Cootehill: I

The Dawson Monument (Image: Timothy Ferres, 2020)

The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland described Cootehill, County Cavan, as

A post and market town in the parish of Drumgoon, barony of Tullaghgarvey. It stands on the River Dromore, and the country around it, including part of County Monaghan, is very beautiful; and within a radius of three miles, contains, among other mansions, those of Bellamont Forest and Dartrey.

The Gazetteer goes on to remark that the town is comparatively well built and respectably inhabited; and is not equalled in appearance by any place between it and Dublin except Navan.

A local historian and friend had arranged for us to see Dartrey, which is near Cootehill, so I based my self in the town for a few days.

Cootehill has a wide main street, which terminates at All Saints parish church (the Rector being the aptly-named Rev David Moses).

The White Horse Hotel, market-house, courthouse, and the provincial bank were also at this end of the town; and the church was within the grounds of Bellamont Forest.

The Dawson Monument, on the Cootehill to Monaghan Road, County Monaghan, is a Roman-Tuscan column, sixty feet in height, designed by the renowned architect, James Wyatt, and erected in memory of Richard Dawson MP (1762-1807).

This column used to be within the Dartrey Estate, though the realignment of the present road caused it to be separated from the demesne.

It was built ca 1810 with cut and carved limestone, in the form of a Doric column on a lofty plinth, topped with a funerary urn, carved with lions' heads, set on an abacus.

The Doric column has a stepped base and plinth, with three steps leading to the base.

Dartrey Heritage Association undertook restoration work on the column quite recently.

Dawson Coat-of-arms (Image: Timothy Ferres, 2020)

The Dawson family shield with laurel leaves adorns the plinth.

The Dawson Monument would undoubtedly have dominated the surrounding landscape when it was erected, and despite the forestry surrounding it today, it remains a major feature in the area.

Dartrey Church (Image: Timothy Ferres, 2020)

From Dawson's Column I made my way to the main church which served the once-great Dartrey Estate.

The Dawsons, Earls of Dartrey, owned almost 18,000 acres of land in County Monaghan.

Their former seat, Dartrey House (or Castle) was demolished in 1946; though more about that later.

Over two decades ago, about 1996, the Rev Canon James Merry, Rector of Ematris (Dartrey Church and Rockcorry Church), wrote a brief history of his Parish.

Dartrey Church, within the demesne boundary, was built by Richard Dawson (c1693-1766), MP, banker, Alderman of the City of Dublin, of Dawson Grove (now called Dartrey).

It was consecrated in 1729 as the Church of St John the Evangelist.

In 1769 the north gallery was erected, with a fireplace, for the use of the Dawson family.

The West Tower was built in 1840; and thirty years later, in 1870, the sanctuary apse was completed.

The Dawsons were closely involved with the running of the parish from Alderman Dawson's time until the last member of the family to reside in the estate, the Lady Edith Windham (née Dawson).

Lord Dartrey had, for many years, the right to present his nominee to the Bishop for appointment as Rector of Ematris.

Several members of the Dawson family are buried in the graveyard which surrounds the church, though one figure's gravestone caught my eye: Brigadier Eric Dorman-O'Gowan MC.

He was removed from his military posting by Winston Churchill, with whom he then continued a long legal battle over the issue.

The acting Major-General, a life-long Catholic, then proceeded to change his name from Smith to O’Gowan and retired to the family home at Bellamont Forest, where he eagerly embraced Irish Republicanism.

He is said to have sold lead from the roof of Bellamont for the cause, and to have allowed the IRA to train on the estate.

First published in August, 2020.