14-499: The King Oak is a tree in the grounds of Charleville Castle , Tullamore in Ireland. Descended from the ancient oak forests that were once commonplace in Ireland, the tree is estimated to be around 400 to 800 years old. The King Oak has been heavily pollarded and is a large tree, with a trunk of 8.29 metres (9.07 yd) girth and some of the lower branches extending as far as 27 metres (30 yd). A superstition associated with
28-578: A play by the English Chamber Theatre called Dearest Nancy, Darling Evelyn . The Mór Festival and its successor, Castlepalooza , have been held at the castle, as has Facefest, a not-for-profit festival held in the Summer Solstice Weekend. As of 2014, the castle hosted a museum, "The Explorers' Museum", covering the history of exploration and dedicated to Charles Howard-Bury . The castle itself has been claimed to be
42-451: Is located in the grounds of Charleville Castle on the outskirts of Tullamore. It stands just inside the main entrance to the estate. The tree is a pedunculate oak ( Quercus robur ), also known as a common oak, European oak, or English oak. Its trunk is 8.29 metres (9.07 yd) in girth and the tree possesses an overall height of 19 metres (21 yd). The tree has large lower branches which spread for up to 27 metres (30 yd) from
56-629: The Irish entry for the 2013 European Tree of the Year contest. The tree made it to the six-strong shortlist and in the final poll received almost six thousand votes, putting it in third place. Charleville Castle Charleville Castle is a Gothic -style castle located in County Offaly , Ireland, bordering the town of Tullamore , near the River Clodiagh . It is considered one of
70-517: The King Oak as one of the oldest trees in the country. The tree is thought to be a descendant of the once widespread ancient oak forests of Ireland. The tree has been heavily pollarded for timber over its life. The King Oak has been described as the star attraction of the Charleville estate. A superstition attached to the tree says that, if one of its branches were to fall, it will foretell
84-541: The death of a member of the Bury family, the long-time owners of the Charleville estate. In 1963 the tree was struck by lightning, splitting the main trunk from top to bottom and causing the loss of at least one branch. The tree survived but Colonel Charles Howard-Bury , the explorer and last member of the Bury family line died a few weeks afterwards. The King Oak was proposed by the Just Forests conservation charity as
98-473: The dining room. The castle played host to Lord Byron , who held many parties here. The house once boasted a painting from 1789 called Henry VIII, Act V, Scene 4 by Matthew William Peters , which having been removed from the house in 1970 is now in a Canadian collection. The castle remained uninhabited from 1912 when Colonel Howard-Bury left to live in Belvedere House , County Westmeath . By 1968
112-408: The finest of its type in the country. The first mansion house to be built on the site of Charleville Castle was by Thomas Moore circa 1641. The estate passed through the hands of Charles Moore, Lord Tullamore , grandson of Thomas, and when he died in 1674 it went via his sister Jane to Charles William Bury . Charles William was later (1806) created the 1st Earl of Charleville in a second creation of
126-468: The main trunk and have been propped to prevent them from falling. The Charleville estate is home to one of the largest Pedunculate Oak forests in Ireland and is also home to a plot of yew trees in the shape of the Union Flag . The King Oak is at least 400 years old and possibly up to 800 years old, with it being mentioned as an old tree in 17th-century records. The Irish Wildlife Trust has described
140-497: The most haunted building and grounds in Europe, appearing on both Living TV 's Most Haunted and Fox's Scariest Places on Earth . The most famous of these ghosts is that of a little girl called Harriet, who reputedly died after a fall in a staircase. The castle has also been visited by several paranormal investigators and psychics. It has been photographed by Simon Marsden , and has appeared on Ghost Hunters International . It
154-513: The roof had been removed. Work on its restoration was commenced by Michael McMullen in 1973 and later by Constance Heavey Seaquist and Bonnie Vance. A Charitable Trust has been formed to help with the restoration. As of 2014, the Charleville Castle Heritage Trust was managed by Dudley Stewart, with the day-to-day running handled by volunteers. Events held at the castle have included "fright nights", an auction, and
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#1732780634215168-415: The title. The new earl decided to build a new house on the estate. Commissioned in 1798, it was designed by Francis Johnston , and was built between 1800 and 1812. The castle was not continuously occupied, owing to the castle owners' lack of resources. Each re-opening of the house resulted in the addition of new rooms or refurbishment. This included engaging William Morris , who designed the ceiling within
182-509: The tree says that if one of its branches should fall a member of Bury family, long-time owners of the Charleville Estate, will die. The 1963 death of Charles Howard-Bury has been held as confirmation of this belief, following shortly after the tree was struck by lightning which split its main trunk. The tree was nominated as the Irish entry for the 2013 European Tree of the Year contest, in which it finished third. The King Oak
196-561: Was also used as a filming location for Becoming Jane (2007), Northanger Abbey (2007), The Knight Before Christmas (2019) and The Green Knight (2020). The castle has also been used, alongside Ashford Castle in County Mayo, as a set for the "French Court" in the pilot episode of Reign (2013). Charleville Forest , which borders the castle, is classified as a Special Area of Conservation . Matthew William Peters Too Many Requests If you report this error to
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