1873–1962).

[citation needed] About 1950 Reginald Browne and his wife bought the island and restored the house and the garden after many years of neglect.

[3][4][5] Garnish Island has a fine garden, renowned for tree ferns.