Ardbraccan House

SEVERAL small bishoprics gradually coalesced into one See, which received the name of Meath, at the end of the 12th century.

In 1568, the bishopric of Clonmacnoise was incorporated with it by act of parliament.

It extends from the sea to the River Shannon, over part of six counties, viz. Meath, Westmeath, King's County (Offaly), Cavan, Longford, and Kildare.

From east to west it extends 80 miles; and in breadth, about 25 at a medium.

The Lord Bishop of Meath customarily takes precedence next to the two archbishops, and is styled Most Reverend.

The other bishops take precedence according to the date of their consecration.

Entrance Front

ARDBRACCAN HOUSE, near Navan, County Meath, is a large Palladian mansion house which served from the 1770s until 1885 as the seat of the Lord Bishop of Meath.

By the Middle Ages a large Tudor house, containing its own church, known as St. Mary's, stood on the site.

Bishop Evans left money for the building of a new residence here early in the 18th century.

His successor, Bishop Downes, came here with Dean Swift to lay out the new ground; though it was not until 1734 that Bishop Price (1678-1752) decided to replace the decaying mansion with a new Georgian residence.

The Parliamentary Gazetteer of 1845 remarks:

"Ardbraccan House, the successor of the castle, and the present episcopal palace of Meath, was built since 1766 from designs of James Wyatt, and is regarded, for beauty and splendour, as the second edifice of its class in Ireland."

"It is composed of the Ardbraccan limestone; consists of a main building and two wings, connected by circular walls and niches; and combines the magnificence of the palace with the comfort of the English mansion."

"The circumjacent demesne is extensive, and highly as well as tastefully embellished; and, among beautiful trees and shrubs, it contains some cedars of Lebanon and other exotics, planted by the oriental traveller, Pococke, during his time of being the Bishop of Meath."

"A small, ill-designed, and ill-sculptured slab in the churchyard in the parish does burlesquing duty as a monument to Bishop Pococke."

"The tomb of Bishop Montgomery, Bishop of Meath and Clogher, stands on the north side of the slab; and strongly fixes attention by its minglement of pretension, barbarousness, and absurdity. Figures which it exhibits of the Bishop, his wife, and his daughter, are the rudest productions of the chisel that can well be conceived." 

Initially the two wings of the house were built, before the main four-bay two-storey block of the house was completed in the 1770s by Bishop Maxwell.

It was partly designed by the acclaimed 18th-century German architect Richard Castle (also known as Richard Cassels).

Garden Front

When the two two-storey, five-bay wings had been completed, Bishop Price was translated to the archbishopric of Cashel.

For the following thirty years, succeeding bishops did nothing about building the centre block, but resided in one of the wings, using the other for guests.

It wasn't till the early 1770s that Bishop Maxwell, a younger son of the 1st Baron Farnham, decided to complete the house.

This prelate boasted that he would erect a palace so grand that no scholar or tutor would dare inhabit it.

The centre block, which was eventually begun in 1776, took a number of years to complete.

It comprises two storeys and seven bays, with an Ionic doorcase.

This block complements the wings with curved sweeps and niches.

The garden front has a three-bay central breakfront.

The interior plasterwork is Neo-Classical in style.

Bishop Alexander carried out more elaborate renovations to the outbuildings in the 1820s and 1830s.

THE disestablishment of the Church of Ireland in 1871 fatally weakened the economic survival of the bishops' estate, which was left totally reliant on the small local Church of Ireland community.

In 1885, the Church of Ireland sold the estate and house.

The bishop moved to a smaller mansion nearby (until 1958, when it was sold to a Catholic religious institute, the Holy Ghost Fathers).

Ardbraccan House was bought by Hugh Law, the son of the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and remained in the ownership of his descendants until sold by Colonel Owen Foster in 1985 to Tara Mines who used it as a guest residence for visiting businessmen.

In the late 1990s, Ardbraccan once again changed hands.

The new owner invested large sums to restore the mansion house.

First published in October, 2015. Arms of the bishopric of Meath: Albert H Warren, London, 1868.

Brackenber In The 1950s

A fellow Old Brackenbrian, Tom Graham, sent me three photographs of staff and pupils at Brackenber House prep school, Belfast, during the mid-fifties.

Many thanks, Tom, for such a wonderful contribution.

If you click on the image below, it ought to enlarge.

Tom describes these pictures in his own words:-

Above is a school photo from about 1956/57.

So few pupils, so many teachers!

A student/teacher ratio which would bring a tear to the eye of any modern educator.

On Mr Craig's left is the famous Miss Rankin.

I can't name any of the young women to her left.

To his right is Mr Henry, Deputy Principal.

He left to become an actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-upon-Avon; then Mr Hunter, next, I believe is the Sport/PE master, whose name escapes me.

Mr Ferguson and two unknown trainee teachers complete the line-up.

They were all good teachers.

Their skills greatly eased the transition to Secondary education.


The photo above suggests that not all reds are equal.

Substantial differences in the blazers are clearly visible.

The BHS monogram is missing from many pockets.

My guess is that many families must have struggled financially, and economised by not buying blazers from the approved supplier.

My parents managed to outfit my brother as well as myself from the approved supplier, but only just, I suspect.

The parents at my daughter's private school ran a thriving a second hand uniform shop.

I can't remember any such thing at Brackenber.

I do not recall an overcoat being part of the uniform.

Its cost might have been the final straw which would have deterred some parents.

PS That's me, Tom, in the top left corner!

Above is the football team from 1956/57.

We tried hard, but rarely succeeded.

The school was small,  so the talent pool was shallow.

We played against Rockport and Cabin Hill, but not against nearby Inchmarlo.

The school supplied the shirts, but not the socks, shorts,or boots.

As you can see, the sports budget did not stretch to providing more than one size of shirt!

For away matches, Mr Craig took all twelve of us in his car!

First published in 2009.

Days That Are Gone

Days That Are Gone is a book published in 1983 about the childhood of the distinguished Ulster lawyer, businessman and writer, Sir Patrick Macrory.

Sir Patrick Arthur Macrory received a knighthood in 1972 for services to Northern Ireland.

In Days That Are Gone, he reminisces about his childhood spent at the family homestead, Ardmore, near Limavady in County Londonderry.

Ardmore is within a mile of DRENAGH estate; and, indeed the McCauslands are mentioned quite a few times in the book.

If you're seeking a nostalgic journey to rural Ulster in the early 20th century, when the railways ran to most of our towns and villages, including Limavady; where there was a halt, indeed, at Ardmore; this, then, will interest you.

Sir Patrick's grandfather was Samuel Martin Macrory JP, of Ardmore Lodge, born in 1836; and his father, Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Samuel (Frank) Macrory DSO DL, born in 1876, was married to ROSA POTTINGER.

In his book, he mentions an amateur production he staged during his youth, at the Town Hall, Limavady, by the so-called Ardmore Players, where the following roll-call of the county's landed families acted:

Pat Macrory ~ Holmes;
William Lenox-Conyngham ~ Dr Watson;
Peggy Garnett ~ Landlady;
Conolly McCausland ~ Villain;
Rosemarie Davidson ~ Housekeeper.

For those interested in the old Limavady railway and the parish of Balteagh, this book is essential reading.

The late Rt Hon Roy Bradford composed a notable obituary of Sir Patrick (1911-93).

1st Baron Rathcavan

THE HON (ROBERT WILLIAM) HUGH O'NEILL (1883-1982) was the third son of the 2ND BARON O'NEILL.

Having served in the army as a major, O'Neill entered politics and became the Northern Ireland parliament's first Speaker.

He was appointed to the Privy Council of Northern Ireland and became Lord-Lieutenant for County Antrim, 1949-59.

Speaker O'Neill was created a baronet in 1929, designated of Cleggan, County Antrim.

Sir Hugh was elevated to the peerage, in 1953,  in the dignity of BARON RATHCAVAN, of The Braid, County Antrim, when the baronetcy merged with the barony.

His lordship married, in 1909, Sylvia Irene, daughter of Walter Albert Sandeman, and had issue,

PHELIM ROBERT HUGH, his successor;
Con Douglas Walter (Sir), GCMG, father of Onora, Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve CH CBE etc;
Nial Arthur Ramleh, Major, Irish Guards.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

PHELIM ROBERT HUGH, 2nd Baron (1909-94), PC, MP for North Antrim, 1959-72, who wedded firstly, Clare Désirée, daughter of Detmar Jennings Blow, and had issue,

HUGH DETMAR TORRENS, his successor;
Mary Rose.

He married secondly, in 1953, Bridget Doreen, daughter of Major the Hon Richard Coke, and had further issue,

Rosetta Anne; Kathleen; Moira Louisa; Grania Elizabeth.

The 2nd Baron undertook a not dissimilar career pattern as his father, entering politics having served in the Army.

He was, it is thought, a founder member of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland.

Lord Rathcavan lived at LIZARD MANOR, Aghadowey, County Londonderry, and Killala Lodge, County Mayo, which was described thus in 1996:

The seven-bedroom Georgian house on five and a half acres is owned by Bridget Lady Rathcavan, widow of the well known Northern Ireland politician, Sir Phelim O'Neill.

His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

HUGH DETMAR TORRENS, 3rd Baron (1939-), of Cleggan Lodge, who married, in 1983, Sylvie Marie-Thérèse, daughter of Georges Wichard, and had issue, an only child,

FRANÇOIS HUGH NIAL (b 1984), his successor.

Lord Rathcavan (known as Hugh O'Neill in those days) was the proprietor of the Brompton Bar & Grill.

His son, the Hon François O'Neill, is proprietor of Maison François, Duke Street, St James's, London.

CLEGGAN LODGE, near Broughshane, County Antrim, has been owned at various times by the O'Neills and the O'Haras.

It is two-storey, with a front of two bows linked by a wooden first-floor balcony.

There are double gables. The roof formerly thatched and windows at one time latticed.

There is an octagonal drawing-room and dining-room; and an imposing double staircase.

There are modern additions to the rear.

Formerly a shooting lodge for Shane’s Castle, the site is known to have been in existence in 1777.

An entry for 1835 records that it was ‘… surrounded by extensive plantations chiefly consisting of fir and larch and extends over about 200 acres.’

Fraser described it in 1838 as, ‘… the beautiful hunting seat of Earl O’Neill’s.’

Extensive landscaping and tree planting were carried out, presumably as shelter and cover.

Cleggan Lodge was built by the 1st Earl O’Neill in 1822 in order to keep one of his mistresses, and as a shooting lodge on the edge of his extensive grouse moors in north Antrim. 

He died without a male heir and, after Gladstone’s Irish Land Acts, the great estates diminished.

In 1927, Sir Hugh O’Neill, 1st Baron Rathcavan, bought the Cleggan Estate.

It was renovated in the 1920s in a fine elevated site with views of Slemish.

A ha-ha separates the house from parkland.

There are good mature trees in the parkland and in woodland.

A considerable area was once ornamentally planted.

A lake is drained at present.

A pond, Fisher’s Pond, was added sometime before 1857 and a rockery made in the glen by the present owner's grandfather post-1927.

These features are partially maintained in that paths are kept clear.

A cultivated and productive garden is kept at the house in immaculate order, including herbaceous borders, a hot house and frames.

This present garden is post-1927.

One of the two gate lodges survives.

Cleggan estate extends to about 1,000 acres and is renowned for the CLEGGAN SHOOT.

First published in June, 2010.  Rathcavan arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

Palmerstown House

THE EARLS OF MAYO OWNED 4,915 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY KILDARE

This family, MacWILLIAM BOURKE, and that of CLANRICARDE, derive from a common ancestor, viz. WILLIAM FITZADELM DE BURGO, who succeeded STRONGBOW as chief governor of Ireland, 1176. Sir Theobald Bourke, of Ardnaree, the last MacWilliam Bourke in Ireland, escaped to Spain, and was created by PHILIP III Marquis of Mayo.

DAVID BOURKE, of Moneycrower (Bunacrower), during the reign of HENRY VIII, had three sons,

Edmond;

JOHN, of whom we treat;

Miles.

The second son,

JOHN BOURKE, of Moneycrower (Bunacrower), was a captain of horse under the Marquess of Ormonde during the troubles in Ireland, in 1641; at the termination of which he took up his abode at Kill, County Kildare, and marrying Catherine, daughter of Meyler Fay, and niece of Sir Paul Davys, had (with three daughters),

Miles, dsp;
Walter, dsp;
Theobald, dsp;
RICKARD, of whom presently. 

The youngest son,

RICKARD BOURKE LL.D, of Dublin, married Catherine, daughter of Charles Minchin, of Ballinakill, County Tipperary, and was father of

THE RT HON JOHN BOURKE (c1700-90), MP for Naas, 1727-60, 1768-76, Old Leighlin, 1761-8, who wedded, in 1725, Mary, third daughter and co-heir of the Rt Hon Joseph Deane, Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;
JOSEPH DEANE (Most Rev), Lord Archbishop of Tuam, 3rd Earl;
Richard;
Thomas;
Catherine; Elizabeth; Margaret; Eleanor.

Mr Bourke having been sworn previously of the Irish privy council, was elevated to the peerage, in 1776, in the dignity of Baron Naas, of Naas, County Kildare; and advanced to a viscountcy, 1781, as Viscount Mayo, of Moneycrower (Bunacrower), County Mayo.

His lordship was further advanced to the dignity of an earldom, in 1785, as EARL OF MAYO.

The 1st Earl was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN, 2nd Earl (1729-92), MP for Naas, 1763-90, who espoused, in 1764, the Lady Mary Leeson, daughter of Joseph, Earl of Milltown, but died without issue, when the honours devolved upon his brother,

JOSEPH DEANE (Most Rev), Lord Archbishop of Tuam, as 3rd Earl (c1740-94), who married, in 1760, Elizabeth, only daughter of Sir Richard Meade Bt, and sister of John, 1st Earl of Clanwilliam, by whom he had issue,

JOHN, 4th Earl;
Richard (Rt Rev), Lord Bishop of Waterford;
Joseph (Very Rev), Dean of Ossory;
George Theobald (Rev);
and eight daughters.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

John, 4th Earl (1766–1849);
Robert, 5th Earl (1797–1867);
Richard Southwell, 6th Earl (1822-72);
Dermot Robert Wyndham, 7th Earl (1851–1927);
Walter Longley, 8th Earl (1859–1939);
Ulick Henry, 9th Earl (1890–1962);
Terence Patrick, 10th Earl (1929–2006);
Charles Diarmuidh John, 11th Earl (b 1953).

The heir apparent is the present holder's eldest son, Richard Thomas Bourke, styled Lord Naas (b 1985).

PALMERSTOWN HOUSE, near Johnstown, County Kildare, is a mansion-house rebuilt in late-Victorian "Queen Anne" style.

6th Earl of Mayo KP GCSI PC

The mansion was built by public subscription as a tribute to the memory of the 6th Earl of Mayo, Chief Secretary for Ireland and later Viceroy of India.

The 6th Earl was assassinated by an escaped convict in the Andaman Islands in 1872.

One front has a recessed centre and three-bay projections, joined by a colonnade of coupled columns. Another front has a pediment elevated on a three-bay attic, between two three-sided bows.

The house has a Mansard roof with pedimented dormers.

The mansion was burnt in 1923, though afterwards rebuilt with a flat roof and balustraded parapet.

Palmerstown has had a succession of owners, including Mrs B Lawlor, who began her career as cook to the 7th Earl and Countess.

Palmerstown House now functions as a de luxe golf golf resort and functions including christenings, communions, confirmations, family celebrations, retirement parties, anniversaries, corporate events, team-building exercises etc.

Mayo arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

Londonderry Rivers

EDITED EXTRACTS FROM THE TOPOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF IRELAND, 1837

THE principal rivers are the Foyle, the Bann, the Roe, and the Faughan.

The Foyle, which derives its name from the smoothness of its current, intersects the liberties of the city of Londonderry, in a majestic course north-eastward, having descended from Lifford, where, after the union of several important streams, it first obtains its name.

At Culmore, six miles below the city, which it appears formerly to have insulated, it expands into the estuary of Lough Foyle.

The Bann, or "White River," so called from the purity of its waters, intersects the liberties of Coleraine, within four miles of its junction with the ocean; but the navigation is greatly obstructed by shallows and a very dangerous bar, where the currents of the fresh water and the tide meet.

The Roe, or "Red River," so called from the colour of its waters, receives at Dungiven the Owenreagh: hence, in its course directly north, it receives from the mountains on each side the Owenbeg, the Gelvin, the Balteagh, the Curly Burn, and the Castle River; and winding through the fertile flat by Limavady, it falls into Lough Foyle by Myroe.

The flat country bordering the lower part of its course is exposed to sudden and impetuous floods poured down from the surrounding mountains: many acres of the finest lands are with difficulty defended by embankments, and even with this protection the securing of the crop is never a matter of certainty.

The deposits brought down by this river form many shifting banks in the lough, which prevent its mouth from becoming a convenient little port, although there is sufficient depth of water at high tides.

The Faughan in its course receives numerous rills and streams from the surrounding heights, and falls into Lough Foyle.

The Moyola is a considerable stream descending into Lough Neagh.

The principal tributaries of the Bann are the Clady, Agivey, and Macosquin streams.

There are no canals connected with the county, but an inland navigation, either by a canal, or lateral cuts along the Bann, is contemplated from Lough Neagh to Coleraine, and a Bill is now being applied for, to enable the proprietors of the lands round the lough to lower it to a summer level, and thereby render the Bann navigable to Coleraine.

Castlewellan

EDITED EXTRACTS FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY GAZETTEER OF IRELAND, PUBLISHED IN 1846

CASTLEWELLAN, a small market and post town in the parish of Kilmegan, barony of Upper Iveagh, County Down.

It stands on the road from Newry to Downpatrick.

The beauty, symmetry, and pretending bulk of this village, with its market-house and spire [the spire was removed ca 1846]; the stirring and prosperous aspect of two bleaching establishments in an adjacent valley on the north-west; the richly planted hills which close up the environs in the direction of Clough.

Prospect from The Square, Castlewellan (Image: William Alfred Green)

The superb grounds of CASTLEWELLAN DEMESNE, in the opposite direction, with its profuse plantations, and the spheric cone of its beautiful Gothic temple*; and the melting of this demesne into the instant and grand perspective of the Mourne mountains; render the village and its environs one of the most magnificent and imposing scenes in the county.

The mills of the two bleach-yards are turned by a stream which issues from a lake in Castlewellan demesne; and about twenty years ago, they annually finished 7,000 or 8,000 pieces of linen.

A weekly market is held for the sale of linen yarn and agricultural produce; and fairs are held on February 1st, May 1st, June 1st, September 1st, November 13th, and the Tuesday before Christmas.

Click on image to enlarge

Castlewellan mansion is the seat of the EARL ANNESLEY; its appendages are a lodge, a Gothic temple, and a farmyard; its demesne comprehend 400 or 500 acres of hill and dale, and so richly combine artificial ornament, practical utility, and natural landscape, as to present to tourists uniqueness in blending with power and beauty.

Its views, especially from the vantage ground on which the temple stands, are such, says Mr Atkinson, as "can only be tasted with rapture by that eye through which the majesty of Nature communicates itself a silent eloquence to the imagination."

The ancestor of the Earl Annesley was created Baron Annesley, of Castlewellan, in 1758.

The Temple, Castlewellan demesne, ca 1855 (Image: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society)

*THE TEMPLE, formerly on the site of the present mansion house, was demolished in 1855. Its demeanour was perhaps akin to similar buildings in Tollymore Park and Hillsborough. The late Peter Rankin, who wrote Historic Buildings in the Mourne Area of South Down for the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society in 1975, dates it to ca 1820.

First published in December, 2021.

The Firewood Poem

THE FIREWOOD POEM, COMPOSED BY LADY CONGREVE, IS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE TIMES NEWSPAPER ON THE 2ND MARCH, 1930:-

Beechwood fires are bright and clear

If the logs are kept a year,

Chestnut's only good they say,

If for logs 'tis laid away.

Make a fire of Elder tree,

Death within your house will be;

But ash new or ash old,

Is fit for a queen with crown of gold.

Birch and fir logs burn too fast

Blaze up bright and do not last,

It is by the Irish said

Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.

Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,

E'en the very flames are cold

But ash green or ash brown

Is fit for a queen with golden crown.

Poplar gives a bitter smoke,

Fills your eyes and makes you choke,

Apple wood will scent your room

Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom.

Oaken logs, if dry and old

keep away the winter's cold

But ash wet or ash dry

a king shall warm his slippers by.

Crom: Walled Garden

Although it's one of the most remote parts of the Province and almost as far from Belfast as you can get, I've been to Crom Estate in County Fermanagh many times.

I first visited it in about 1977, when the estate manager took us on a guided tour of the Castle - I'd written to Lord Erne in advance, requesting a visit.

The Walled Garden lies deep within the grounds of Crom (pronounced Crum).

You cross the White Bridge and walk several hundred yards until it appears, the former head gardener's lodge being opposite it.

Its old, red-brick walls are in good condition, the National Trust having re-built at least one side some years ago.

It extends to roughly three acres in size; and has become overgrown since its demise after the second world war.

It is to be hoped that the National Trust restores this special place as and when funds become available.

Ruinous glass-houses (Timothy Ferres, 2013)

Many fruits and vegetables were grown here for the big house.

Exotic fruits, which are nowadays taken for granted, were a rarity then and only the wealthiest families could afford to cultivate them.

In fact many people may never have seen a pineapple or a peach or known they existed.

On one side of the Walled Garden there were raspberries; and strawberries on another.

Heated glasshouses contained peaches, nectarines, pineapples, grapes and tomatoes; not to omit lettuce, marrows, cucumbers and orchards with apples, plums, pears and greengages.

There were also beehives, sweet-pea, daffodils, dahlias and magnolias.

Location of former palm-house (Timothy Ferres, 2013)

In the middle of the garden there was a large palm-house surrounded by a lily pond, now sadly gone, 25-30 feet high, where the weather-reading was taken every morning.

The whole garden swarmed with butterflies, bees and other wild insects; birds flitted in and out to help themselves to Nature's goodness.

It must have been heavenly.

Of course the main purpose of the walled garden was to maintain an abundant supply of produce, including flowers, for the Castle: a barrow was wheeled manually up to the Castle with fruit, vegetables and flowers twice daily.

When the family were staying at their London home, the freshly-picked produce was loaded on to the train at Newtownbutler station and taken to Belfast or Dublin; then put on a ferry for its long journey to the metropolis, where it would have been delivered to the Ernes' house the next day; and that was in Victorian times!

I have been in the Walled Garden and my imagination always escapes to those halcyon days, dreaming of what it must have been like.

My fervent hope is that the enchanting walled garden of Crom is resurrected back to life again some day.

This piece was first published in August, 2008. It is thought that the intention is to utilize part of the Walled Garden as community allotments.

Pheasant Percy

I like the festive tale of Percy the Pheasant, as originally revealed by BBC Northern Ireland.

Pupils at a County Down primary school took a beady-eyed friend under their wing - but the creature appears to have ruffled a few feathers.

Percy the pheasant took up residence in the grounds of Towerview Primary School in Bangor.

He lived there for two months and was particularly fond of the playground.

Percy followed the children around all day, sat in the front porch when it was raining, loitered around the dinner ladies looking for snacks, and peered through the assembly windows to listen to the songs.

As Christmas Day approached, however, the school principal, Alan Brown, suggested that Percy could soon be on a dinner plate.

Why?

Well, it seemed Percy had taken a dislike to the headmaster.

When he saw Mr Brown he attacked his shoes which became full of holes.

"The reason I dared to suggest to pupils that he would be on my Christmas dinner list was that he suddenly became a little aggressive towards my black shoes." 

"He arrived about four or five weeks ago as a small animal and he loves to walk behind me as I go to greet parents in the morning and walks out with me in the afternoon as well."

The headmaster said Percy has started to rule the roost, deliveries were having to be taken via another door and even the caretaker had taken to wearing hobnailed boots.

All the children were horrified at the headmaster's proposal and wrote letters begging for mercy for Percy.

They also made placards in protest.

Primary Seven pupil Amber McGimpsey said,

"He is great, he's very colourful. He mainly goes into the key stage one playground and we feed him at lunchtime. He likes most people except Mr Brown".

Luckily for the pupils, the principal said he had 'grown to love' Percy, so the bird remained safe for another year.

First published in December, 2012.

Merry Christmas

Cathedral Church of St Anne, Belfast (Six Mile Images)

Wishing you a very merry Christmas

Florence Court: My Irish Home

My dear mother gave me a wonderful hardback book when we were in County Fermanagh in 1979.

It is entitled Florence Court: My Irish Home, and written lovingly by Nancy, Countess of Enniskillen.

The book was published in 1972 by R & S Printers, The Diamond, Monaghan.

Lady Enniskillen wrote:

On the highest level of The Pleasure Grounds, there used to stand a little "summer house." Here on a warm sunny day ideally without wind and wrinkled only by the wings of birds and insects, on such a day at Florence Court, the Cole family would adjourn to drink their tea and enjoy the tonic view of the valley and the mountain.

On Thursday, the 14th August, 2014, this charming little thatched gazebo was burnt to the ground.

The National Trust has, I'm delighted to say, rebuilt it to the original specifications.

Kilkenny Palace

The See of OSSORY, which, like that of Meath, takes its name from a district, was originally established at Saiger, about 402 AD, by St Kieran, after his return from Rome, where he had remained 20 years in the study of the Christian faith, and had been consecrated a bishop.

He was accompanied on his return by five other bishops, who also founded sees in other parts of Ireland, and after presiding over this see for many years is supposed to have died in Cornwall.

Of his successors, who were called Episcopi Saigerenses, but very imperfect accounts are preserved.

Carthage, his disciple and immediate successor, died about the year 540, from which period till the removal of the see from Saiger to Aghaboe, about the year 1052, there appears to have been, with some few intervals, a regular succession of prelates.

The monastery of Aghaboe was founded by St Canice, of which he was the first abbot, and in which he died ca 600 AD; and after the removal of the see from Saiger, there is little mention of the bishops of Aghaboe.

Felix O'Dullany, who succeeded him in 1178, removed the see from Aghaboe to the city of Kilkenny, as a place of greater security, where he laid the foundation of the cathedral church of St Canice, which was continued at a great expense by Hugh de Mapilton, and completed by Geoffrey St Leger, about 1270.

Richard Ledred, who was consecrated in 1318, beautified the cathedral and rebuilt and glazed all the windows.

He also built the episcopal palace, near the cathedral.

The diocese of Ossory continued to be a separate see until 1835, when, on the death of Dr Elrington, Lord Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin, both those dioceses were annexed to it, and their temporalities vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

The diocese, which is one of the five that constitute the ecclesiastical province of Dublin, constitutes almost the whole of County Kilkenny, a good part of the Queen's County (Laois), and some of the King's County (Offaly).

It extends 46 miles in length from north to south, and 29 in breadth.

THE PALACE, Kilkenny, is a Georgian house built on the foundations of an older medieval palace.

It was probably built by the Right Rev Charles Este, Lord Bishop of Ossory from 1735-40.

The palace has a plain façade.

In 1760, Bishop Pococke constructed a Doric colonnade which joined the palace to St Canice's Cathedral, including a splendid, single-storey, pedimented, bow-ended robing-room.

The colonnade was subsequently demolished; the robing-room, however, remains a feature of the palace garden.

The palace was restored about 1963 by Bishop McAdoo (later Lord Archbishop of Dublin).

The last bishop to live at the palace was the Right Rev John Neill, from 1997-2002.

Ross Willoughby has written about her childhood there.

In 2008, the palace became the headquarters of the Irish heritage council.

First published in November, 2015.

The Reeks

THE McGILLYCUDDY OF THE REEKS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY KERRY, WITH 15,518 ACRES

CORNELIUS or CONNOR McGILLYCUDDY was born ca 1580; died by shipwreck, 1630, having married firstly, Joan, daughter of the Rt Rev John Crosbie, Lord Bishop of Ardfert; and secondly, Sheelagh, daughter of Richard Oge McCarty, of Dunguile, by whom he had a son, Niell, and a daughter.

By his first wife he had, with other issue,

DONOUGH McGILLYCUDDY (1623-c1695), of Carnbeg Castle, County Kerry, Sheriff of County Kerry, 1686.

This Donough obtained a grant of arms from Sir Richard Carney, Ulster King of Arms, in 1688.

He wedded, in 1641, Marie, youngest daughter of Daniel O'Sullivan, of Dunkerron, County Kerry, and had issue,

CORNELIUS, the heir;
Daniel, Colonel, Captain Monck's Regiment; father of DENNIS.

Mr McGillycuddy was succeeded by his elder son,

CORNELIUS McGILLYCUDDY, who married Elizabeth McCarty and dsp 1712, being succeeded by his cousin,

DENNIS McGILLYCUDDY, who married, in 1717, Anne, daughter of John Blennerhassett, by whom he had issue, with four daughters,

DENNIS, his heir;
CORNELIUS, succeeded his brother;
John, dsp;
Philip, dsp.

He died in 1730, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

DENNIS McGILLYCUDDY (1718-35), who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his brother,

CORNELIUS McGILLYCUDDY (1721-82), who wedded, in 1745, Catherine, daughter of Richard Chute, of Tullygaron, and had issue,

Denis, b 1747; d unm;
RICHARD, succeeded his father;
FRANCIS, succeeded his brother;
Daniel;
Eusebius;
Cornelius;
Charity; Mary Anne; Margaret; Ruth; Avis; Agnes.

The eldest surviving son,

RICHARD McGILLYCUDDY (1750-1826), of The Reeks, High Sheriff of County Kerry, 1793, espoused, in 1780, Arabella Mullins, daughter of Thomas, 1st Baron Ventry.

He dsp 1826, and was succeeded by his brother,

FRANCIS JOHN McGILLYCUDDY (1751-1820), of The Reeks, who wedded Catherine, widow of Darby McGill, and daughter of Denis Mahony, of Dromore, County Kerry, and had issue,

RICHARD, his heir;
Denis;
Daniel;
Frances; Mary Catherine; Elizabeth.

Mr McGillycuddy was succeeded by his son,

RICHARD McGILLYCUDDY (1790-1866), of The Reeks, who married firstly, in 1814, Margaret (d 1827), only daughter of Dr John Bennett, and had issue, a daughter, Dorothea.

He wedded secondly, in 1849, Anna, daughter of Captain John Johnstone, of Mamstone Court, Herefordshire, and had further issue,

RICHARD PATRICK, his heir;
DENIS DONOUGH CHARLES, of The Reeks;
John;
Charles;
Niell;
Agnes; Anna Catherine; Mary Ruth; Sylvia Emily.

Mr McGillycuddy was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD PATRICK McGILLYCUDDY (1850-71), of The Reeks, who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his brother,

DENIS DONOUGH CHARLES McGILLYCUDDY OF THE REEKS (1852-1921), DSO, Lieutenant RN, who married, in 1881, Gertrude Laura, second daughter of Edmond Miller, of Ringwood, Massachusetts, USA, and had issue,

ROSS KINLOCH; his heir;
Richard Hugh (1883-1918).

The elder son,

ROSS KINLOCH McGILLYCUDDY OF THE REEKS (1882-1950), DSO, Lieutenant, 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards, wedded Victoria, daughter of Edward Courage, of Shenfield Place, Essex, and had issue,

JOHN PATRICK, his heir;
DERMOT;
Denis Michael Edmond (1917-44);
Phyllida Anne.

Mr McGillycuddy was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN PATRICK McGILLYCUDDY OF THE REEKS (1909-59), who wedded, in 1945, Elizabeth Margaret, daughter of Major John Ellison Otto, and had issue,

RICHARD DENIS WYER;
Sarah Elizabeth.

Mr McGillycuddy was succeeded by his only son,

RICHARD DENIS WYER McGILLYCUDDY OF THE REEKS (1948-2004), who married, in 1984, Virginia Lucy, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon Hugh Waldorf Astor, and had issue,

Tara Virginia, b 1985;
Sorcha Alexander, b 1990.

Richard McGillycuddy was succeeded in the title by his first cousin,

(DERMOT PATRICK) DONOUGH McGILLYCUDDY OF THE REEKS (1939-), who married, in 1964, Wendy O'Connor, daughter of George Spencer, and has issue,

PIERS EDWARD DONOUGH, b 1965;
Michael Dermot, b 1968;
Jocelyn Patrick Spencer, b 1970;
Lavinia O'Connor, b 1966.

THE REEKS, near Beaufort, County Kerry, is a two-storey, five-bay, late Georgian house.

It has an eaved roof and pilastered porch, doubled in length with an extension of the same height and style.

Effectively this forms a continuous front of ten bays, the original porch, no longer central, remaining the entrance.

The two end bays of the extension protrude slightly.


AT THE end of the 19th century, before the Land Purchase Acts, Richard McGillycuddy's grandfather, whose mother had injected American money into the family, distinguished himself in the 1st World War, winning the DSO and the Légion d'Honneur.

From 1928 to 1936, he sat in the Senate of the Irish Free State as a supporter of the moderate WT Cosgrave and an opponent of the republican Eamon de Valera.

In the 2nd World War, he returned to the colours and became a regular informant on what was happening in neutral Ireland.

His grandson, Richard Denis Wyer McGillycuddy, was born in 1948. Richard's father, the senator's son, who had succeeded in 1950, himself died in 1959 as a result of wounds sustained during the 2nd World War in the Northampton Yeomanry.

At the time Richard was only 10 and still at his preparatory school before going on to Eton.

His English mother, although never feeling at home in Ireland, carried on dutifully at Beaufort to preserve the family inheritance for her son.

Every August, she organised a rather gentrified cricket match played on the lawn of the house - but it was abandoned around 1970 after young Richard, who had little interest in cricket and was not watching, was knocked unconscious by a mighty drive by a visitor who had played for the Cambridge Crusaders.

The young McGillycuddy's passion was cars, and he went into the motor trade in London after a brief sojourn at the University of Aix-en-Provence.

He was unreceptive to the efforts of his uncle Dermot, a Dublin solicitor much beloved of McGillycuddys of every class and creed, to interest him in Ireland.

Tall and dashing, the rugged and auburn-haired young McGillycuddy of the Reeks was much in demand in London among the Sloane Rangers.

Eventually, in 1983, at the age of 35, he married Virginia Astor, the granddaughter of the 1st Lord Astor of Hever.

Feeling that he had little in common with the local people in Kerry, McGillycuddy decided to sell The Reeks, and moved to France, where he acted as a property consultant to prospective British purchasers of chateaux and lesser French properties.

After the birth of his second daughter in 1990, the family returned to live in Ireland - not, however, in their ancestral territory, but nearer Dublin, where they rented a succession of houses, the last of them in Westmeath.

He continued to dabble in property, and latterly sold insurance; but it was a handicap that his upper-class English demeanour disappointed expectations raised by his Irish-sounding name.

Although he could be charming in the appropriate company, he did not relate well to Irish people outside his own class.

Meanwhile, despite poor health, his wife carved out a niche for herself doing valuable work as a prison visitor.

McGillycuddy was active in the council of Irish chieftains who had been recognised by the Irish Genealogical Office.

Richard McGillycuddy was survived by his wife and two daughters.

He was succeeded by his first cousin, Donogh, who lives in South Africa.

First published in March, 2013.

The Cleggan Shoot

ALEX FLINT OF THE SHOOTING GAZETTE WROTE IN 2011 ABOUT A SHOOT AT CLEGGAN, LORD RATHCAVAN'S COUNTRY ESTATE NEAR BROUGHSHANE, COUNTY ANTRIM

"The main reason we go game shooting is because it is fun.

The thought of taking a day out to enjoy the countryside in the company of friends is reason enough for most of us to don our complicated tweeds, wrestle the shotgun from the cabinet and take on hours of driving to reach some far-flung corner of our islands.

Bad weather, however, tends to take the wind out of your sails.

Or sometimes firmly put the wind in your sails and the rain down your back.

When you find any game shooting which puts a smile on your face in spite of the conditions, you know you must have found something of a gem.

I was reliably informed that the week before my visit last October the guns had been taking on the impressive partridges of the Cleggan Shoot in their shirt sleeves.

This was cold comfort for the guns on this occasion, who found themselves bracing against the wind, and squinting through the rain in pursuit of their quarry.

In spite of this, you would be hard pressed to see a downcast face all day.

The Cleggan Shoot lies in the North Antrim hills above the Glens of Antrim, facing the Mull of Kintyre.

Partridge game shooting was started there in 2000, adding to the established pheasant game shooting.

The estate provides five partridge drives and nine main pheasant drives, with a further 10 drives used for smaller driven days and walked-up game shooting.

The attitude and atmosphere of the Cleggan Shoot is set by Lord Rathcavan, the estate owner, and shoot manager Joe Taylor.

Both men have a clear love of game shooting and of the countryside, and they have built up a team of like-minded people who give the game shooting its unique, welcoming feel.

Joe explains,

They’re a great bunch of lads, you won’t ever hear a cross word said between them. I think in 10 years I’ve only had two people leave - and you were probably better off without them. I think that says it all.

This is backed up by Adam Lucas, one of Cleggan’s dedicated pickers-up who has been with the estate for six years:

The game shooting is what brings you back, watching the game shooting and taking part by working the dogs. 

The teamwork here is great, it’s good fun and there’s never a bad word said. At lunchtime we get well fed and watered - it’s just an excellent day.

The guns on the day were more than happy to buy into the party spirit, it being a rare chance for a group of friends from all over Europe to get together.

One of the guns, Haiko Visser, explained to me what made the journey from Switzerland to Northern Ireland to shoot worth it:

“We came for the first time in 2009, and I’ve already booked up for next year. It’s a wonderful day out. For me it’s not just the game shooting which makes the day, it’s the whole weekend with the boys. 

We’re spread all over Europe, making it difficult to get together regularly. Game shooting is the perfect excuse and you certainly don’t get moaned at by your wife in the same way for going out to the pub.

“I live 20 miles south of Zurich, it’s a lovely part of the world - absolutely magnificent. Switzerland is a very outdoorsy sort of lifestyle. We’re all closeted up inside most of our lives when you think about it, so any chance to get outside - even on a day like this when it’s pouring with rain - is lovely. 

You’re outside with the amazing landscape all around you, the air is fresh and you’re not surrounded by people and being pushed off the pavement.

There is a balance to game shooting - why you do it, where you shoot, the quality of the game shooting and the people you do it with. I think this place has got the balance absolutely right.”

Each of the guns is put under the care of a specific picker-up who will watch and advise throughout the day.

This is particularly important due to the terrain of the estate, which once used to hold large numbers of grouse, and presents the partridges in a similar manner.

As such safety is paramount, which is reinforced in the briefing at the beginning of the day.

The nature of the terrain, being high on various hillsides and in deep valleys, offers a real variety of shooting.

Guns move onto the pegs quietly and are live immediately. 

The early birds do indeed burst off the hills like grouse, and the guns have to be ready to shoot them as such.

A long blast of a horn indicates the beaters are about to break the skyline, at which point the style of shooting changes and the drives become the more usual style of partridge shooting most guns will be used to.

In spite of the heavy rain the birds were extremely strong, flying hard and fast in consistent numbers interspersed with large coveys.

The birds are bought in as chicks from the first week of April, and sometimes even the last week of March, so by October they are already six months old.

This extra time obviously gives them time to adjust to the conditions on a Northern Ireland hillside, as it is most unusual to see birds flying so well in such tough conditions.

Both Joe Taylor and head-keeper Steven Baird have been working on the shoot for over 10 years, and deserve great credit for creating what is a very impressive shoot.

The main property on the 1,000 acres of the Cleggan Shoot, once a part of the vast O’Neill Estate, is an old shooting lodge.

It was built in 1822 on the edge of what were then very extensive grouse moors.

A love of shooting has been a feature of Lord Rathcavan’s family for several generations, as he explained:

I always shot as a boy - though I wasn’t much good at it. My grandfather was a tremendous shooting man all his life. He was the youngest son, and so bought Cleggan from his father in 1927. 

It remained part of the O’Neill estate in spite of the Land Act of the 1870s because shooting properties were exempt. All the shooting rights still belong to my cousin, who is the present Lord O’Neill.

A real highlight of the day, and one of the key criteria for judging any shoot, is the food on offer.

Lord Rathcavan was the proprietor of the Brasserie St Quentin on Knightsbridge, whose sign now hangs in the guns’ lunch room.

His son, the Hon Francois O’Neill, now owns and runs [ran] the award-winning Brompton Bar and Grill from the same site, so clearly a passion for food runs in the blood:-

“Shooting is about a lot more than just the shooting,” Lord Rathcavan explains. “The problem with being out here in Northern Ireland is we can’t hope to compete with the biggest shoots in England and Scotland, particularly the west country partridge shoots. As such we have to offer something different." 

"One of the ways we do that is the cultivation of the special atmosphere we have here, a big part of which is our lunches." 

“I buy the beef un-butchered from the local meat factory, making sure it’s all hung for 28 days. It’s so much better to see beef on the bone. I get the rib and stick it in the Aga at nine in the morning."

"After an hour or so I cut the skirt off, which then goes in the beater’s oven with the two big hunks of shoulder they have cooked in their oven in their shoot room."

“I take the meat out of the oven at 12 and let it rest on top for about an hour, which is the most important part." 

"Isabel is our lunch steward, the most wonderful girl who does all the other bits of cooking. The guns get a good wine, and the meal ends with a cheese board." 

“So many people come back here just because of our lunches - it’s all part of the camaraderie of the day." 

"You can always judge how good a day people are having at lunchtime as it’s their first opportunity to mull over the shooting. I think it’s all part of the experience."

Good though the food is, the quality of shooting on offer is not to be underestimated.

Thanks to the varied terrain there is a wide range of sport on offer, from driven partridge and pheasant days to smaller boundary days and walked-up woodcock shooting.

My old school pal Gavin Whittley pictured on the right in 2011

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.

Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.
Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.
Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Shoot manager Joe Taylor (left) & Gavin Whittley discuss the morning’s drives.
Read more at http://www.shootinggazette.co.uk/shootfeatures/527725/Game_shooting_at_the_Cleggan_shoot_County_Antrim.html#ljeDFR5RVMM2cQho.99

Unusually, the partridge shooting is charged on a fixed rate at £6,000 for a day on the basis of 300 birds.

Though most guns will be used to being charged on a per-bird basis, the flat fee actually works out as extremely good value, coming in at about £20 per bird.

Considering the quality of sport on offer, even in the rain, this seems like a bargain to me".

First published in July, 2011.