Gibb's Island Day

Gibb's Island (Timothy Ferres, 2022)

I was awake shortly before 6am this morning, so without further ado I slid out of bed, put on the swimming trunks, a pair of shorts, a polo shirt, and the supremely comfortable Birkenstock Gizeh flip-flops, and motored the shortish distance to my health club for the constitutional one-mile swim.

Tim Ferres, August 10th, 2022

Matej, one of our resident National Trust rangers, is leaving our shores for South America soon, so we arranged to have a celebratory farewell lunch and presentation for him today at the Dufferin Arms in Killyleagh, County Down.

Gibb's Island (Timothy Ferres, 2022)

The "Duff" isn't far from Gibb's Island, a Trust property beside Delamont country park in County Down.

Of course we were blessed with absolutely glorious weather today.

Yellow Rattle on Gibb's (Timothy Ferres, 2022)

The task was to scythe a wild flower called Yellow Rattle on Gibb's, or as much as possible, in order to collect the seeds.

Several of us - including self - scythed; while others came along behind us gathering the Yellow Rattle into a large container.

Yellow Rattle seeds (Timothy Ferres, 2022)

Thereafter the seeds are separated from their pods.

Several others painted a metal kissing gate.

When we had finished the job, we all drove into Killyleagh and made a bee-line for the Dufferin Arms.

There were about nineteen of us.

Dufferin Arms scampi (Timothy Ferres, 2022)

I opted for Walter Ewing's scampi, battered, with garlic chunky chips, mushy peas, dressed salad, and tartare sauce; which was very enjoyable.

There was no natural daylight in our dining-room, because it was in the basement.

Matej was presented with gifts, including a metal Thermos flask and half-bottle of Old Bushmills whiskey.

All in all, a terrific day out.

Gormanston Castle

THE VISCOUNTS GORMANSTON WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY MEATH, WITH 9,657 ACRES

The first member of this very ancient and distinguished family which is found upon record in Ireland is PHILIP DE PRESTON, whose grandson, ROGER DE PRESTON, was justice of the court of Common Pleas in the first year of EDWARD III; and in 1331, one of the justices of the Court of King's Bench.

The son and heir of this learned person, 

SIR ROBERT PRESTON, who was knighted in the field, in 1361, by Lionel, Duke of Clarence, and obtained a grant forever of the manor of Gormanston, in counties Dublin and Meath, was Lord Preston in Lancashire, and filled the office of LORD CHANCELLOR OF IRELAND.

Being possessed of Carbury in County Kildare, he made that the chief place of his residence.

This gentleman was elevated to the peerage some time between 1365-70 as Baron Gormanston.

His lordship married Margaret, daughter and heir of Walter de Bermingham, and dying in 1396, was succeeded by his only son,

CHRISTOPHER (c1354-1422), 2nd Baron, who was imprisoned in the castle of Trim for corresponding with the prior of Kilmainham.

He wedded Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of William de Londres, feudal baron of Naas in right of his mother, Emma, daughter of William FitzMaurice, 1st Baron of Naas (so created by HENRY II), and his wife, Helen, sister of Richard, Earl of Pembroke (by which marriage the Prestons obtained the barony of Naas).

His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

CHRISTOPHER, 3rd Baron, who espoused Jane, daughter of Sir Jenico d'Artois, Knight, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

ROBERT (1435-1503), 4th Baron,

Who was appointed deputy to Sir John Dynham, Lord Chancellor of Ireland; and Richard, Duke of York, youngest son of EDWARD IV, being constituted Lord Deputy of Ireland, in 1478, Sir Robert was appointed that prince's deputy (he being a minor), with power to elect a deputy to himself.

In 1478, his lordship was advanced to a viscountcy, by the title of VISCOUNT GORMANSTON.

His lordship sat in the parliament of 1490, and in that of 1493.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

WILLIAM, 2nd Viscount, who filled the office of deputy to Sir James Ormonde, Lord Treasurer of Ireland in 1493.

In 1504, his lordship attended the Earl of Kildare, the Lord Deputy, to the famous battle of Knocktough, in the province of Connaught, where, with Lord Killeen, he led the wings of the bowmen; and in 1525, he was appointed Lord Justice of Ireland.

His lordship died in 1532, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

JENICO, 3rd Viscount (1502-69), who was succeeded by his eldest son,

CHRISTOPHER, 4th Viscount (1546-99), who left, with several daughters, three sons, namely,

JENICO, his heir;
Thomas, created Viscount Tara;
William.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

JENICO, 5th Viscount (1584-1630), who left (with a daughter) a son and successor,

NICHOLAS, 6th Viscount (1608-43), who wedded Mary, daughter of Nicholas, 1st Viscount Kingsland, and had issue,

JENICO, his successor;
Nicholas, father of 8th and 9th Viscounts.

This nobleman sided with the rebel Irish Roman Catholics, 1641-42, and acted as their General-in-Chief; for this he was outlawed after his death and posthumously exempted from Cromwell's pardon, 1652.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

JENICO, 7th Viscount, who having adhered to his legitimate sovereign, JAMES II, was indicted for high treason, and outlawed upon that indictment in 1691.

His lordship dying, however, in 1691, without male issue, was succeeded by his nephew,

JENICO, de jure 8th Viscount (1640-1700); but the title was not acknowledged, although borne by his lordship and his three immediate successors.

He was succeeded by his brother,

ANTHONY, de jure 9th Viscount, who espoused, in 1700, Mary, only child of his uncle, Jenico, 7th Viscount, and was succeeded by his only son,

JENICO, de jure 10th Viscount (1707-57), who wedded, in 1729, Thomasine, eldest daughter of John, 11th Baron Trimlestown, and had, with other issue,

ANTHONY, his successor;
James;
Jenico;
John;
Catherine; Frances; Bridget; Elizabeth Margaret.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

ANTHONY, de jure 11th Viscount, who espoused Henrietta, daughter of John Robinson, of Denston Hall, Suffolk; and dying in 1786, left issue by her,

JENICO, 12th Viscount (1775-1860), who, in 1800, obtained the removal of the outlawry of his predecessors and had a writ of summons to take his seat in the Irish House of Lords, but owing to the final prorogation of that House he did not have the opportunity to do so, took an active part in the cause of Catholic Emancipation.

His lordship wedded, in 1794, Margaret, eldest daughter of Thomas, 2nd Viscount Southwell, by whom he had issue,

EDWARD ANTHONY JOHN, his successor;
Arthur Anthony;
Jenico Charles;
Robert;
Charles;
Edmund;
Matilda.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

EDWARD ANTHONY JOHN, 13th Viscount (1796-1876), High Sheriff of County Meath, 1831, High Sheriff of County Dublin, 1845, who married, in 1836, Lucretia, daughter of William Charles Jerningham, and had issue,

JENICO WILLIAM JOSEPH, his successor;
Edward Francis John;
Margaret Frances Agnes; Lucretia Pauline Mary; Charlotte Agnes Mary.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

JENICO WILLIAM JOSEPH, 14th Viscount (1837-1907), GCMG JP DL, High Sheriff of County Dublin, 1865, who espoused firstly, in 1861, Ismay Louise Ursula, daughter of Patrick, 1st Baron Bellew, though the marriage was without issue.

He married secondly, in 1878, Georgina Jane, daughter of Peter Connelan, and had issue,

JENICO EDWARD JOSEPH, his successor;
Richard Martin Peter;
Hubert Anthony John;
Ismay Lucretia Mary.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

JENICO EDWARD JOSEPH, 15th Viscount (1879-1925), JP DL, who wedded, in 1911, Eileen, daughter of Lieutenant-General the Rt Hon Sir William Butler, of Bansha Castle, County Tipperary, and had issue,

JENICO WILLIAM RICHARD, his successor;
Robert Francis Hubert;
Stephen Edward Thomas;
Eileen Antionette Mary.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

JENICO WILLIAM RICHARD, 16th Viscount (1914-40), 2nd Lieutenant, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, who espoused, in 1939, Pamela, daughter of Captain Edward Dudley Hanly, and had issue, an only child,

JENICO NICHOLAS DUDLEY, his successor.

His lordship was killed in action, aged 25, in France.

He was succeeded by his only son,

JENICO NICHOLAS DUDLEY, 17th Viscount (1939-), who is married with issue and lives in London.

The Viscounts Gormanston are the premier viscounts of Ireland.

GORMANSTON CASTLE, Balbriggan, County Meath, is situated near Drogheda, about sixteen miles north of Dublin.

Mark Bence-Jones states that the old Manor at Gormanston was low and gabled, adjoined to a chapel where Mass was said all through the Penal times.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the 12th Viscount rebuilt the house in the Gothic-Revival style.

Gormanston Castle is an impressive castellated building with a quadrangular plan with a tower at each corner except the north-west corner. The main building is three storeys.

The central part of the frontage is flanked by two narrow castellated towers on either side of the entrance.

The 12th Viscount intended the Castle to be much larger, though building work ceased when his wife died in 1820.

Gormanston is renowned for the foxes which are said to collect at the Castle when the head of the family is dying or has died; indeed the family crest is a fox.

Foxes are claimed to have gathered followed the deaths of the 12th and 14th Viscounts.

The author Evelyn Waugh was interested in purchasing the estate in 1946 and even bid for it.

He described it as "A fine, solid, grim, square, half-finished block with tower and turrets."

On learning that Butlins were opening a holiday camp in the vicinity, he promptly changed his mind.

The castle grounds were developed in the 1950s with the building of a boys' secondary school adjacent to the Castle.

The Franciscans have been in Gormanston since 1947, when they purchased Gormanston Castle, the ancestral home of the Preston Family since ca 1300.

In 1954 a Preparatory School for the College in Multyfarnham was opened in the Castle.

New plans resulted in the building of a new college and the transfer of the Multyfarnham College to this new location.

Gormanston College today is a thriving secondary school, with 500 students.

Gormanston arms courtesy of European Heraldry.   First published in January, 2012.

Rathlin Journey

Flora at Craigmacagan (Timothy Ferres, 2022)

Something keeps drawing me back to Rathlin, Northern Ireland's only inhabited off-shore island.

The slow ferry - the larger one which can take vehicles and passengers - left at 10am on Monday morning, so I parked my car at the ferry terminus in Ballycastle, County Antrim, and made my way the hundred yards or so down to the pier.

The trip to the island takes about 45 minutes, twice as long as the fast, non-vehicle ferry.

I stayed at the Manor House for the duration of my three days on the island.

The manor house hotel is a mere hop, skip, and jump from the harbour, which is literally opposite it.

Having checked in, I immediately had a stroll around Church Bay, from St Thomas's parish church to the old Kelp Store.

I had a drink in the legendary McCuaig's Bar, where a lady from Scotland with her two little terriers was staying at the nearby glamping pods; and one of the staff, Rauri Morgan, recounted the time at his cottage where he encountered a film crew with none other than Ben Fogle for New Lives in the Wild.

Kelp Store (Timothy Ferres, 2022)

There used to be resident parish priests and rectors on the island, though this has not been the case for many years.

Kelp Store ca 1890 (Image: Rathlin Community)

The Gages, former landlords, now live at the Glebe House (former rectory) when they are on Rathlin.

Having enjoyed a good cooked breakfast at the Manor House on Tuesday morning, I donned the hiking gear and made my way to Rue Lighthouse, which is located at the southernmost point on the island.

En route there are several points of interest, including one ruinous cottage in a field near Ushet Lough, reputedly the home of William McKinley's ancestors.

Ruinous Cottage near Ushet Lough (Timothy Ferres, 2022)

McKinley, of Ulster-Scots heritage, was the 25th President of the United States.

Moving on, passing Ushet Lough, up and over undulating hilly countryside, I arrived at Ushet Port, which today comprises two derelict, roofless buildings adjacent to a small natural harbour.

Seals at Ushet Port (Timothy Ferres, 2022)

These buildings were once used as stores for imports and exports of grain, spirits, rope; and most certainly contraband!

Old steel tying post at Ushet Port)

I've read that the coastguards on the island at that time were more concerned about smuggling than saving lives.

The Rue Lighthouse is the most recent of the three lighthouses on Rathlin, having been completed about 1920.

ON Tuesday afternoon I ambled the short distance from the manor house to Craigmacagan Walking Trail, a brand new track created by the RSPB in 2022.

Undeterred by a dog warning notice and small herd of young, docile cattle, I trekked over gentle slopes, along a narrow path surrounded by heather, and was rewarded by a splendid view of the Mull of Kintyre and Scottish mainland. 

I'm glad I found this really beautiful trail.

HAVING donned the old nose-bag at eight-thirty on Wednesday morning for another big breakfast, it was time to travel westwards.

Bert's Puffin Bus was waiting at the harbour, so I paid the fare and jumped aboard for the four-mile journey to West Lighthouse and RSPB's bird centre.

Inside the centre I chatted to the wardens and enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate.

Having already been to the West Lighthouse a few years ago, on this occasion I decided to start walking towards the Kinramer Permissive Path, a short trek of about one and a half miles.

Despite abiding by the directions, unfortunately I couldn't find the signposts!

Seemingly wooden signposts can be vulnerable to passing cattle.

Still, I traversed the route which I judged it to be, towards the cliff, though ended up somewhere in the middle of rough terrain, beside a gully of some sort.

Peacock Butterfly at Kinramer (Timothy Ferres, 2022)

Whilst making my way through long, thick, and very wet vegetation I was looking down at the ground and something strikingly colourful caught my eye: a Peacock Butterfly.

I'd never seen one of these before, so it was quite a surprise for me.

It had started to rain quite steadily since my walk back to Church Bay, so I was glad that I had the hiking gear, fairly new Goretex hiking boots, and so on.

Back at the manor house I peeled off the gear to let it all dry off, and had a good old beaker of "Rosie Lea."

That afternoon, suitably replenished and refreshed, it was time to revisit the East Lighthouse, the oldest of the lighthouse trio.

This building dates from about 1850; and, as I was standing outside the lengthy wall surrounding it I watched two men on one of those suspended electric platforms painting a section of the lighthouse matt black with rollers.

I gather the Rathlin's community has ambitious plans for the keepers' accommodation beside the lighthouse, which includes at least two quite substantial residences.

There were once six keepers living here with their families (and if they had large families there could easily have been fifty or sixty souls).

My stay on glorious Rathlin ended on Thursday morning, embarking upon the ten o'clock fast ferry back to Ballycastle.

Creagh House

THE KNOXES WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY MAYO, WITH 24,374 ACRES

ALEXANDER KNOX (son of William Knox, who died intestate, son of Alexander Knox), said to have sold Silvyland, Renfrewshire, settled in County Donegal, and is said to have had issue, two sons,

William, of Ashmoyne;
ALEXANDER, of Ballybofey.

The younger son,

ALEXANDER KNOX, of Ballybofey, County Donegal, whose will was proved in 1742, left issue by Mary his wife,

WILLIAM, of Cloghan;
Alexander, of Ballybofey;
Oliver;
a daughter; Margaret; Mary.

The eldest son,

WILLIAM KNOX, of Cloghan, County Donegal, died ca 1760, and left issue, by Margaret his wife, a son,

JAMES KNOX, of Kilcaddan, County Donegal, who left, by Martha his wife,

WILLIAM, of Kilcaddan;
Carncross, of Ballybofey;
Robert;
Margaret; Elizabeth; Martha.

The eldest son,

WILLIAM KNOX, of Kilcaddan, County Donegal, High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1776, married, in 1778, Elizabeth, only child of Charles Nesbitt, of Scurmore, County Sligo, and had issue, a son,

COLONEL CHARLES NESBITT KNOX (-1860), of Scurmore, County Sligo, and Castle Lacken, County Mayo, High Sheriff of County Sligo, 1810, Mayo, 1831, who married, in 1810, Jane Cuff, testamentary heiress of James, Lord Tyrawley, and had issue,

CHARLES, his heir;
Sarah.

The only son,

CHARLES KNOX (1817-67), of Cranmore, Ballinrobe, County Mayo, High Sheriff of County Mayo, 1860, Colonel, North Mayo Militia, wedded, in 1839, the Lady Louisa Catherine Browne, daughter of Howe Peter, 2nd Marquess of Sligo, and had issue,

CHARLES HOWE CUFF, his heir;
Howe James, Lieutenant-Colonel;
Hubert;
Philippa.

Colonel Knox was succeeded by his eldest son,

CHARLES HOWE CUFF KNOX JP DL (1840-1921), of Creagh, High Sheriff of County Mayo, 1873, Honorary Colonel, Connaught Rangers, who married, in 1869, Henrietta Elizabeth, daughter of the Rt Hon Sir William Gibson Craig Bt.

There is a stained-glass window "In memory of Charles Howe Cuff Knox who died 27th Dec. 1921 aged 81 years" in the parish church (now the Library) in County Mayo.

Colonel Knox had issue,

Charles William Cuffe, dvp 1910;
HENRY HOWE, his heir;
Gerald Vivian Cuffe, Commander RN;
Louisa Gertrude.

The eldest surviving son,

HENRY HOWE KNOX (1871-1954), of Creagh House, wedded, in 1906, Ada, only child of Sidney Bryan, of Kenilworth, Port Elizabeth, and had issue, a daughter.

CREAGH HOUSE, near Ballinrobe, County Mayo, was built in 1875 for Captain Charles Howe Cuff Knox, to the design of S U Roberts.

Sadly diminished drastically in size in the 1930s by fire (it appears to have been halved), there still remains today a sizeable period house of around 6,000 square feet.

It is located in beautiful and secluded surroundings, habitable, and indeed inhabited, but needing further restoration.

The property today occupies grounds of just under two acres, looking toward Lough Mask.

The grounds are partially wooded with lawned areas around the house.

The front of the house has magnificent views over the Tourmakeady mountains and from some aspects, to the lake.

First published in January, 2013.

The Capper Series: I

Wilfrid Capper MBE (1905-98) was a former Northern Ireland civil servant whose true passion was for the preservation and conservation of the countryside.

He conceived and created The Ulster Way.

The following article is a selective extract from Caring for the Countryside: A History of 50 Years of the Ulster Society for the Preservation of the Countryside, published in 1987.

Coney Island, Lough Neagh

"IT has never been the policy of the Society to acquire land or property itself, though it has helped to raise funds for special places."

"However, we made an exception for Coney Island in Lough Neagh, in rather unusual circumstances."

"I had come to know Lord Charlemont, the owner, through the Youth Hostel Association and he rang me up one day to ask me if  I would like an island."

"I was rather taken aback and asked what island."

"Coney," he said, "I think you would appreciate it."

"I thought it was rather like offering a pet dog to someone he thought would look after it."

"Lord Charlemont then found he could not give it away and would have to charge even a nominal sum for it."

"The minimum price he could charge was £300 and I could have it for that amount."

"In 1946 I had not even £300 [about £12,400 in today's money] to spend on an island so our society undertook to raise the money by public subscription."

"We then gave the island to the National Trust and allowed the Portadown Scouts to use it for training purposes."

"Oddly enough I did later buy an island in Strangford Lough [Inisharoan Island] for the same £300."

"I failed to acquire an island in Lough Erne, so as Hitler once said, "This is my last territorial claim."

First published in October, 2019.

William III at Carrickfergus

Landing of WILLIAM III at Carrickfergus, 14 June, 1690
(Image: National Maritime Museum). CLICK TO ENLARGE.

"This depicts an incident during the War of the English Succession, sparked off by the Glorious Revolution of 1688 when Catholic James II fled the country after William of Orange landed at Torbay."

"In 1690 the deposed King James II attempted to re-capture his throne with the aid of the French troops by way of Ireland, whose Catholic population, he believed, might support him."

"He soon captured most of Ireland, until King William’s army drove him out."

"It took some time for William to gain control in Ireland."

"He landed at Carrickfergus near Belfast on 14th June 1690, to take over command of the army which was to defeat JAMES II and the Catholic hopes in that country."

"He was escorted by a squadron under Rear-Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, together with 15,000 extra Danish, Dutch and English troops."

"This lifted morale and by 1st July he faced JAMES II across the River Boyne outside Dublin."

"The ensuing victory for William led to James's withdrawal from Dublin."

"William’s reign marked the beginning of the transition from the Stuart’s personal control of government to the Parliamentary rule of the House of Hanover."

"The painting shows King William in a barge about to land at Carrickfergus Castle in the middle of the picture at the start of the campaign."

"In the right foreground is Shovell’s squadron with his flagship, Monck, the large ship on the right flying the blue flag."

"It is surrounded by the yachts that brought the King and his suite."

"In the centre, the yacht Mary still flies the Royal Standard although by this time the king had transferred to his barge, shown rowing round to the harbour entrance at the left of the castle."

"The emphasis of the painting is on Shovell’s ship and perhaps his involvement in the event."

"The picture is early English school owing much to van de Velde and probably contemporary."

"It was not done on the spot but probably used a print for the topographical reference point as it is likely the artist had never visited the town."

Sir James Henderson

A reader from New Zealand sent two photographs of Sir James Henderson (1848-1914) and his family.

Sir James served the office of Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1898, and was the first High Sheriff of the city.

He has been credited with the establishment of the City Hall, which stands in Donegall Square today.

Sir James Henderson (Image: Belfast City Hall)

James Henderson was born at Mountcollyer Park, Belfast, the home of his grandfather, Alexander Mackay.

Henderson read Law at Trinity College Dublin and was called to the Irish Bar in 1872.

He went on to become editor of the Newry Telegraph in 1873, retaining that position until 1883.

He became managing proprietor of the Belfast News Letter and Belfast Weekly News, and was appointed President of the Master Printers Federation of Great Britain and Ireland.

Sir James married Martha Pollock and they had five sons.

He was appointed a Freeman of the City of Belfast in 1912, and he received a knighthood from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the 5th Earl Cadogan, at Viceregal Lodge, Phoenix Park, Dublin, in 1899.

Sir James lived at Oakley House, Windsor Park, Belfast.

The photograph above shows Martha Lady Henderson and her five sons.

It is believed that the eldest son died in the 1st World War, though little is known of the others. 

Any information would be welcome.   

The photographs had been sent out to New Zealand as the reader's grandfather emigrated there in 1881.

The Henderson family graves can be seen at Belfast City Cemetery.

First published in February, 2011.  Henderson arms courtesy of the NLI.