Rathlin Revisited

IN AUGUST, 2017, I STAYED FOR SEVERAL DAYS ON RATHLIN ISLAND

Rathlin Manor House in 2017

IT MUST be about four years since I last visited Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland's only inhabited off-shore island.

I'm fond of Rathlin.

I have always stayed at the Manor House, former home of Rathlin's landlords, the Gages.

Two ferries - one fast and one slower - sail regularly from the nearest town, Ballycastle in County Antrim.

The fast (passenger-only) ferry takes no more than twenty-five minutes to sail to the island.

My return ticket cost £12.

I arrived at about 10am on Tuesday, checked in early, unpacked and had a brief stroll round Church Bay before a good lunch comprising potato and leek soup in the Manor House, where I stayed for three nights.

Room Nine

I actually stayed in Room Nine, a small single room directly above what used to be the snug bar (The Auld Kitchen).

The Manor House closed down a couple of years ago for major renovation work so, subsequently, The Auld Kitchen was not replaced.

The new interior is hard to recognize if you recall the original one: partition walls have been rearranged and fresh, new, contemporary decor - all "mod-cons".

The general colour scheme seems to be painted in a kind of subtle pastel green.

My room had a oculus window and, in fact, there's another oculus window at the opposite end, too.

That evening I enjoyed a good dinner in the main restaurant comprising a lythe (pollack) with whole potatoes and kale; followed by pavlova.

Lawn in front of the Manor House

On Wednesday at 8am I had a fine cooked breakfast: two pork sausages, two lean rashers, potato-bread, soda-bread, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, tea and toast.

After breakfast I walked to Soerneog View hostel, where I hired a cycle for the day (£10) and rode westwards to the RSPB Seabird Centre and the West Lighthouse.

The distance from Church Bay to the West Lighthouse is about five miles.

I was rather glad to reach my destination for, although cycling is a good means of seeing the island, the terrain is uneven to the extent that it was easier for me to dismount occasionally and walk up several steep sections.

The benefit, however, is that one can freewheel down!

The RSPB centre looks brand-new and they have a seating area with refreshments for sale.

The West Lighthouse now has an interesting exhibition and most of the keepers' rooms are open.

It cost £400,000 to build in 1912: that is an astounding £42 million in today's money!

Of course it's been fully automatic since the 1980s, I think.

Reinvigorated and fortified with a chilled drink, I mounted the bike and rode back to Church Bay and on towards the southern Rue Lighthouse and lovely Ushet Port.

Ushet was used almost 200 years ago by smugglers; their ruinous building still stands, as does the adjacent coastguard house.

It sounds a bit incongruous, doesn't it? Apparently the smugglers' house used to be a kelp store.

There were over a dozen seals at Ushet warily watching me.

Thence I cycled northwards, towards the East Lighthouse which is closed to the general public.

I left my bike back later in the afternoon.

I was certainly fortunate with the weather, managing to avoid the rain.

Reception

The Manor House has a little bar at Reception and this is where I installed myself during the evening before and after dinner.

Manor House breakfast menu in 2017

It's a convivial place where I encountered and struck up conversations with residents and guests.

There's a fine marble fireplace and the fire was lit in the evenings.

On Thursday morning, I opted for the veggie fry (below); thence walked to the National Trust's Ballyconaghan townland.

This walk terminates at a disused 1941 coastguard look-out on the north coast of the island.

En route, one passes a little cluster of cottages, or a clachan, called Crocknanagh.

This consists of four or five old, ruinous cottages forming what would have been a tight-knit community - probably all related in some way or other.

Ruined cottage at Roonvoolin

There are many ruined clachans and cottages on Rathlin: its population numbered 1,200 two hundred years ago; whereas today it's closer to 150.

Incidentally, Rathlin's resident population appears to be increasing: today it's closer to 150 and as I write the schoolhouse is being extended.

I was informed that there are now 9 pupils attending the school.

Rathlin still has many traditional, vernacular stone gate-posts.

By the way, I discovered a great little café called The Watershed.

It's located between the Manor House and St Thomas's Church, adjacent to the large vehicle ferry slipway.

They have a small menu and everything is home-made and delicious.

Margherita pizza & salad at the Watershed Café

I dined at the Manor House again on Thursday evening: crab cocktail and risotto.

Crab Cocktail at the Manor House

Remember to bring plenty of cash to Rathlin. I was down to my last few banknotes!

Of course most establishments accept credit and debit cards.

There is an ATM machine at McCuaig's Bar which, I think, charges a small fee for the service.

How, on earth, did the islanders cope in the past?

Stuffed it under the mattress, I imagine; or bartered a sheep for a supply of milk!

Dinner menu in 2017

I think I'll bring along my Swiss hiking boots next time, for although the terrain was mainly dry, some of it was waterlogged.

I had an absolutely terrific time on Rathlin and felt at home in the Manor House, where the crack is good, the company convivial; the staff very hospitable and friendly; and standards high.

First published in August, 2017.

The Killynether Acquisition

SELECTIVE ACQUISITIONS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

PROPERTY: Killynether Woods and Buildings, near Newtownards, County Down

DATE: 1937

EXTENT: 42 acres

DONOR: Miss J H Weir

First published in January, 2015

Summer Island House

Summer Island House

SAMUEL COWDY, of Taughlumny, near Banbridge, County Down, was a sergeant in Cromwell's army, from whom he received a farm of 273 acres at Taughlumny.

He married and had issue, his youngest son,

JOHN COWDY (c1770-1857), who married M Rollins, and was father of

ANTHONY COWDY (1809-92), who wedded Elizabeth, daughter of Mr Mahaffy, and had issue, an only son,

ANTHONY COWDY (1843-1908), who married Sarah Frances, daughter of Mr Jones, and was father of

EDWARD COWDY JP DL (1873-1934), of Summer Island, County Armagh, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1920, who wedded, in 1903, Mary Jane, daughter of Robert McKean JP, of Rookwood, Benburb, County Tyrone.

Edward Cowdy (1873-1934)

His eldest son,

ROBERT McKEAN COWDY JP DL, of Summer Island, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1947, married, in 1939, Diana Vera Gordon, elder daughter of John Ralph Cope, of Drumilly, County Armagh, and had issue,

MAJOR RALPH EDWARD COPE COWDY DL (1940-2013), High Sheriff of County Armagh, 2007.

SUMMER ISLAND, near Loughgall, County Armagh, was purchased from the Verner family by Edward Cowdy in 1908.

It is a Georgian villa of two storeys and five bays; fine fanlight above the main door, with columns and pilasters.

The roof is hipped with dentils at the eaves.

The main entrance to Summer Island boasts one of the most delightful pairs of gate lodges in the Province, which were built ca 1820.

They are backed by mature lime trees which stand out in the landscape of this slightly raised strip of land in an otherwise flat area.

Shelter belts protect the southern half of the parkland, at the centre of which is the late 18th century classical house.

There is a modern ornamental garden at the house but the walled garden is not cultivated.

First published in September, 2013.

62-68 High Street, Belfast

62-68 High Street, Belfast, is a four-storey painted terracotta and red-brick building with dormers and turrets, by the architect William Batt for The National Bank.

Construction began in 1893 and the building was completed in 1897.

Marcus Patton OBE, in his Central Belfast: A Historical Gazetteer, describes it thus:

Terracotta arabesques of centaurs with cornucopias swirl at the foot of the wineglass stem bases of the two-storey canted oriels rising above the main dentilled cornice to become octagonal turrets with fishscale roofs flanking a central dormer, with smaller dormers on the face of the mansard roof behind.

Built in "a kind of Franco-Flemish Renaissance style" of steel and fire-proof concrete, it originally had an interior of some grandeur, and before it was clad over [1980s], the ground floor had a balcony over the central window, with broken pediments over grand side entrances.

...the strength of the concrete was proved when the building survived the 1941 blitz intact, unlike most of its neighbours.

The National Bank operated from the building until absorption by the Bank of Ireland in 1966.

In June, 2013, a project began to redevelop the ground floor for use as a a café bar: the National Grande Café Bar, which opened in early September, 2013.

In the spring of 2015 a cocktail bar and nightclub, called Sixty6, opened on the upper floors of the building.

The National Bank of Ireland was founded in London in 1835, becoming The National Bank in 1859.

The Bank's core Irish business was divested to the Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland, as National Bank of Ireland, in 1966.

First published in July, 2013. 

Castle Dobbs

THE DOBBS' OWNED 5,060 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY ANTRIM

This family was established in Ulster by JOHN DOBBS, only son of Sir Richard Dobbs (a founder of Christ's Hospital and Lord Mayor of London, 1551), who accompanied Sir Henry Docwra to the Province in 1596, and was subsequently his deputy as treasurer for Ulster.

Richard Dobbs, Photo Credit: Christ's Hospital Foundation

This JohnDobbs married, in 1603, Margaret, only child of John Dalway, of Ballyhill, and had two sons, Foulk, who was lost at sea with his father in returning from England, 1622; and

HERCULES DOBBS (1613-34), who, succeeding to his father's property, wedded Magdalen West, of Ballydugan, County Down, and left an only son,


RICHARD DOBBS (1634-1701), of Castle Dobbs, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1664, who espoused, in 1655, Dorothy, daughter and co-heir of Bryan Willans, of Clints Hall, Richmond, Yorkshire, and had issue (with three daughters), two sons.

Mr Dobbs left his estate to his younger son,

RICHARD DOBBS (1660-1711), of Castletown, who married firstly, Mary, daughter of Archibald Stewart, of Ballintoy, and had, with two daughters (Jane and Elizabeth), three sons,

ARTHUR, his heir;
Richard;
Marmaduke;
Clareville Grove.

He married secondly, Margaret Clugston, of Belfast, and by her had three daughters.

This gentleman served in WILLIAM III's army in Ireland until the 2nd siege of Limerick and the Treaty of Surrender.He was Mayor of Carrickfergus. 

On the 14th June, 1690, he welcomed William of Orange on his landing in Ulster as Mayor of Carrickfergus; High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1694.

 His eldest son and heir,

ARTHUR DOBBS (1689-1765), of Castle Dobbs, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1720, MP for Carrickfergus, 1727-60.

Arthur Dobbs, 6th Governor of North Carolina

Mr Dobbs, who was appointed Engineer and Surveyor-General of Ireland, by Sir Robert Walpole, was, 1753, sent out as Governor of North Carolina, where he acquired large possessions, including 400,000 acres in the colony.

It is, perhaps, a matter of some curiosity that Arthur Dobbs was not elevated to the peerage or, indeed, the baronetage, for his services.

He wedded Anne, daughter and heir of Captain Osborne, of Timahoe, County Kildare, and widow of Captain Norbury, and had issue.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

CONWAY RICHARD DOBBS (1727-1811), of Castle Dobbs, MP for Carrickfergus, 1768-90, who espoused firstly, Anne, daughter of Alexander Stewart, in 1749, and had issue,

RICHARD, his heir.

He married secondly, Charity, widow of Stephen Rice, of Mount Rice, County Kildare, and daughter of Robert Burrowes, of Kildare, by Mary, his wife, daughter of John O'Neill, of Shane's Castle, County Antrim, and had further issue,

Edward Brice, twice Mayor of Carrickfergus;
Robert Conway (Rev);
Frances.

Mr Dobbs, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1752, was succeeded by his son,

RICHARD DOBBS (1753-1840), of Castle Dobbs, who married, in 1792, Nichola, daughter of Michael Obins, of Portadown, by Nichola his wife, second daughter of Archibald, 1st Viscount Gosford, and had issue,

CONWAY RICHARD, his heir;
Archibald Edward, father of ARCHIBALD EDWARD DOBBS;
Acheson;
Nichola; Frances; Olivia.

Mr Dobbs was succeeded by his eldest son,

CONWAY RICHARD DOBBS JP DL (1796-1886), of Castle Dobbs, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1841, MP for Carrickfergus, 1832, who wedded, in 1826, Charlotte Maria, daughter and co-heiress of Richard Sinclair, of Fort William, County Antrim, and had issue,

Richard Archibald Conway (1842-53);
MONTAGU WILLIAM EDWARD, of whom presently;
Olivia Nichola; Frances Millicent; Charlotte Louisa Mary; Alicia Hester Caroline;
Harriet Sydney; Nichola Susan; Millicent Georgina Montagu.

He married secondly, in 1875, Winifred Susannah, youngest daughter of Benjamin Morris, of Lewes, Sussex.

Mr Dobbs was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

MONTAGU WILLIAM EDWARD DOBBS JP DL (1844-1906), of Castle Dobbs, High Sheriff for County Kildare, 1871, County Antrim, 1888, a barrister, who was succeeded by his cousin,

ARCHIBALD EDWARD DOBBS JP (1838-1916), of Castle Dobbs, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1909, a barrister, who wedded, in 1875, Edith Mary, second daughter of Sir James Timmins Chance Bt, and had issue,

ARTHUR FREDERICK, his heir;
Francis Wellesley;
Archibald Edward.

Mr Dobbs' eldest son,

ARTHUR FREDERICK DOBBS DL (1876-1955), of Castle Dobbs, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1921, Member of the NI Senate, 1929-33 and 1937, married, in 1915, Hylda Louise, daughter of Captain Conway Richard Dobbs Higginson, and had issue,

RICHARD ARTHUR FREDERICK, his heir;
Joan Kathleen, b 1917.

Major  Dobbs was succeeded by his only son,

SIR RICHARD ARTHUR FREDERICK DOBBS KCVO JP (1919-2004), Judge of the Circuit Court, 1951-55, Lord-Lieutenant of County Antrim, 1959-94, who married, in 1953, Carola Day, daughter of Christopher Clarkson, and had issue,

Richard Francis Andrew Dobbs, b 1955; m the Lady Jane Alexander, sister of 7th Earl of Caledon, 1990; div. 1999; has issue, three daughters;
Nigel Christopher Dobbs, b 1957, High Sheriff of Co Antrim, 2009;
Matthew Frederick Dobbs b 1959;
Sophia Carola Dobbs b 1965;
Nicholas Arthur Montagu Dobbs b 1973.

CASTLE DOBBS, near Carrickfergus, County Antrim, remains the seat of the Dobbs family and is one of the most significant houses of its kind in Northern Ireland.

An 18th century mansion in the manner of Sir Edward Lovett Pearce, Castle Dobbs was built in 1730 by Arthur Dobbs, 

Surveyor-General of Ireland; Governor of North Carolina; agriculturalist; and organizer of expeditions to discover the North-West Passage from Hudson's Bay to the Pacific. As Surveyor-General, Arthur Dobbs supervised  the construction of the Irish Parliament House in Dublin. While a member of the Irish Parliament (for Carrickfergus), Dobbs purchased 400,000 acres of North Carolina in 1745.

An authority on country houses, Professor Rowan, has said that,

"For its date, 1750-54, it is quite without an equal in Ulster; while its perfect Palladian plan with flanking wings ... is hard to match in a house of this scale anywhere in Ireland."

Castle Dobbs House consists of two storeys over a high basement with a seven-bay front with a three-bay pedimented break-front centre.

There is an entablature over the lower storey and a high solid parapet to the roof.

Later, there were single-storey wings added over the basement with bracket cornices, extending the front by three bays on either side.

The garden front can be seen above; while the entrance front is below.

The demesne was established in the 16th century. The house stands in a commanding position overlooking Belfast Lough and the County Down shore across the lough.

There is remaining evidence of the formal gardens for the 17th century house, now in ruins adjacent to the later house.

The present layout is in relation to the 18th century house and takes the form of a landscape park, with a lake, bridge and cascade.

The whole demesne contains fine mature trees in shelter belts, parkland, woodland and avenues.

There are informal glen-side walks, with recent planting by the lake and ornamental areas near the house.

One walled garden is no longer cultivated but another, to the west of the house, is fully maintained and the potting sheds are still in use.

A remaining glasshouse backs onto these.

The design of this garden was created to commemorate the tercentenary of Arthur Dobbs' birth in 1689.

Arthur Dobbs was a plantsman and noted for recognition of Dionaea muscipula (Venus fly-trap) whilst governor of North Carolina.

The site has been in the continuous ownership of the Dobbs family and there is good documentary evidence as to its development.

There have been successful adaptations through the years to suit the style of the times.

Two late 19th century gate lodges remain, but two from earlier in the century have gone.

First published in March, 2010.

Lismacue House

THE BAKERS OWNED 1,328 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY TIPPERARY

THOMAS BAKER, the first of this family who settled at Lattinmore, County Tipperary, went over to Ireland with the Lord Deputy, the Earl of Sussex. His widow, Anne Baker, who was living at Knockroid, Barony of Clanwilliam, 1642, put in her claim, and that of her son, Walter, as sufferers in 1641.

This son,

WALTER BAKER, entered Trinity College, Dublin, 1640, aged 17, as second son of Thomas Baker, of Lattin, born at Ballincallagh, 1623.

He obtained a re-grant from CHARLES II of the lands at Killenaliff, Lattinmore, and Lattinbeg, Yorticord and Kilpatrick, County Tipperary, containing 1,200 Irish acres.

This patent was enrolled in 1677, and it states that the lands were in Thomas Baker's possession "long before the Great Rebellion" of 1641.

He wedded Martha Osborne, and left issue, three sons and two daughters.

The second son,

RICHARD BAKER, of Lattinmore, County Tipperary, succeeded his father.

He married and left issue, a son,

WILLIAM BAKER, High Sheriff of County Tipperary, 1726, who purchased, in 1700 (from Colonel Blunt), the estate of Lismacue.

He espoused, in 1700, Margaret, eldest daughter of Hugh Massy, of Duntrileague, County Limerick, and had issue (with two daughters),

HUGH, his heir;
Charles;
Thomas;
Richard;
William;
Walter;
Godfrey.

The eldest son,

HUGH BAKER, of Lismacue, married, in 1730, Catherine, daughter of Robert Ryves, of Ryves Castle, Ballyskiddane, County Limerick, and died in 1772, having had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Thomas;
Hugh;
Walter;
Edward;
Kilner;
Elizabeth; Margaret; Catherine.

The eldest son,

WILLIAM BAKER, of Lisnacue, Colonel, Irish Volunteers, wedded Elizabeth, second daughter of the Very Rev Charles Massy, Dean of Limerick, and sister of Sir Hugh Dillon Massy, 1st Baronet, of Donass, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Hugh, father of HUGH;
Charles Massy;
Robert;
Elizabeth; Catherine; Grace; Margaret.

Mr Baker died in 1808, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

WILLIAM BAKER, of Lismacue, who espoused Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Roberts, 1st Baronet, of Britfieldstown, County Cork, but dsp.

Mr Baker was murdered in 1815, when he was succeeded by his nephew,

HUGH BAKER (1798-1868), of Lismacue, who married Marion, only child of Charles Conyers, of Castletown Conyers, County Limerick, and had issue,

HUGH, his heir;
CHARLES CONYERS MASSY, of Lismacue, which he purchased from his brother's heirs;
William;
Augustine Fitzgerald (Sir);
Marion Elizabeth; Anne; Elizabeth Henrietta; Mary Rachel.

Mr Baker was succeeded by his eldest son,

HUGH BAKER (1845-87), of Lismacue, who wedded, in 1879, Frances Elizabeth, daughter of John Massy, of Kingswell, County Tipperary, and had issue,

HUGH, b 1880;
Alice Maud Massy, b 1883.

Mr Baker's brother,

CHARLES CONYERS MASSY BAKER JP (1847-1905), of Lismacue, espoused, in 1880, Harriet Booth, daughter of George Allen, of Oakdale, Surrey, and had issue,

ALLEN, his heir;
Conyers;
Massy;
Dennis;
Irene.

Mr Baker was succeeded by his eldest son,

ALLEN BAKER (1881-1969), of Lismacue, who married firstly, in 1910, Frances Violet, eldest daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel William Cooper-Chadwick, of Ballinard, County Tipperary, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Mary Rachel; Elizabeth Anne.

He wedded secondly, in 1935, Julia Dorothy, daughter of William Parry Evans.

Mr Baker was succeeded by his son and heir,

WILLIAM BAKER (1913-), of Lisnacue, who espoused, in 1950, Brenda Katherine, daughter of John Gillespie Aitken, and had issue, an only child,

KATHERINE (Kate) RACHEL BAKER (1952-), of Lismacue, who owns and manages the estate with her husband, James Nicholson.

Garden front

LISMACUE HOUSE, near Bansha, County Tipperary, was completed in 1813 to the design of William Robertson.

William Baker purchased Lismacue in 1705 from Charles Blount and the estate has been owned by his descendants ever since.

The house is two-storey building over a basement in a mildly Tudor-Gothic style that is far more restrained than his more exuberant later work.

The external walls are rendered with ‘eyebrows’ over the windows and restrained pinnacles and crenellations, including, most unusually, a single small battlemented pediment on each front.

The façade is three bays wide, with a single storied Gothick open porch supported on elegant square columns.

Its tripartite arrangement is echoed by the door-case behind.

Entrance front

The two other fronts are both five bays wide while the lower wing to the north, terminates in a gable, almost entirely filled with a single large window with robust Gothic tracery

The interior is classically late Georgian, covered with a thin Gothick layer.

The large rooms have good plasterwork, a fine wide staircase, and a wonderful set of mahogany doors on the ground floor.

Several rooms retain their early wallpaper, dating from the 1830s.

Outside is fine open parkland, with wonderful views of the Galtee Mountains and the Glen of Aherlow, and a superb (and unusually long) avenue of lime trees, dating from the 18th century.

The present owners are Jim Nicholson and his wife Kate, who inherited Lismacue from her father, William Baker.

First published in January, 2018.  Select bibliography ~ Irish Historic Houses Association.

Ulster Peers' London Homes

Few hereditary peers whose ancestral seats are in Northern Ireland maintain London homes nowadays.

A hundred years ago, though, most, if not all, did (with the exception of the peers of Ireland).

I have compiled a list of peers with Ulster connections and their London addresses in 1911 and, in a few cases, 1860:-

The Duke of Abercorn: pre-1869, Chesterfield House, South Audley Street; from 1869-1915, Hampden House, Green Street; 68 Mount Street, Park Lane, 1939.

The Marquess of Downshire: Downshire House, 24 Belgrave Square (1860), later the town residence of Lord Pirrie.

The Marquess of Donegall: 22 Grosvenor Square (1860).

The Marquess of Londonderry: Londonderry House, Park Lane.

The Marquess of Dufferin and Ava: 75 Cadogan Square.

The Earl of Roden: No address found other than Tollymore Park, Bryansford, co Down.

The Earl of Clanwilliam: 36 Draycott Place.

The Earl of Antrim: No address other than The Castle, Glenarm, Co Antrim.

The Earl Annesley: 25 Norfolk Street, Park Lane (1860).

The Earl of Enniskillen: No address other than Florence Court, Co Fermanagh.

The Earl of Erne: 21 Knightsbridge.

The Earl of Belmore: 56 Eaton Place (1860).

The Earl Castle Stewart: No Address other than Stuart Hall, Stewartstown, Co Tyrone.

The Earl of Caledon: No Address other than the Castle, Caledon, Co Tyrone; Derg Lodge, Co Tyrone; Tyttenhanger, St Albans, Hertfordshire.

The Earl of Gosford: 22 Mansfield Street.

The Earl of Kilmorey: 5 Aldford Street, Park Lane.

The Earl of Ranfurly: 33 Lennox Gardens.

The Viscount Charlemont: ________

The Viscount Massereene and Ferrard: _________

The Viscount Bangor: _________

The Viscount Brookeborough: __________

The Viscount Craigavon: __________

The Lord de Ros: 22 Wellington Court, Knightsbridge.

The Lord O'Neill: ________

The Lord Dunleath: _________

The Lord Rathcavan: _________

The Lord Glentoran: _________

First published April, 2009.

The Florence Court Acquisition

SELECTIVE ACQUISITIONS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

PROPERTY: Florence Court House and Garden

DATE: 1954

EXTENT: 15.53 acres

DONOR: Michael, Viscount Cole

*****

PROPERTY: Land in front of Florence Court House

DATE: 1981

EXTENT: 2.21 acres

DONOR: Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland

*****

PROPERTY: Land at Florence Court and Killymanamly House

DATE: 1985

EXTENT: 121.18 acres

DONOR: 6th Earl of Enniskillen

*****

PROPERTY: Walled Garden, Broad Meadow and Gate Lodges

DATE: 1995

EXTENT: 108.54 acres

DONOR: Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland

First published in January, 2015.

Lissadell House

THE GORE-BOOTH BARONETS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY SLIGO, WITH 31,774 ACRES

SIR FRANCIS GORE, Knight, of Artarman, County Sligo (fourth son of SIR PAUL GORE, 1st Baronet, of Manor Gore, and brother of Sir Arthur Gore, 1st Baronet, of Newtown, ancestor of the Earls of Arran), married Anne, daughter and heiress of Robert Parke, of Newtown, County Leitrim, died in 1713, leaving by her, with other issue, an eldest son,

SIR ROBERT GORE, Knight, of Newtown, who wedded, in 1678, Frances, eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Newcomen, Knight, of Sutton, County Dublin, had, with seven sons, four daughters.

Sir Robert was succeeded at his decease, in 1705, by his eldest surviving son,

NATHANIEL GORE (1692-1737), of Artarman, and of Newtown Gore, who wedded, in 1711, Lettice, only daughter and heiress of Humphrey Booth, of Dublin, by whom he had two sons and three daughters, of whom the elder son,

SIR BOOTH GORE, 1st Baronet (1712-73), of Lissadell, County Sligo, who was created a baronet in 1760, designated of Artarman, County Sligo.

Sir Booth married, in 1743, Emily, daughter of Brabazon Newcomen, of County Carlow, by whom he had two sons and a daughter.

He was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR BOOTH GORE, 2nd Baronet, of Lissadell, and of Huntercombe House, Buckinghamshire; at whose decease, unmarried, in 1804, the title devolved upon his only brother,

SIR ROBERT NEWCOMEN GORE-BOOTH, 3rd Baronet, who assumed, by sign manual, in 1804, the additional surname and arms of BOOTH.

Sir Robert married, in 1804, Hannah, daughter of Henry Irwin, of Streamstown, County Sligo, and had issue,

ROBERT, his heir;
Henry;
Anne.

He died in 1814, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR ROBERT GORE-BOOTH, 4th Baronet (1805-76), of Lissadell, MP and Lord-Lieutenant of County Sligo, who espoused, in 1827, Caroline, second daughter of Robert, 1st Viscount Lorton, by whom he had no issue.

He married secondly, in 1830, Caroline Susan, second daughter of Thomas Goold, of Dublin, a master in Chancery.

• Sir Booth Gore, 2nd Baronet (d 1804);
• Sir Robert Newcomen Gore-Booth, 3rd Baronet (d 1814);
• Sir Robert Gore-Booth, 4th Baronet (1805-76);
• Sir Henry William Gore-Booth, 5th Baronet (1843-1900);
• Sir Josslyn Augustus Richard Gore-Booth, 6th Baronet (1869–1944);

• Sir Michael Savile Gore-Booth, 7th Baronet (1908-87);
• Sir Angus Josslyn Gore-Booth, 8th Baronet (1920-96);
• Sir Josslyn Henry Robert Gore-Booth, 9th Baronet (b 1950); sold Lissadell House.

The Lissadell Papers are deposited at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

LISSADELL HOUSE, near Ballinful, County Sligo, was built in 1836, in the Neo-Classical Greek Revival style.

It stands grey and austere on an eminence overlooking Sligo Bay, and at the foot of the magnificent Ben Bulben.

There are no outbuildings to mar the simple, classical lines, and likewise no attics.

The outbuildings are connected to the house by a service tunnel which runs from a sunken courtyard to the avenue and stable yard, and staff quarters are in the basement.

The limestone was quarried locally at Ballisodare (location of Yeats’ Salley Gardens).

Francis Goodwin was so proud of his design that it featured in his book Domestic Architecture (on display in the Gallery), the only private residence to do so.

The entrance to the house is by the Porte Cochère, through which Ben Bulben is framed.

The house faces Knocknarea, “That cairn heaped grassy hill where passionate Maeve is stony still”, and has magnificent views over Sligo Bay.

Inside, the house is full of light and brightness – in the gallery, the bow-room, on the Great Staircase, and in the drawing-room.

The drawing-room has stunning views of Ben Bulben, Knocknarea and Sligo Bay, and is now home to a remarkable series of AE paintings, and paintings by Paul Henry, Jack B. Yeats, Sir John Lavery, Walter Osborne, John Butler Yeats, Percy French and Humbert Craig.

The bow-room has a wonderful collection of Regency books, reflecting the tastes of Caroline Susan Goold, who married Sir Robert in 1830.

The bow-room, and a small suite of rooms behind, later served as the main living and sleeping rooms of the family of Gore-Booth siblings living in near poverty in the 1960s and 70s, when the remainder of the house was uninhabited.

The gallery, formerly the music-room, has remarkable acoustics.

It is oval in shape, lit by a clerestory and skylights and is 65 feet in length.

It still has its original Gothic Chamber Organ made by Hull of Dublin in 1812, and also a walnut full size 1820 Grand Piano.

The Gallery is famous for two superb suites of Grecian gasoliers by William Collins, a chandelier maker of the Regency period.

The gasoliers were lit by a gasometer on the estate and as late as 1846 Lissadell was the only country mansion in Ireland lighted with gas generated locally at its own purpose built gasometer.

The images on the dining-room pilasters were painted in 1908 by Casimir Markievicz, husband to Constance Gore-Booth.

The ante-room was a favourite room of Constance Gore-Booth, and was known as her ‘den’. Indeed she has engraved her name on one of the windowpanes.

This room is now home to many of her artistic works, including her sketch of the painter Sarah Purser, and her drawings of Molly Malone.

The billiards-room contains the memorabilia collected by Sir Henry, 5th Baronet.

The basement includes the servants’ hall, butler's pantry, kitchen and pantries, the bakery, wine-cellars, china room, butler's bedroom, housekeeper's room, and the maids' sleeping quarters.

In 2003, Lissadell House was put up for sale by the then owner, Sir Josslyn Gore-Booth (a grand-nephew of the original Josslyn Gore-Booth), for €3 million.

Despite celebrities showing an interest in the property, it was hoped that it would be purchased by the Irish state.

The Lissadell estate is now the home of Edward Walsh, his wife Constance Cassidy and their seven children.

Writing about Lissadell for the Sunday Times forty years ago the BBC's Anne Robinson ('The Weakest Link') observed that "the garden is overgrown, the greenhouses are shattered and empty, the stables beyond repair, the roof of the main block leaks badly and the paintings show patches of mildew".

After 60 years of neglect an intensive programme of restoration - without any public funding - has taken place in the House, Gardens, Stable Block and grounds since 2004 and Lissadell is once again a place of beauty.

No grants of any kind were made in respect of any part of the restoration, either for the house, the gardens or any part of the grounds.

The new owners' vision was to transform the estate into a flagship for tourism in County Sligo and the north-west of Ireland, whilst providing a secure environment for their children and for visitors.

They have stated that did not wish to exploit Lissadell commercially but to restore the house and gardens to their former glory, make Lissadell self-sustaining and protect this crucible of Ireland's historic and literary heritage.

Other former seats ~ Huntercombe, Buckinghamshire; and Salford, Lancashire.

First published in October, 2013. Select bibliography: LISSADELL HOUSE AND GARDENS WEBSITE.   Gore-Booth arms courtesy of European Heraldry.

The Titanic Memorial

The Titanic Memorial in Belfast was erected to commemorate the lives lost in the sinking of RMS Titanic on the 15th April, 1912.

It was produced by the distinguished sculptor, Sir Thomas Brock KCB RA.

It was funded by contributions from the public, shipyard workers and victims' families, and was dedicated in June, 1920.

It is located today at Donegall Square East in the grounds of the City Hall.

The memorial presents an allegorical representation of the disaster in the form of a female personification of Death or Fate holding a laurel wreath over the head of a drowned sailor raised above the waves by a pair of mermaids.

Together with the Titanic Memorial Garden, it is the only memorial in the world to commemorate all of the victims of the Titanic, passengers and crew alike.

On the 26th June, 1920, the dedication ceremony was held.

It was unveiled on a hot sunny Saturday by Field Marshal His Excellency the Viscount French (later advanced to an earldom as 1st Earl of Ypres), the last Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

Two-Way Traffic at Donegall Square North in 1946

The memorial consists of a group of four figures set on a plinth, standing a total of 22 feet high.

The figures are carved from Carrara marble and stand 12 feet high.

At the centre of the design is a standing female figure, thought variously to symbolise either Fame or a female version of Thanatos, the ancient Greek personification of death.

She holds a black laurel wreath in her outstretched hand above the heads of the three figures below.

They comprise two mermaids at her feet bearing a dead seaman above the waves, which emerge from the top of the plinth.

The plinth's front and back faces feature two small bronze water-fountains in the shape of the heads of gargoyle-like creatures with recessed eyes, stumpy noses and webbed antlers.

The plinth's front face bears the following inscription, focusing exclusively on the heroism of the local victims:

Erected to the imperishable memory of those gallant Belfastmen whose names are here inscribed and who lost their lives on the 15th April 1912, by the foundering of the Belfast-built R.M.S. Titanic, through collision with an iceberg, on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.

Their devotion to duty and heroic conduct, through which the lives of many of those on board were saved, have left a record of calm fortitude and self-sacrifice which will ever remain an inspiring example to succeeding generations

'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'

On the sides of the plinth are inscribed the names of twenty-two men from Belfast who died in the disaster.

They are listed in order of shipboard rank rather than alphabetical order, as was the practice at the time; thus Thomas Andrews, as a managing director of Harland and Wolff, is listed first, while the lowest-ranking crew members occupy the tail end of the list.

Nine of the Belfast victims were members of a Harland and Wolff "guarantee party" aboard Titanic to identify and fix problems spotted during her maiden voyage, while the rest were crew members mostly employed in engineering roles.

The Harland and Wolff staff and crew members are listed separately on two faces of the plinth.

The Memorial at Donegall Square North in 1921

The memorial was originally located in the middle of the road at Donegall Square North.

This location, however, caused multiple accidents, as drivers travelling around the square often did not see it or could not change lanes in time and collided with it.

In 1959 Belfast City Council decided to relocate it and requested suggestions for an alternative location.

Various sites around the city were suggested and a bid was even made by the County Down fishing of Portavogie, whose inhabitants suggested that their community would benefit from tourist traffic generated by relocating the memorial to their village.

In the end, though, it was decided to move the memorial only a few hundred yards, to a new site in the grounds of the City Hall at Donegall Square East.

The relocation took place on 28 November 1959 and cost £1,200 (about £27,000 in 2019).

In 1994 the Consarc Design Group was commissioned to restore and repair the memorial.

The bronze water-fountains had disappeared during the 1959 relocation, so replacements were made to restore the memorial to its original appearance.

The memorial was renovated again in 2011–2 to clean the statue and to re-carve and re-paint the lettering so that it would be more legible.

An annual service of commemoration for the Ulster victims of the Titanic's sinking is still held each on 15 April each year at the memorial.

The memorial garden (2012) is set on two levels around and above the existing Titanic Memorial.

Its upper level includes five bronze plaques on a plinth 30 feet wide, naming all 1,512 victims of the disaster, passengers and crew, listed in alphabetical order.

It is the first memorial anywhere in the world to record all of the names of the victims on one monument.

The main area of the garden is planted with spring-time flowers such as magnolias, roses, forget-me-nots and rosemary, the colours being intended to evoke those of water and ice.

Two of those who died in the disaster are thought to have travelled under false names, and are recorded with an asterisk next to their pseudonyms as their real names are still unknown.

First published in April, 2012.

Moira Castle

(Image: Royal Irish Academy)

Here is a rare painting of Moira Castle in County Down, former seat of the RAWDONS, EARLS OF MOIRA. 

Moira Castle, as described by Burke's, was

A large, three-storey, 18th century house with a nine-bay front, consisting of a five-bay centre and a two-bay extension, slightly higher than the centre, on either side.

Only the roof of the centre section was visible: The roofs of the side bays were either flat, or concealed by the massive cornices with which these bays were surmounted.

The mansion had a pedimented and rusticated doorway; curved end bows.

The front was prolonged by single-storey wings on either side, ending in piers with urns.

The Rawdons sold their Moira demesne to SIR ROBERT BATESON Bt in 1805 and moved to Montalto estate, near Ballynahinch, in the same county.

It is thought that Moira Castle was ruinous by the 1830s.

*****

THE water-colour above is by Gabriel Beranger (1729-1817).

Beranger was born in 1729 at Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.

He moved to Dublin in 1750 to join other family members.

In 1756, he married his cousin Louise Beranger (d 1782), and shortly afterwards opened a print shop at St Stephen's Green.

Beranger became acquainted with several members of Dublin society who were then taking a great interest in Irish history and antiquities. In 1773 he and his antiquarian friends made the first of their tours through Ireland.

Beranger's wife died in April, 1782, and in June of that year, he married Elizabeth Mestayer.

In the early 1780s, he obtained a job as assistant ledger-keeper in the exchequer office.

In later years his circumstances were eased after he inherited part of a fortune amassed in India by his brother-in-law, Colonel Mestayer.

Gabriel Beranger died at a house in St Stephen's Green in 1817.

First published in March, 2011.

Ballygawley House

THE STEWART BARONETS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY TYRONE, WITH 27,905 ACRES

ANDREW STEWART (commonly styled Captain Andrew Stewart), who, with Andrew, 1st Baron Castle Stewart, to whom he was related, and his (Andrew's) brother James, who afterwards fixed his abode at Ballymenagh, County Tyrone, went from Scotland to Ulster about 1627.

On his marriage (mentioned hereafter), he obtained from Lord Castle Stewart the greater part of the manor of Castle Stewart; but afterwards built, and resided at, another residence, called Gortigal, near Stewartstown, County Tyrone.

Captain Stewart served with Colonel the Hon Robert Stewart, of Irry, in defence of the forts of Dungannon and Mountjoy; and at the rising of the rebels at Artclea, County Tyrone, for the purpose of destroying the Protestant families of that county, his house was attacked; but with a few Scots followers he defended it for two days, when assistance was sent to him from Mountjoy Fort.

He married Sarah, eldest daughter of Lord Ochiltree, and sister to Mary, Countess of Suffolk, and had issue,

Robert;
HUGH;
James.

Captain Stewart, having long been a gentleman of vengeance, for his zeal and loyalty he evinced in the royal cause, was at length put to death by rebels in 1650.

The second son,

THE REV DR HUGH STEWART (1711-1800), of Athenree, County Tyrone, Rector of Termon, wedded Sarah, daughter of the Rev Dr Andrew Hamilton (Rector of , by his wife, the only daughter and heir of Sir William Conyngham Bt, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;
Andrew, East India Company;
Henry (Rev), Rector of Loughgilly, Co Armagh;
Ann; Sarah; Amelia.

Dr Stewart was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE RT HON JOHN STEWART (1757-1825), of Ballygawley, who having attained eminence at the Bar, was appointed attorney-general for Ireland in 1799, and sworn of the privy council of that kingdom. 

Mr Stewart, MP for Augher, 1794-7, Bangor, 1797-1800, was created a baronet in 1803, designated of Athenree, County Tyrone.

Sir John espoused Mary, daughter of Mervyn Archdale, of Castle Archdale, and had issue,

HUGH, his successor;
Mervyn;
Barbara; Mary; Phœbe Julia.

He was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR HUGH STEWART, 2nd Baronet (1792-1854), MP for County Tyrone, 1830-35, who wedded firstly, in 1826, Julia, daughter of Marcus Gage, and had issue,

JOHN MARCUS, his successor;
Julia.

He wedded secondly, in 1837, Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev Henry Lucas St George, and had issue,

Hugh;
Henry Lucas St George;
Elizabeth; Mary; another daughter.

Sir Hugh was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR JOHN MARCUS STEWART, 3rd Baronet (1830-1905), DL, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1858, who married, in 1856, Annie Coote, daughter of George Powell Houghton, and had issue,

Albert Fortescue, d 1925;
HUGH HOUGHTON, his successor;
GEORGE POWELL, successor to his brother;
John Marcus;
Charles Gage;
Cosmo Gordon;
Julian Leslie (Rev);
Annie Coote Houghton; Mary; Madeleine Delamont; two other offspring.

Sir John was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

SIR HUGH HOUGHTON STEWART, 4th Baronet (1858-1942), JP DL, Brigadier-General in the army, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1903, who married twice, though the marriages were without issue.

Sir Hugh was succeeded by his brother,

SIR GEORGE POWELL STEWART, 5th Baronet (1861-1945), Lieutenant-Colonel, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who wedded, in 1895, Florence Maria Georgina, daughter of Colonel Sir James Godfray, and had issue,

John Houghton (1895-1915) killed in action;
HUGH CHARLIE GODFRAY, his successor;
Mary.

Sir George was succeeded by his surviving son,

SIR HUGH CHARLIE GODFRAY STEWART, 6th Baronet (1897-1994), DL, of Loughmacrory Lodge, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1955, who espoused firstly, in 1929, Rosemary Elinor Dorothy, daughter of George Peacocke, and had issue,

DAVID JOHN CHRISTOPHER, his successor;
Elinor Godfray.

He married secondly, in 1948, Diana Margaret, daughter of James Edmund Hibbert, and had further issue,

Jane Diana;Hugh Nicholas (Nick).

Sir Hugh was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR DAVID JOHN CHRISTOPHER STEWART (1935-), 7th and present Baronet, who lives in Somerset.

Nick Stewart, half-brother of the present baronet, has kindly sent me two old photographs of Ballygawley House taken by his father in the winter of 1914.

At that time the demesne was known as Greenhill.

Photo Credit: Kenneth Allen

BALLYGAWLEY HOUSE, near Ballygawley, County Tyrone, was set in its own parkland, was a Classical mansion of two storeys, with a two-storey portico supported by two giant Doric columns and a shallow dome.

It was built for the 2nd Baronet between 1825 and 1833, to the design of John Hargrave.

Seemingly, the mansion suffered an accidental fire during the 1920s and the Stewart family never returned to it. 

First published in December, 2009.

The Downhill Acquisition

SELECTIVE ACQUISITIONS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

PROPERTY: Mussenden Temple, Downhill Demesne, County Londonderry

DATE: 1949

EXTENT: 0.59 acres

DONOR: Frederick Smyth

*****

PROPERTY: The Black Glen, Downhill Demesne

DATE: 1961

EXTENT: 17.7 acres

DONOR: Richard Morrison

*****

PROPERTY: Downhill Ruin and Mausoleum

DATE: 1980

EXTENT: 3.1 acres

DONOR: Messrs Robert O'Neill and James Reid

*****

PROPERTY: Downhill

DATE: 2004

EXTENT: 5.98 acres

DONOR: Coleraine Borough Council

First published in December, 2014.