The 2nd Earl was raised to a yet-higher rank of the peerage in 1816, when he was created Marquess of Hastings, subordinating the Moira title.

Lord Hastings was the last member of the Rawdon family to reside in Moira Castle (which he had always used as a secondary residence in any case).
In 1805 he sold it to Sir Robert Bateson, 1st Baronet, who also did not use it as a primary residence.
The status of Moira thus declined considerably.
The Rawdons' legacy lingered, however, with several streets and housing developments bearing their name centuries later.

The Acts of Union had reduced the power of the Ascendency, and Moira was now directly governed by London instead of Dublin.
In addition, the Great Reform Act had reduced the ability of landowners in general and lords in particular to control Moira.

Moira itself continued to develop during this period.
A canal was built to the north (which became the boundary between Counties Antrim and Down), and a Market Hall completed at the expense of the Bateson family in about 1810.
It was considered to have market the completion of the village.
In 1841 Moira railway station was completed, and is now the oldest such structure on the island of Ireland.
Moira Castle itself was vacated by the Batesons, and was demolished during the Victorian Era.
A few gate stumps remain, as does some stepping for the famous gardens, and the dug-out cellar.

 
During the Second World War the grounds of Moira Demesne (as the Castle had become known) were used by the British Army as a medical centre.

In summer 2018, a prolonged dry spell revealed what appeared to be foundations beneath the lawns of the demesne.
In May 2019 the local council commissioned an archaeological dig by members from the Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork and Archaeology at Queen’s University Belfast.
For two weeks, assisted by community volunteers, they explored several trenches and found some fascinating artefacts of life in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The 2nd Earl was raised to a yet-higher rank of the peerage in 1816, when he was created Marquess of Hastings, subordinating the Moira title.
Lord Hastings was the last member of the Rawdon family to reside in Moira Castle (which he had always used as a secondary residence in any case). In 1805 he sold it to Sir Robert Bateson, 1st Baronet, who also did not use it as a primary residence. The status of Moira thus declined considerably. The Rawdons' legacy lingered, however, with several streets and housing developments bearing their name centuries later.
The Acts of Union had reduced the power of the Ascendency, and Moira was now directly governed by London instead of Dublin. In addition, the Great Reform Act had reduced the ability of landowners in general and lords in particular to control Moira.
Moira itself continued to develop during this period. A canal was built to the north (which became the boundary between Counties Antrim and Down), and a Market Hall completed at the expense of the Bateson family in about 1810. It was considered to have market the completion of the village. In 1841 Moira railway station was completed, and is now the oldest such structure on the island of Ireland. Moira Castle itself was vacated by the Batesons, and was demolished during the Victorian Era. A few gate stumps remain, as does some stepping for the famous gardens, and the dug-out cellar.
 
During the Second World War the grounds of Moira Demesne (as the Castle had become known) were used by the British Army as a medical centre.
In summer 2018, a prolonged dry spell revealed what appeared to be foundations beneath the lawns of the demesne. In May 2019 the local council commissioned an archaeological dig by members from the Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork and Archaeology at Queen’s University Belfast. For two weeks, assisted by community volunteers, they explored several trenches and found some fascinating artefacts of life in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Moira, County Down