Killynether House: I

I first discovered  Killynether Wood in December, 2007.

Such a beautiful spot.

Deep in the woods there is a sea of bluebells in May each year.

Killynether Wood lies on a hill overlooked by Scrabo Tower, that august landmark and memorial to the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry.

The nearest town is Newtownards in County Down; the Woods are roughly between Comber and Newtownards.

I had no idea, until I was told, that there used to be a large country house here, called Killynether House.

Killynether was the second property acquired by the National Trust since it became established in Northern Ireland

The owner in 1937 was Jessie Helen Weir ( b 1856).

She donated her property that year, including 42 acres of mixed woodland and an endowment of £2,000, to the Trust.

I believe that the house was built in 1858.

In 1907 Killynether House was described in the street directory as Killynether Castle, the owner being Arthur James Weir (b 1863); though in a directory of 1886 the occupier was none other than James Brownlow, a local magistrate; and shortly thereafter Brownlow resigned as Lord Londonderry's land agent.

Andrew Cowan, another local magistrate, also occupied Killynether at one stage.

Killynether and the surrounding land formed part of the Londonderry Estates; and we also know that James Brownlow was Lord Londonderry's land agent in 1886; and that there was a Cowan Inheritance in the 17th century.

This was a Victorian, Tudor-Gothic mansion with a mullioned roof and various towers.

This, at least, we can deduce from old photographs.

The house was already being used as a youth hostel in 1937, so the Trust agreed that the YHA tenancy should continue.

At the start of the Second World War, the House and grounds were requisitioned by the Army; and the tenure of the Estate, including those austere but functional Nissen huts, was not actually released by the Ministry of Defence till the 31st May, 1949.

The concrete bases of the huts remained, despite considerable pleas from the Trust to the MoD about this.

The Northern Ireland Committee of the National Trust was concerned that the property should be utilized to its full potential following the army's departure, so an umbrella group representing the YHA, Federation of Boys' Clubs, Civil Service Social Service Society and National Council of YMCAs was formed and the Trust granted them a short lease for their activities.

In June, 1947, Killynether House was still found to be in reasonably good condition.

About five years later, in 1952, the youth hostel grouping's tenure expired, though the YHA was permitted to remain until November, 1953.

Regrettably, dry rot had begun to take hold of the house; nevertheless some remedial repairs were undertaken.

At this stage the Trust wished to find suitable private tenants for the property though, sadly, during a period when the house was empty, it succumbed to inevitable vandalism.

Eventually a tenant was found in September, 1955.

The perennial problems associated with dry rot persisted and Killynether House became uninhabitable to such an extent that, by 1966, the matter came to a head and the National Trust felt that regrettably they had no option other than to demolish the old house.

First published in May, 2009.

Belfast Department Stores

In 1974 Belfast boasted no less than twelve department stores. I remember most of them.

Robinson & Cleaver, at 56 Donegall Place, was "Northern Ireland's most famous Department Store."

One of my favourite ties, a navy blue, polka dot silk tie which I wear to this very day, was purchased at Robinson Cleaver's.

The Bank Buildings, at Castle Place, was a lovely store in its time. It had been taken over by House of Fraser, I seem to recall.

The Belfast Co-operative Society's store was by far the largest of them all. It was vast, in fact.

• Anderson & McAuley, 1-9 Donegall Place, and 2-16 Castle Street
• Arnott, John & Co, of Belfast, 26-32 High Street, and 16 Bridge Street
• Bank Buildings, The, Castle Place
• Belfast Co-operative Society, 12-44 York Street
• Brands Birdcage Walk, 1-8 Brand's Arcade, and 49 Donegall Place
• Brands & Normans, 18-26 Castle Lane
• British Home Stores (BHS), 24-26 Castle Place, 13-25 Castle Lane, and 11-15 and 14-18 Castle Arcade
• Leahy, Kelly & Leahy, 2-6 Castle Place
• Littlewoods Mail Order Stores, 5-17 Ann Street, and 14-30 William Street South
• Marks & Spencer, 48-52 Donegall Place
• Robinson & Cleaver, 56, Donegall Place
• Woolworth, F W, 11-15 High Street, 2-6 Ann Street, 4-10 Cornmarket, and 127-161 North Street

Three of the aforesaid stores survive, viz. Bank Buildings (being re-built after a catastrophic fire); Marks & Spencer (to their credit throughout the Troubles); and the former Woolworth's store (now Dunnes Stores).

In addition there is a Frasers (House of Fraser) store.

New Belfast DL

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY LIEUTENANT

Dame Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle DBE, Lord-Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast, has been pleased to appoint:-

Professor Sir Michael Oliver McBride 

Belfast

To be a Deputy Lieutenant of the County Borough, his Commission bearing date the 27th day of April 2026.

Signed: Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle DBE DStJ LLD (Hon QUB)

Lord Lieutenant of the County Borough

The Burroughs Baronetcy

This family, and several others in England and Ireland, which now bear the names of De Burgh, Burgh, Bourke, Burke, Buroughs, Burrough, and Burroughs,  derive their origin from Robert de Burgh, who came from Normandy with William the Conqueror.

One branch of the family went to Ireland in the reign of HENRY II, and there gave rise to the noble families of Clanricarde, Mayo, and several other families of distinction in that kingdom.

Another branch, from which the Burroughs Baronetcy was descended, settled in Lincolnshire, and was advanced to the dignity of the peerage by ELIZABETH I, who, on sending Sir Thomas Burgh, KG, to Ireland, as Lord Deputy, created him a peer.

Thomas, Lord Burgh, died in the government, without male issue, when the title became extinct, and his estates in Lincolnshire passed into the Newcastle and Gainsborough families.

He was accompanied to Ireland by a collateral relation of the same name, who acquired a large landed property in County Wicklow, and was the immediate ancestor of Sir William Burroughs, first (and last) Baronet.

THOMAS BURROUGHS, who married Elizabeth Lewis, had a son,

FRANCIS BURROUGHS, who wedded Miss Mushet, niece to the then Lord Bishop of Derry, and had issue,

Thomas;

LEWIS, of whom we treat;

Mary.

The younger son,

THE VEN. LEWIS BURROUGHS DD (1714-86), Archdeacon of Derry, espoused Mary, daughter of Richard Cane, of Laraghbryan, County Kildare, by Anne Lyons, of River Lyons, in the King's County, who was almost allied to the noble families of Drogheda, Mount Cashell, Wellesley, Charleville, Boyne, and Harberton, and by her had issue,

Medlicott;

Newburgh (Ven), Archdeacon of Derry;

WILLIAM, of whom hereafter;

Thomas;

Mary Anne; Frances; Selina Frances.

The third son,

WILLIAM BURROUGHS (c1753-1829), a barrister, MP for Enniskillen, 1802-6, Colchester, 1817-18, Taunton, 1818-19, went to India, and was appointed Advocate-General of Bengal by Lord Cornwallis.

Sir William Burroughs Bt (Image: National Portrait Gallery)

On his return he was created a baronet, in 1804, designated of Castle Bagshaw, County Wicklow.

Sir William married Letitia, daughter of William Newburgh, of Ballyhaise and Drumcarn, County Cavan,  and had issue,

William;

Letitia; Maria Isabella; Louisa.

Sir William's only son,

WILLIAM BURROUGHS (1784-1814), a captain in the Coldstream Guards, died of wounds received at the battle of Bayonne.

Sir William's only son having predeceased him, the baronetcy became extinct.

First published in April, 2022.

Sketches of Olden Days

In Coleraine, County Londonderry, there used to be a little book-shop tucked up a little side street - Society Street - close to the parish church, which sold vintage books among other items.

On one occasion, I think in 2015, I found a small hardback book written in 1927, six years after the formation of Northern Ireland.

Click To Enlarge

It was by the Rev Canon Hugh Forde, with a forward by the Rt Hon Sir James Craig Bt (later 1st Viscount Craigavon), first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.

Hugh Forde was born in Derry in 1847, educated at Dungannon Royal School, County Tyrone, and Trinity College, Dublin, where he achieved a master's degree and a doctorate.

The Roamer column in the Newsletter newspaper remarks that, following curacies in Macosquin and Maghera, Hugh became Rector in Kilcronaghan, Ballynascreen, and Tamlaght Finlagan (Ballykelly) successively before becoming a Canon of St Columb's Cathedral, Londonderry, from 1897 to 1922.

He had five children, including Kathleen, during his first marriage to Mary Ross from Limavady.

After Mary died he married Dorothea Millar from Buncrana, in 1884, and had three more children, one of whom, Lieutenant Kenneth Forde, was killed in action in Flanders on the 24th July, 1915, during the 1st World War.

Canon Forde retired to Portrush, County Antrim, in 1922 where he remained until his death in 1929.

He wrote and published four books: Round the Coast of Northern Ireland; Ulster at Bay; The Giant’s Causeway and Dunluce Castle; and Sketches of Olden Days in Northern Ireland.

I heartily concur with Lord Craigavon when he wrote:

In commending these brilliant sketches to the people of Ulster, and to visitors to our shores, I do so with all the more pleasure, although our native country is teeming with historical interest and is well supplied with ancient monuments, suitable books of reference are comparatively few. 

Canon Forde has done a public service in compiling so accurate a record of Olden Days, and providing an interesting glimpse of the life led by Ulstermen of bygone times.

Seek it out if you can.

First published in July, 2016.

Dromore Castle

THE MAHONYS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY KERRY, WITH 26,173 ACRES

The O'Mahonys were, in early times, powerful chieftains in the province of Munster, and had extensive estates along the sea-coast of counties Cork and Kerry.

Opposite Horse Island, off the former county, was their castle of Rosbrin, boldly erected on a rock over the sea; and its proprietor, in the time of ELIZABETH I, availing himself of the natural advantage that it possessed, led a life of such successful piracy, that Sir George Carew, when Lord President of Munster, was obliged to demolish it.

From old family documents, it appears that the ancestors of RICHARD JOHN MAHONY, of Dromore Castle, held for a long period the office of Seneschal of Kerry, even down to the time of the Commonwealth.

In 1639, MacDermot O'Mahony was confirmed as High Sheriff of Kerry by CHARLES I. Not long after, the O'Mahonys, true to their allegiance, suffered fine and confiscation, and finally sought in foreign climes the distinction denied them at home.

COLONEL DERMOT O'MAHONY, of Rosbrin, a faithful adherent of JAMES II, fought and fell at Aughrim.

His brother, DANIEL MAHONY, received the honour of knighthood from that monarch at St Germain's for his gallant conduct at Cremona, and afterwards for his good services in France, Spain and Italy, obtained the title of Count from LOUIS XIV.

This was the celebrated General Count MAHONY, of the Spanish service, so distinguished at Almanza and in Sicily as Commander-in-Chief of the Spanish troops.

A chief line of the great House of Mahony resident in County Kerry was

JOHN MAHONY, of Dromore Castle, who married firstly, in 1794, Miss Higginbotham, of Bath, who died without issue; and secondly, Miss Day, daughter of the Ven Edward Day, Archdeacon of Ardfert, of Beaufort House, County Kerry, and had issue,

DENIS, of whom presently;
Richard.

He married thirdly, Miss Godfrey, daughter of Sir William Godfrey Bt, of Kilcoleman Abbey, County Kerry, by whom he had a daughter, Agnes, who wedded R C Hickson, of Fermoyle, County Kerry.

Mr Mahony died in 1817, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE REV DENIS MAHONY JP, of Dromore Castle, who married firstly, in 1827, Lucinda Catherine, only child of John Segerson, of West Cove, County Kerry, and had a son,

RICHARD JOHN, of whom hereafter.

He wedded secondly, in 1829, Jane, daughter of Sir John Blake Bt, of Menlo Castle, and by her had issue,

Denis;
Edward;
Henry;
John;
Rose; Margaret.

He espoused thirdly, in 1843, Katherine, daughter of Mathew Franks, of Merrion Square, Dublin, by whom he had one daughter, Mary Ellen.

The Rev Denis Mahony died in 1851, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD JOHN MAHONY JP DL (1828-92), of Dromore Castle, High Sheriff of County Kerry, 1853, who married, in 1856, Mary Harriette, eldest daughter of John Waller, of Shannon Grove, County Limerick, and had issue, with a daughter,

HAROLD SEGERSON MAHONY JP (1867-1905), of Dromore Castle, County Kerry, who succeeded his father in 1892.

When Harold Mahony was killed in a bicycle accident in 1905, he left no heirs.

The estate passed to his sister, Norah Eveleen Mahony, wife of Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Hood TD JP, who, in turn, left the castle to her cousin, Hugh Bolton Waller.

DROMORE CASTLE, near Templenoe, County Kerry, looks out over the River Kenmare.

It was built in the 1830s for the Mahony family to a neo-gothic design by Sir Thomas Deane.

It was designed and built for Denis Mahony.

Work began in 1831, although the account books show that only a negligible amount had been carried out before 1834.

Building work was completed in 1839.

The house is in the castellated Gothic-Revival style, with an external finish of Roman cement with limestone dressings.

With the notable exception of the grand south-facing window with its pointed arch, the windows consist of pointed tracery contained within rectangular frames, a style characteristic of Deane's domestic work.

The entrance hall, which is in the form of a long gallery, takes up half of the area of the ground floor.

The west wing of the Castle takes the form of a round tower, with a spiral staircase contained within an attached turret.

Although Dromore Castle appears to have been built on the instructions of Denis Mahony, his father John Mahony had made the decision to build a large residence earlier in the 19th century, but apparently abandoned the attempt after his yacht, returning from London with lead for the roof and wine for the cellar, sank in the River Kenmare, in view of the site of the house.

Thereafter, no further work took place until Deane began building work for Denis Mahony in the 1830s.

Denis Mahony was a rector of the Church of Ireland and a keen proselytiser.

He is known to have set up a soup kitchen at Dromore during the time of the Irish Potato Famine, and preached in the chapel at Dromore to the hungry who came for food.

His proselytizing activities did not make him a popular figure in the locality, and in 1850 he was attacked in his church at Templenoe.

On returning to Dromore, he found a further angry group had uprooted flower beds, felled trees and were about to set fire to the castle; it is claimed that they were only stopped by the intervention of the local priest.

After the Rev Denis Mahony's death in 1851, the castle was inherited by his son, Richard John Mahony, who successfully ran the estate in addition to farming oyster beds in the bay.

When Richard Mahony died, the castle then passed in turn to his son, Harold Segerson Mahony.

Harold was an extremely successful tennis player, and indeed was the last Irish winner at Wimbledon.

His tennis court can still be found in the gardens at the Castle.

It was in the late 1800s, during Harold Mahony's time as head of the household, that Harold Boulton, best known for writing the lyrics of the Skye Boat Song, came to visit Dromore, and it is then that he is thought to have written the words to the popular song "The Castle of Dromore," published in 1892.

When Harold Mahony was killed in a bicycle accident in 1905, he left no heirs, and the castle was passed to his sister, Norah Hood.

She in turn left the castle to her cousin, Hardrass Waller, and the castle remained in the hands of the Waller family until 1993 when it was offered for sale.

Dromore Castle is now owned by an investment company who are attempting to restore the building.

Beyond the Castle's gardens and outbuildings, the majority of the Castle grounds are now owned by  the Irish forestry board.

The Kerry Way runs through the grounds, and there are various footpaths leading to the Kenmare River. Entrance to the grounds is through a castellated gatehouse, also by Thomas Deane.

First published in June, 2012.

Dunsandle House

THE BARONS DUNSANDLE AND CLANCONAL WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY GALWAY, WITH 33,543 ACRES

The family of DALY, or O'DALY, is of very ancient origin, deducing its descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages, monarch of Ireland in the 4th century, who was also common ancestor of the O'NEILLS of Tyrone and O'DONNELLS of Tyrconnell, from whom the pedigree of this family is lineally traced in the Heralds' office.

THE RT HON DENIS DALY (c1638-1721), son of James Daly, of Carrownakelly, by his wife, Anastase D'Arcy (niece of Patrick D'Arcy), had a son,

DENIS DALY, of Carrownakelly, whose son,

JAMES DALY (1716-69), MP for Athenry, 1741-68, Galway Borough, 1768-9, married firstly, Bridget, daughter of Francis, 14th Baron Athenry; and secondly, Catherine, daughter of Sir Ralph Gore Bt, by whom he had issue,

St George;
DENIS, of whom we treat.

The younger son,

THE RT HON DENIS DALY (1748-91), of Dunsandle, County Galway, married, in 1780, the Lady Henrietta Maxwell, daughter of Robert, 1st Earl of Farnham, and had issue,

JAMES, his heir;
Robert (Rt Rev), Lord Bishop of Cashel and Waterford;
Henrietta; Katharine; Charlotte; Elizabeth; Emily; Mary.

Rt Hon Denis Daly (Image: Wikipedia)

Mr Daly was succeeded by his eldest son,

JAMES DALY (1782-1847), MP for County Galway, 1812-27, who was elevated to the peerage, in 1845, in the dignity of BARON DUNSANDLE AND CLANCONAL, of Dunsandle, County Galway.

His lordship  married, in 1808, Maria Elizabeth, second daughter and co-heiress of Rt Hon Sir Skeffington Smyth Bt, MP, of Tinny Park, County Wicklow, and had issue,

DENIS ST GEORGE, his successor;
Charles Anthony;
SKEFFINGTON JAMES, 3rd Baron;
Bowes Richard;
Robert;
Margaret Eleanor; Rosa Gertrude Harriet.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

DENIS ST GEORGE, 2nd Baron (1810-93), DL, Captain, 7th Dragoons, who wedded, in 1864, Mary, daughter of William Broderick, though dying without legitimate male issue, the family honours devolved upon his next brother,

SKEFFINGTON JAMES, 3rd Baron (1811-94), who died unmarried, when the family honours reverted to his cousin,

JAMES FREDERICK, 4th Baron (1849-1911) (son of the Hon Robert Daly, youngest son of the 1st Baron), Assistant Private Secretary to Lord Beaconsfield, 1874-80, Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Treasury, 1885-87, Assistant in the National Debt Office, 1888.

The 4th Baron died unmarried, when the titles became extinct.

Dunsandle House (Image: Irish Times)

DUNSANDLE HOUSE, near Athenry, County Galway, was a five-bay, three-storey country house, built ca 1780, now in ruins and roofless.

It was said to have been the finest house in the county, famed for its neo-classical plasterwork. 

Various visitors commented that it had a good cellar and a fine library.

The basement housed some of the servants, the money room, and the boiler.

On the ground floor were the drawing room, the bathrooms, the function room and one of the sitting rooms.

There was also a spacious hallway which led into a highly decorative interior with neo-classical plasterwork.

Photo credit: Eamonn McNally

The second floor had more sitting rooms, several bedrooms and a very large bath, and the attic was used for storage and for water tanks.

According to The Buildings of Ireland,

Although ruinous, the high quality of construction employed in this country house is clearly evident. String courses, cornice and window surrounds are the work of skilled stonecutters and masons. The associated outbuildings and the fine entrance archway enhance the house. The detailing hints at the formerly splendid architectural quality that has been lost in the ruination of Dunsandle House.

The centre block had three storeys over a basement with five-bay entrance and garden fronts, each with a three-bay pedimented breakfront; joined by long, straight screen walls with pedimented doorways and niches to low and wide-spreading two-storey wings.

The saloon had elaborate plasterwork; a coved rococo ceiling in the morning-room; Adamesque ceiling in the drawing-room.

Dunsandle was sold by Major Bowes Daly MC, grandson of the 2nd Lord Dunsandle, about 1954.

Major Daly was aide-de-camp to the Viceroy of India, and Master of the Galway Blazers.

 A reader has provided me with more information:

Major Bowes Daly divorced his first wife Diane Lascelles to marry a divorcee Mrs Hanbury (whose first husband Guy Trundle had an affair with Wallis Simpson). This created a scandal in Country Galway on a par with the abdication crisis of 1936!

Major Daly was the last of his family to reside at Dunsandle House and the furore over his re-marriage led to the Catholic clergy boycotting the Galway Blazers of which he was Master. He sold up in 1954 and the house was later demolished.

After going to East Africa he returned to Ireland and lived his last years on Lord Harrington`s estate in Co. Limerick. He is buried in Loughrea near his former home. 

The Irish land commission demolished parts of Dunsandle House and sold all the valuable parts of the house in 1958.

They divided the land of the estate between the local farmers.

Dunsandle arms courtesy of the NLI.  First published in December, 2011.