Cabra Castle Hotel


Cabra Castle Hotel boasts a proud history dating as far back as 1760. It's long history lends a mature, cultured air to the Castle which can be felt by one and all as they stroll along the Castle's magnificent hallways and stairwells. Visit Ballyseede Castle Hotel - their Sister Castle Hotel in Tralee, Co. Kerry.

Cabra Castle has an extremely rich history. This history can be experienced by all hotel guests who wish to spend the night in one of eighty historical and richly designed bedrooms. Choosing from the splendor of the Lords bedchamber to the spacious elegance of the Courtyard Bedrooms or our charming gate lodge.

The original Cabra Castle, the ruins of which still stand on high ground above the Wishing Well - not far from Cromwell's Bridge, was situated to the west of the Kingscourt - Carrickmacross Road.
The Castle and the land surrounding it is believed to have belonged to the O'Reilly Family until it was confiscated in the mid 17th century by Cromwell's orders and given to Colonel Thomas Cooch. Colonel T. Cooch was born in Donegal in 1632 and was the grandson of Sir Thomas Cooch K.C. Sir Thomas Cooch K.C. had migrated to Ireland very early in the 17th century and was given a grant of 1,000 acres in Donegal by James I.  Colonel Thomas Cooch, first owner of Cabra Estate, married Elizabeth Mervyn, sister of Audley Mervyn (Speaker of the Irish House of Commons), and they had an only daughter and heiress, Elizabeth. This Elizabeth Cooch married firstly Nathaniel Pole, Sergeant of Arms of Ireland, of Geraldstown, Co. Meath, but he died in 1685 without any heirs.

Elizabeth then married Joseph Pratt, who lived not far off at Jaradice, Co. Meath, a property which he received when he migrated from Leicestershire to Ireland in 1641. This marriage (which was also Joseph Pratt's second) took place in 1686 and a son, Mervyn Pratt, was born in 1687.

At this time, Colonel T. Cooch was still the owner of Cabra but in 1695, he made a will leaving all his property to Mervyn Pratt, his grandson, and when Colonel T. Cooch died in 1699 the Cabra property came into the possession of the Pratt Family. Mervyn Pratt was then only twelve years old. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin and married Elizabeth Coote, daughter of Sir T. Coote, Judge, and lived at Cabra near the Wishing Well.

The castle had been destroyed during the Cromwellian War and the Pratt Family at that time is summarized in the following information.

The Pratt Family continued to reside near the Wishing Well and to occupy Cabra land, including the site of the present town of Kingscourt. There was an old village of Cabra near the site of Kingscourt, but in 1780 Mervyn Pratt ( Grandson of Captain Mervyn Pratt, and son of the Reverend Joseph Pratt, who succeeded Captain Marvyn Pratt as owner of Cabra) laid out a new town of Kingscourt - an Anglicisation of Dun A Ri. He leased town plots with one rood of garden adjoining each, for 999 years, for one guinea a year per acre.

This scheme was continued by Mervyn Pratt's brother - another Reverend Joseph and it was during his time that the Kingscourt Rectory was built in 1816 with a gift of £100 and the site, and a loan of £825 from the Braid of First Fruits.

During this period the land on the opposite side (East) of the Carrickmacross Rd (where the present Cabra Castle stands) was owned by the Foster Family - whose main seat was at Dunleer. This land which contained an old round tower castle, called Cormey Castle. The main building was in ruins - destroyed during the Cromwellian War, however it's adjacent courtyard remained in good repair. In 1795 this land and Castle belonged to John Tomas Foster but he died leaving two young sons, both minors (Augustus being the eldest), who went to live with their mother (the Dowager Duchess of (Devonshire) in England.

Mr Henry Foster, cousin of the late John Foster, was appointed their Trustee and Executor, and in 1808 he rebuilt Cormy Castle. In doing so he exhausted the personal estate of his ward Augustus, and incurred debts, which made it necessary for the Castle and land to be sold.

At that time (1810) Colonel Joseph Pratt was the owner of Cabra Estate. Born in 1755 - he was the son of Rev. Joseph Pratt the second - referred to previously. His aunt, Ann Pratt, sister of Rev. Joseph Pratt, had married another Foster, and had lived at Cormy at a slightly earlier period - therefore there was a also link between the Pratts and the Fosters.

It also seems possible that Colonel Pratt lent Mr. Henry Foster money prior to his insolvency. There was an enquiry and Mr. Henry Foster was declared insolvent, and the remains of the Estate were taken over by Mr. Augustus Foster, the rightful Heir.

Colonel Joseph Pratt bought Cormy Castle with about 400 acres of Cormy Land from Mr Augustus Foster in 1813, and moved from Cabra House near the Wishing Well) to Castle in that year. For a few years he continued to use the original name of Cormy Castle for his new home, but later - in about 1820 - Colonel Pratt renamed it Cabra Castle, and it has been known by this name ever since.

Colonel Joseph Pratt had married Jamina, daughter of Sir James Tynte, and had ten children. The eldest - Mervyn, born in 1807, married Madeleline Jackson, only daughter and heiress of Colonel Jackson of Enniscoe, Co. Mayo. They inherited this property when Colonel Pratt died. He succeeded his father, Col. Joseph Pratt, as owner of Cabra in 1863, but from this time onwards the interests of the Pratt Family were divided between Cabra in Co. Cavan, and Enniscoe in Co. Mayo. Mervyn Pratt died in 1890 and was succeeded on his death by his eldest son - Major Mervyn Pratt, in 1927.

Major Mervyn Pratt was badly wounded in the Boer War and never married. He lived permanently at Enniscoe, and left Cabra unoccupied. His younger brother, Colonel Audley Pratt, was killed in the First World war and also was unmarried.

Major Mervyn Pratt died at Enniscoe in December 1950, and left Cabra to his nearest male relative - Mervyn Sheppard, a Malayan Civil Servant. The burden of death duties, taxation, rates, cost of repairs to the Castle, and farm losses made it impossible for him to live there. In 1964, he reluctantly disposed of the property, 265 years after Cabra land first came into the family possession.

In 1964, a local family - the Brennan Family, bought Cabra Castle. They renovated the building and converted it into a 22 bedroom hotel.

It was in their ownership up until 1986, when it was then sold to a group of Arabs. They closed down the hotel, finished off pre-booked functions, and then kept the building as a private house. Having closed the Castle, with view to retaining it as a private house, political and economic circumstances in the Middle East prevented the new Arab owners from further enjoyment and development of the property. It effectively lay idle until 1991, when it was purchased by its present owners, the Corscadden family who re-opened it as a hotel. Since then the property has been extensively refurbished and expanded from 24 bedrooms, to incorporate the former Courtyard area bringing the total number of bedrooms to 80..

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Kilkea Castle is Ireland's pre-eminent castle hotel and golf club. Less than an hour from Dublin, our magnificent rose gardens and skillfully renovated rooms provide a unique setting for your holiday, wedding or business conference.

Kilkea Castle was built in 1180 and is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Ireland. The immediate builder and the first occupier was one Sir Walter de Riddlesford, a young knight who had accompanied the first invasion party of Anglo/Normans in 1170. From his name he was probably of Anglo/Saxon, rather than Norman stock, but was reputed to be a relation of the King's. Apart from building Kilkea. however, he played no other prominent part in history and the family in fact died out in the third generation.

The pattern of life which centered around the Castle was very much the same as everywhere else in Ireland, namely recurrent war, usually local for summer time soldiers only, but periodically on a national scale. Because of war time conditions, the records are very inadequate; perhaps this is just as well as the story is sadly monotonous. One example may suffice. In the year 1414 news came to Dublin that the tribes of Leinster had broken in to besiege Kilkea and threaten Castledermot The Archbishop of Dublin, Thomas Cranley, combined his sacred office with that of Lord Deputy or Chief Governor and also Chief Justice. He rapidly raised an army and took the field as Commander in Chief in person. Arriving at Castledermot he then handed over to a field commander and retired to the Abbey of the Crouched Friars where the community he marched in procession around the grounds and offered prayers for the success of the cause. Their prayers were answered. The O'Mores and other enemies were defeated with the loss of a hundred men and the army withdrew victorious. This is typical of the kind of event which went on recurring for some four hundred years. The then earl of Kildare showed no gratitude for this service, but took care not to let it happen again; in 1421 when another attack developed, he settled the matter in person. These battles against the free Irish, coupled with a hot-blooded feud against Butler of Ormond, and the cost of modernising Kilkea and Maynooth Castles, seem to have temporarily improvished the family. About this time , there is a record that the Earl (Or his son) was left off a heavy fine imposed on him for breaches of the peace, on account of 'his gentle blood and no small poverty'.

The troubles of 1919-1923 broke up the ducal family, as indeed they broke up the whole state of society which these represented. The 7th Duke, alienated the Carton estate to an English tailor for £1,300 a year. In 1973 he was still alive and not long before that it had been announced that the annuity constituted his sole income. Some members of the family still clung on, in particular his uncle Lord Walter Fitzgerald and the unmarried aunts. One aunt, Lady Nesta, even attempted to continue at Carton, living in the Stables, where she is believed to have given shelter to I.R.A. men on the run. She had to give up, and retired also to Kilkea where Lord Walter had been living since 1899. Much of the contents of the Carton were sold by auction for a song, as might be expected in the prevailing circumstances of civil war.

Lord Walter a special mention. He served as an Army Officer, but retired in 1899, aged 31, to live at Kilkea for the rest of his life. Here he became the best known antiquarian scholar in Ireland. He was the leading spirit behind the foundation of the County Kildare Archaeological Society and acted as both Secretary and Editor of the journal. His specialization was in his own county and he knew every inch of it. There were times when four fifths of the contents of the Journal were in his hand. For nearly all period, his only means of transportation were by train and bicycle.

His appearance exactly matched the role. In shape, short and squat, with a countryman's complexion and drooping gold rimmed spectacles pinched on the bridge of his nose. His clothing was usually green, -cloth cap, Norfolk jacket, knickerbockers and thick woollen stockings. He liked in initiate a conversation in Irish, then reverting into English with a strong Irish accent. Only when excited, as for example in an archaeological discussion, would he revert to the precise English accent of his military training. In old age, Lord Walter exactly resembled an up to fate version of Mr. Pickwick, who himself had started the Pickwick Club as an Archaeological Society round Highgate, Brixton and Camberwall, had traced to their source the ponds of Hampstead and agitated the world with his theory of titlebats. Of course there were many anecdotes about Lord Walter, now known only to a few, but there is hardly space in this account to repeat such frivolities. He died, aged 65, in 1923, at the height of the Civil War.

Fifty years later, his name is probably remembered only by antiquarians, but it is worthy of being remembered, for he loved his country as well as his county. His task was, not merely to preserve antiquities at a time when they were being abandoned or burnt, but also to inject truth into the clouds of legend, often spiteful, which invested popular historical tradition. If any time visitors to Kilkea castle should happen to see a ghost, they should hope it will be Lord Walter on his green bicycle, rather than the Wizard Earl on his white charger.

The sisters survived him at Kilkea and they were buried beside his grave. After World War II the house was occupied by the Marquess of Kildare. In about 1960 he went to live permanently in England, where his professional employment lay; with him went the rest of the family possessions which had survived the former debacle. The land was taken by the Land Commission and divided up. The Castle was sold to Lord Brocket, who soon after sold again to speculator, who cut sown the mature trees. There was a story then, and still current, that the new owner also intended to demolish the Castle, -a feat which not even Cromwell had successfully achieved, but this may be only pious legend. In 1965, the Castle was acquired by Mr.William Cade.

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Lough Rynn Castle Estate and Hotel, Leitrim, Ireland is the original 19th Century Home of the Clements Family, which was headed by the legendary figure of Lord Leitrim. The development comprises a luxury 52 bed-roomed hotel together with a World Class Spa and Leisure facility and a Championship Golf Course designed by Nick Faldo due for completion in Summer 2008 . The extensive walled gardens and walkways were originally envisaged for the exclusive pleasure of Royalty on the shores of Lough Rynn and Lough Errew in County Leitrim in the north west of Ireland.

The entire facility comprises over 300 acres of an Ireland that is idyllic, rich in history and charmed with natural beauty. Lough Rynn Castle Estate has so many interesting features people have been coming here for years to roam the lands. But by the time it has been completely restored, Lough Rynn Castle Estate will be something else entirely. An estate which was once the finest in Leitrim is becoming one of the finest in the country. While the setting is amazing, the luxury castle hotel is on a par with anything Ireland has to offer and the Championship Golf Course is the first Nick Faldo design in the Republic of Ireland. The gardens will be soon back to their former glory and be arguably the finest privately owned gardens in the country.

As you approach the castle, you will pass the elegant fairways, copses and paddocks, past two lakes and over a rustic bridge. The estate has pockets of development, each of which is hidden from the others so that you are constantly surprised as you explore.

Other facilities on Lough Rynn Castle Estate will include:
Conference and Wedding Facilities
World Class Spa with Treatment Rooms
A leisure centre with indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna
3 and 4 bedroom townhouses, semi-detached and detached houses built and finished to the highest standards
The finest privately owned gardens in the country with nature trails and lakeside walks
A square mile of lake, and an abundance of local lakes for boating and fishing
Horse riding and other country pursuits

History:
Lough Rynn Estate was the ancestral home of the Earl of Leitrim whose family owned 96 thousand acres of land in Ireland. The House and Garden date back nearly 200 years and have been enhanced and developed ever since. Although more of a Victorian Manor it was called Lough Rynn Castle and was without doubt the finest big house in the country in its time. The gothic character of the architecture together with the traditional walled garden and converted French Stable yards provide a journey through history that can only be provided in such an environment.

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