Monivea Castle
Monivea Castle | |
---|---|
Monivea, County Galway, Ireland | |
Coordinates | 53°22′35″N 8°40′42″W / 53.376314°N 8.678259°W |
Type | Tower house |
Site information | |
Open to the public | Yes |
Site history | |
Materials | Stone |
Events | Commemorative Mass in Mausoleum, 22 April, annually (anniversary of Robert Percy's death) |
Monivea Castle (Irish: Caisleán Mhuine Mheá) is a former O'Kelly tower house, located near Monivea in County Galway, Ireland.[1][2] It was acquired by the ffrench family, one of the fourteen Tribes of Galway, who developed it further, enhancing the lands and building the Monivea Castle—all increasing the fortification around the original Norman tower.[3][4][5][6][7]
In 1876, the Monivea Castle estate took in 10,121 acres of land, including the features of the tower house ruins, Monivea Castle itself, the ffrench Mausoleum and Monivea Woods.[8][9] The demesne lands surrounding Monivea Castle were worked directly for the benefit of the landlord.[10] Further outlying lands were rented out for farming.[10][11] Estate farmers and domestic servants lived in the surrounding region, the town of Monivea taking shape from this initial population, homes and servicing merchant posts.[10][11][12]
Features
Monivea Castle
Monivea Castle resides in the midst of extensive woodlands, encompassed by a stone fence and five rows of enormous beech trees.[13] Monivea Castle has two gate-lodges, one to the right of the main gate entry, where staff screened or welcomed visitors.[8][10][14][15]
ffrench Mausoleum
Set in a clearing amidst the trees of Monivea Wood, the ffrench Mausoleum and chapel was commissioned by
Entering into the ffrench Mousoleum, strategically placed stained glass windows provide the only source of light and create a serene atmosphere.
Paired granite pillars guard the entrance to the barrel-vaulted chancel, four black marble pillars provide structural support.[8] The mausoleum's high-vaulted ceiling and granite gothic arches shelter a life-size cararra marble effigy of Robert Percy ffrench lying in state.[8][16] Francesco Jerace, a Calabrian sculptor, created a true likeness of Robert ffrench, lying on his back, feet to door, covered by white, rhythmically draped carved marble with an inscribed Maltese cross.[8] On the side of ffrench's effigy is carved: "Il lui sera beaucoup pardonne car il a beaucoup aime". He will be forgiven much because he has loved much.[6][16]
Monivea Woods
Situated 17 miles east of Galway city, north of
Under the stewardship of the ffrench family, the property continued to flourish, and today, Monivea Woods is known for its unique
According to a 2002 report funded by Ireland's Department of Environment and Local Government, "Only 9% of Ireland has any forest cover at all today and less than 1% of the surface of the island contains forest established before 1600."[26] Monivea Woods is not only an ecological achievement but a resource for continued development of Ireland's biodiversity.[24][26]
Controversy
Upon the death of Kathleen ffrench in 1938, with no heir apparent, she bequeathed Monivea Castle, including the estate to the Irish Nation.[27] Kathleen's Will states:
"I give devise and bequeath to the Irish Nation the demesne of Monivea with the Castle including Kilbeg and Currendoo, the bogs, reclaimed lands and plantations, on condition that no parcel of these remains of my former estate shall ever be sold or the old trees cut down unless they fall to pieces."[28] |
References
- ^ County Galway Guide. "Monivea Castle". Retrieved 10 January 2011.
- ^ a b NUI Galway. "Estate: ffrench (Monivea)". Retrieved 10 January 2011.
- ^ Pine, L.G., ed. (1958), Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Ireland. 4th ed., London: Burke's Peerage, pp. 272–273
- ^ Thom, Alexander (1852), Thom's Irish Almanac and Official Directory, 1852, London: Alexander Thom, Printer and Publisher, Library of Harvard, p. 555
- ^ Burke, C.B., LL.D., Sir Bernard (1871), A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland, London: Library of Princeton University, Elizabeth Foundation, p. 471
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ ISBN 978-0-940134-82-9
- ^ Melvin, Patrick (1996), The Galway Tribes as Landowners and Gentry. In MORAN, Gerard (ed) Galway: History & Society, Dublin: Geography Publications, pp. 319–374
- ^ ISBN 978-1-901658-78-1
- ^ a b c d e French Family Association: The Official Website of the Surname French. "Chart #IREH, ffrenches of Monivea Castle, Co. Galway, Ireland". Retrieved 10 January 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Genet, Jacqueline (1991), The Big House in Western Ireland: Reality and Representation, Kerry, Ireland: Brandon Book Publishers Ltd, pp. 21, 24, 48, 50
- ^ ISBN 978-0-543-88692-7
- ^ Burke, Sir Bernard (1912), BURKE, Sir Bernard. A genealogical and heraldic history of the Landed Gentry of Ireland, London: Harrison & Sons, p. 223
- ^ ISBN 0-7050-0062-1.
- ^ Bence-Jones, Mark (1988), A Guide to Irish Country Houses. Revised ed., London: Constable, p. 208
- ^ Glin, Knight of, Griffin, D.J. (1989), Vanishing Country Houses of Ireland. Dublin: Irish Architectural Archive/Irish Georgian Society, Ireland: Irish Architectural Archive/Irish Georgian Society, p. 76
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ ISBN 978-1-934848-27-2
- ^ Franz Mayer of Munich, Inc. "History". Retrieved 10 January 2011.
- ^ a b Cronin, Denis (1995), A Galway Gentleman in the Age of Improvement: Robert French of Monieva, 1716–1779, Dublin: Academic Press, pp. All
- ^ a b Mchale, Bernard (1989), Menlough Looking Back, a parish and sporting history, pp. 78–79
- ^ The Galway Hunt. "The Galway Hunt". Retrieved 11 January 2011.
- ^ The Galway Hunt. "History of the Blazers". Retrieved 10 January 2011.
- ^ County Galway Guide. "Monivea". Retrieved 11 January 2011.
- ^ Government of Ireland. "Ireland: 4th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2010" (PDF). Retrieved 11 January 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Government of Ireland. "National Biodiversity Plan" (PDF). Retrieved 11 January 2011.
- ^ The Woodland League. "Monivea Woods". Archived from the original on 17 December 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
- ^ a b Telling It Like It Is: 10 years of Unsustainable Development in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland: Earth Summit Ireland Ltd., 2002
- ^ The Irish Times (2 February 2010). "An Irish Woman's Diary". Retrieved 9 February 2010.
- ^ ffrench, Kathleen (1937), The Will of Kathleen ffrench of Monivea, Harbin, China: British Consulate General Harbin