54-633: Mitchelstown Castle , the former home of the Anglo Irish Earls of Kingston , was located in the north County Cork town of Mitchelstown in Ireland. White Knights, Dark Earls is to date the most extensive published account of Mitchelstown Castle, which was the biggest neo-Gothic house in Ireland. A castle was first built at Mitchelstown in the 15th century by the White Knights of Mitchelstown, from whom, through marriage, it passed to
108-605: A rent strike on the Mitchelstown Estate, then owned by Anna, Dowager Countess of Kingston and her second husband, William Downes Webber. On 9 September 1887, a protest was held later in the day in New Market Square outside the Market House where Mandeville and O'Brien were being tried. Neither man appeared in court. After the court ended, approximately 8,000 demonstrators paraded into New Square. As
162-404: A "hands off" management style, Caroline and Robert King undertook a number of progressive projects in their Mitchelstown estate from the mid-1770s onwards. The demesne wall, reputed to be the longest park wall in Ireland, took 16 years to build. It is 10 km long, encloses 500 hectares and was originally over 3 metres in height in most places. The medieval town was demolished and replaced by
216-523: A 100-foot-long (30 m) gallery, three libraries, morning room, dining room (which could seat 100 guests at one sitting) and various other facilities. Mitchelstown Castle was the biggest neo-Gothic house in Ireland, cost £100,000 to build and became the 'fashion statement' of its time. It inspired other major Irish castles, such as Strancally Castle (County Waterford) and Dromoland Castle for Lord Inchiquin . The 100,000-acre Mitchelstown estate ran into considerable financial difficulties, which, after
270-507: A full 360-degree ring road. Prior to the opening of the relief road in 2006, the N8 ran through Mitchelstown itself, seriously congesting the main street. The R665 road connects Mitchelstown to Clonmel , while the former N8 now redesignated as the R639 provides an alternative route from Mitchelstown to Cork , Fermoy and Cahir . Bus Éireann runs intercity services through the town providing
324-464: A service to both Dublin and Cork. Since late 2022, there is an expanded bus service between the town and Limerick city, which serves several intermediate towns and villages. Mitchelstown railway station opened on 23 March 1891, closed to passenger and goods traffic on 27 January 1947, and closed on 1 December 1953. The Mitchelstown Caves are limestone caves located near the R639 , between Mitchelstown and Cahir . One cave, Mitchelstown Cave itself,
378-474: A settlement close to the site of the present town in the 13th century. Their family name was well attested among Anglo-Normans in this area of Munster. (A reference in 1288 to a Geoffrey Michel in the 'vill of Michel', appears to refer to Mitchelstown townland in County Limerick.) Today's Mitchelstown and Baile Mhistéala names evolved from several varied spellings, a number of which are listed in
432-516: Is a title in the Peerage of Ireland . It was created in 1768 for Edward King, 1st Viscount Kingston . The Earl holds the subsidiary titles Baron Kingston , of Rockingham in the County of Roscommon (created in 1764), Viscount Kingston , of Kingsborough in the County of Sligo (created in 1766), Baron Erris , of Boyle in the County of Roscommon (created in 1801), and Viscount Lorton , of Boyle in
486-534: Is no evidence to support that claim. Another motive, put forward for the fire, was to cover up the looting and destruction of the building. The ashlar limestone of the house stood as a ruin until about 1930 when it was bought by the monks of Mount Melleray Abbey who used it to build their new monastery in County Waterford. Between 1879 and 1881, and again between 1886 and 1888, local tenantry, led by John Mandeville and William O'Brien , MP, organised
540-616: Is now owned by Dairygold Co-op. The proto-feminist Mary Wollstonecraft was governess there to the children of the household, including Margaret King , later Countess Mount Cashell, to whom Percy Bysshe Shelley dedicated his poem, A Sensitive Plant . Other notable members of the King family included Viscount Kingsborough , author of Antiquities of Mexico . Notable guests at Mitchelstown Castle included George Bernard Shaw , Arthur Young , Elizabeth Bowen and Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau . Earl of Kingston Earl of Kingston
594-452: Is privately owned and has been developed as a show cave , with a number of caverns open to the public through a guided tour. Some of the speleothems are noteworthy including the Tower of Babel formation. Various other stalactites , stalagmites and rock formations are also named for their unique structures. Indiependence , an annual three-day festival weekender, typically takes place on
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#1732790703811648-720: Is therefore not on the Official Roll of the Baronetage. The baronetcy is considered dormant. Several other members of the King family may also be mentioned. The Honourable Sir Henry King , fourth son of the second Earl, was a politician and soldier. The Honourable James William King, younger son of the second Earl, was a rear-admiral in the Royal Navy . George King, son of Reverend the Honourable Richard FitzGerald King, younger son of
702-753: Is within the Dáil constituency of Cork East . Prior to the 12th century Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland , the area around Mitchelstown was known as "Caoille", a territory bounded by the Kilworth Mountains to the south and the Galtee Mountains to the north. It was occupied by a people known as the Fir Muighe – the "men of the plain". The name of Mitchelstown originates from the Anglo-Norman family called de St Michel who founded
756-786: The Great Famine of 1845–51, forced its owners to sell 70,000 acres (280 km) in the Landed Estates Court . Further difficulties arose as a result of internal family squabbling, legal disputes and the Land War of the 1880s, in which the estate played a prominent part. In June 1922, the castle was forcibly occupied by the Irish Republican Army . Then owner, William Downes Webber (second husband of Anna, Dowager Countess of Kingston), his relatives and servants were 'evicted' to houses in nearby King Square. Over
810-533: The M8 Dublin to Cork motorway, which runs to the east and can be accessed from Junctions 12 and 13. A relief road, located to the west of the town, serves to filter N73 traffic towards Mallow and R513 traffic towards Limerick . The construction of the relief road to the west and north, and its connection in 2009 to the M8 to the east of Mitchelstown, means that the town has become the smallest in Ireland to have
864-679: The Mitchelstown Cave , 53 km north of Cork City , 56 km south-east of Limerick City and 15 km north of Fermoy . The town is close to the M8 motorway which links Cork and Dublin . Mitchelstown is considered one of the best examples of a Georgian planned town in Ireland . The River Gradoge runs by the town into the River Funshion , which in turn is a tributary of the River Blackwater . Mitchelstown
918-531: The Peerage of Ireland in 1806 (see Viscount Lorton for earlier history of this branch of the family). Robert, the sixth Earl, had previously represented County Roscommon in Parliament. He died in October 1869, only a month after he succeeded in the earldom. He was succeeded by his elder son, Robert, the seventh Earl, who died two years later at the age of forty, without any male issue. The seventh Earl
972-543: The Placenames Database of Ireland . The database records 1618 as the earliest instance of today's standard English version. Before the development of Mitchelstown, a 7th-century settlement was established in the nearby townland of Brigown. Brigown ( Irish : Brí Ghabhann , meaning "hill of the smiths") was founded by a monk named Fionnchú (Findchú in Old Irish), now popularly known as Saint Fanahan. On
1026-486: The peerage of Ireland , and also became the 16th King Baronet . In 1994, he married Ruth Margaret Buckner, and they have two children: Mitchelstown#Co-operative Mitchelstown ( Irish : Baile Mhistéala ) is a town in the north of County Cork , Ireland with a population of over 3,740. It is situated in the valley to the south of the Galtee Mountains . Mitchelstown is 13 km south-west of
1080-497: The "Mitchelstown Massacre". The phrase "Remember Mitchelstown" (first coined by William Gladstone ) became a rallying cry for Irishmen at home and abroad. The memorial to Mandeville that stands in Market Square was unveiled in 1906 by William O'Brien MP. It also commemorates the names of the three men killed in 1887. Up to 1990, Mitchelstown was the headquarters for Mitchelstown Co-operative Agricultural Society Ltd, one of
1134-476: The 1770s and incorporated what remained into a new Palladian mansion, described as a 'house with wings'.They employed the young Mary Wollstonecraft as governess to their three children In 1823, after his succession, their son, George, 3rd Earl of Kingston, demolished the Palladian house and replaced it with a new castle designed by James and George Richard Pain . It had 60 principal and 20 minor bedrooms,
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#17327907038111188-518: The 1930s, the co-op promoted the introduction of intensive pig production in the area as another source of farm income, and several of Ireland's largest industrial pig farms were subsequently based in the Mitchelstown area. In October 1990, Mitchelstown Co-operative merged with Ballyclough Co-operative (based in Mallow, County Cork ) to create an enlarged Dairygold Co-Operative . The co-op is now
1242-676: The Continent, 1801–03 (1920). The second Earl was succeeded by his eldest son, George, the third Earl, who represented County Roscommon in the Irish Parliament and later sat in the British House of Lords as an Irish representative peer . In 1821 he was created Baron Kingston , of Mitchelstown in the County of Cork, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom , which gave him and his descendants an automatic seat in
1296-590: The County of Roscommon (created in 1806), also in the Peerage of Ireland. He is also a baronet in the Baronetage of Ireland . Between 1821 and 1869 the earls also held the title Baron Kingston , of Mitchelstown in the County of Cork (created in 1821), in the Peerage of the United Kingdom . The King family descends from Robert King, younger brother of John King, 1st Baron Kingston (a title which became extinct in 1761; see Baron Kingston ). In 1682 Robert King
1350-624: The Galtee Mountains. Mitchelstown Castle was rebuilt between 1823 and 1825 by George King, 3rd Earl of Kingston. During the Irish Civil War in 1922, the castle was occupied by the Irish Republican Army. During six weeks of occupation, its contents were looted and the building was burnt on the night 12 and 13 August 1922 – ostensibly to prevent it from being used by the Irish Free State army. However, there
1404-525: The House of Lords. His eldest son, Edward, Viscount Kingsborough , was an antiquarian and also represented County Cork in the British Parliament. Lord Kingsborough predeceased his father, unmarried, and the earldom devolved on his younger brother, Robert, the fourth Earl. Robert sat as Member of Parliament for County Cork but was later declared to be of an "unsound mind". He died unmarried and
1458-409: The Irish Parliament. In 1764 Edward was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Kingston , of Rockingham in the County of Roscommon , a revival of the barony held by his kinsmen which had become extinct three years earlier. He was further honoured when he was made Viscount Kingston , of Kingsborough in the County of Sligo, in 1766, and Earl of Kingston in 1768, also in the Peerage of Ireland. He
1512-460: The King family, Barons and Earls of Kingston. James, 4th Baron Kingston , extensively refurbished and modernised the castle in the 1730s. After his death in 1761, the castle passed to his granddaughter, Caroline Fitzgerald. She married her cousin Robert King, Viscount Kingsborough , who was, from 1797, the 2nd Earl of Kingston. The Kingsboroughs demolished most of the old Mitchelstown Castle in
1566-674: The Kingston estate. At the same time, the military barracks at Fermoy , Mallow , Mitchelstown and Kilworth were burned, as well as the military hospital in Fermoy, Mitchelstown workhouse, Mitchelstown RIC barracks and the railway viaduct in Mallow. Afterwards, William Downes Webber sought compensation from the Irish Free State totalling £149,000 for rebuilding and £18,000 for contents. He intended to rebuild if sufficient compensation
1620-492: The award was too small a sum to rebuild the castle. The stones of Mitchelstown Castle were subsequently sold to the Cistercian monks of Mount Melleray Abbey , County Waterford, who used them to build a new abbey. In the 1940s, Mitchelstown Co-operative Agricultural Society built a milk processing factory on the site of the castle, which it had purchased together with some of the demesne lands that surrounded it. The site
1674-420: The eastern side of the town is a holy well associated with the saint that is traditionally visited on 25 November, his annual pattern day . By the 9th century, Brigown had a round tower (this tower was damaged in a lightning strike in 1720 and demolished in 1807). Mitchelstown itself is based at or near the site of a 13th-century Norman settlement called "Villa Michel". During the 13th century, "Villa Michel"
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1728-416: The edge of the crowd to prevent their access to the wagon. In the melee that followed, hand-to-hand combat involving police being beaten with sticks and stones being thrown at them. The police retreated to their barracks, which was on a house that overlooked part of the square. As the last constable arrived at the barracks, he drew his revolver and fired a single shot into the air. This created confusion amongst
1782-399: The estate. Five years later she married her 15-year-old cousin, Robert King, Viscount Kingsborough who himself later inherited large estates in counties Roscommon and Sligo. For a time, their joint land ownership was around 70,000 hectares. The revolutionary writer Mary Wollstonecraft , briefly worked as a governess to three of their daughters. Unlike other landlords of the time, who had
1836-662: The home of 9th Earl of Kingston. Abandoned in 1940s following its acquisition by the Irish Land Commission. Reconstructed in 2000s for use as a hotel. Robert Charles Henry King-Tenison, 12th Earl of Kingston (born 20 March 1969) is the only son of the 11th Earl and his wife Patricia Mary Killip. He was styled formally as Viscount Kingsborough between birth and 2002 and was educated at Repton School . On 19 March 2002, he succeeded his father as Earl of Kingston, Baron Erris of Boyle, Viscount Kingston of Kingsborough, Baron Kingston of Rockingham, and Viscount Lorton, all in
1890-430: The largest co-operatives in Ireland. This farmers co-op was founded in 1919. Between 1919 and 1990, Mitchelstown Co-op Creameries became the largest dairy processing business on the island of Ireland. While it became known for its processed cheese brands, it was better known in overseas dairy industry circles for its natural cheeses, which were exported around Europe and for which it earned several international prizes. In
1944-462: The largest farmer owned co-operative in Ireland and has its headquarters in Mitchelstown. One of the first managers of Mitchelstown Creameries was Eamon Roche, who was credited with the organisation's massive growth. Today Mitchelstown is home to Kerrygold Park, a €38 million butter production and packing facility supplying the Kerrygold butter brand worldwide. Mitchelstown is situated close to
1998-515: The largest house in Ireland. it was home for 4th and 5th Earls. King House, Boyle County Roscommon, Built for Henry King 3rd. Bt. in 1739, possibly incorporating an earlier 17th c. house. Abandoned by the family in early 19th c. Rockingham, Boyle, County Roscommon built in 1810 by John Nash for Robert King, younger son of 2nd. Earl Kingston. Burnt accidentally 1957. Kilronan Castle, Keadue, north County Roscommon . Kilronan, reconstruction of Castle Tenison, in 1880s for 8th. Earl of Kingston. Also
2052-489: The next few weeks the castle was held by republicans, who appeared to be preparing it for some kind of siege. However, in early August, the contents of the building were stolen by some republicans, including paintings by Thomas Gainsborough and William Beechey , as well as silver, furniture, wall hangings, and mantlepieces. On 12 August 1922, Mitchelstown Castle was burned on the orders of a local republican leader, P. J. Luddy, whose father and grandfather had been middlemen on
2106-540: The ninth Earl, who fought in both the Second Boer War and the First World War and sat in the House of Lords as an Irish Representative peer. As of 2002 the titles are held by the ninth Earl's great-grandson, Robert, the twelfth Earl, who succeeded in 2002, the titles having descended from father to son. As of 31 July 2002, the twelfth Earl has not successfully proven his succession to the baronetcy and
2160-549: The pioneer educator and proto-feminist Mary Wollstonecraft as governess to their daughters. Her books Thoughts on the Education of Daughters and Original Stories from Real Life draw on her experiences under their roof at Mitchelstown Castle . The daughter she influenced the most was Margaret King , who, as Lady Mount Cashell , undertook a Grand Tour on the Continent, accompanied by her friend Catherine Wilmot , whose diaries were eventually published as An Irish Peer on
2214-405: The police inside the barracks, who by that time had been placed at the upstairs windows with carbine rifles. Several shots were fired into the crowd. Three men were killed and several more injured. The dead men were John Shinnick of Fermoy , John Casey of Kilbehenny and Michael Lonergan of Galbally, County Limerick . The incident generated considerable international attention and became known as
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2268-606: The present town which is centred more to the south-east. The town was laid out in a grid pattern of two main streets intersected by a number of smaller streets. Some of its streets are named after members of the King family, namely Robert , George , Edward , James, Thomas and also King (the family name). The other streets of the Georgian town are Church Street, Baldwin Street, Alley Lane, Chapel Hill, Convent Hill, King Square, New Square and Mulberry Lane. The layout established by
2322-531: The second Earl, was a major-general in the British Army . The Honourable Laurence Harman King-Harman, younger son of the first Viscount Lorton, was the father of Edward King-Harman , a politician (see also Stafford-King-Harman baronets ), and Sir Charles King-Harman , High Commissioner to Cyprus. The former seat of the King family was Mitchelstown Castle in Mitchelstown , County Cork which
2376-399: The second and third Earls of Kingston , between 1776 and 1830, utilised the natural features of the site to give views of the Galtee Mountains. This is best illustrated by how George Street was designed with Saint George's Arts and Heritage Centre (formerly Saint George's Church) closing the view on the southern end, and the northern view being terminated by Kingston College and Temple Hill on
2430-427: The speeches began from a wagon in the square, the police attempted to get an official police notetaker closer to the platform so that he could hear and record what was being said. Their motives were misunderstood, and they were held back by the crowd. They retreated, returning moments later with fifty reinforcements. This time, they fixed bayonets and used the butts of their rifles to hit horses that had been placed around
2484-556: Was built by the White Knights sometime in the 14th century and it lasted until the 1770s. The original town itself appears to have evolved from a cluster of cabins and laneways around this castle probably starting in the late-thirteenth or early-fourteenth centuries. The area known as Kingston College was built around 1764 by James King, 4th Baron Kingston for the cost of £12,000. It was initially established as housing for elderly, impoverished Protestants . When James died in 1764, his 10-year-old granddaughter Caroline FitzGerald inherited
2538-464: Was burned down by the IRA in 1922. It was home of 1st. Lord Kingston. Mitchelstown Castle 4th Lord Kingston in 1750 had a grand house, which was probably not the original castle. Mitchelstown Castle (built 1776) a Georgian house was built by 2nd Earl Kingston. Subsequently, demolished in 1823. Mitchelstown Castle (built 1823) was designed by James and George Richard Pain for 3rd. Earl of Kingston to be
2592-529: Was created a baronet, of Boyle Abbey in the County of Roscommon. He subsequently represented County Roscommon and Boyle in the Irish House of Commons . He was succeeded by his son, John, the second Baronet, who also represented County Roscommon and Boyle in the Irish Parliament. John died childless and was succeeded by his younger brother, Henry, the third Baronet, who like his father and brother represented County Roscommon and Boyle in Parliament. Henry
2646-521: Was granted market rights giving it a commercial focus within the region. From about 1300 to 1600, the town was the property of the White Knights, Chiefs of the Clan Gibbon (FitzGibbons), a branch of the Earls of Desmond. The White Knights were lords over large portions of modern-day counties Cork , Limerick and Tipperary consisting of an estate of over 40,000 hectares. The first Mitchelstown Castle
2700-619: Was provided. After his death in 1924, Colonel W.A. King-Harman pursued the claim in the Irish courts. Judge Kenny, in the Irish High Court in 1926, stated that the destruction of Mitchelstown Castle had been an act of wanton destruction which had no military purpose. He awarded £27,500 for the building and the entire £18,000 requested for the contents. Most of this was used to build replacement properties in Dublin as King-Harman decided that
2754-424: Was succeeded by his eldest son, Robert, the fourth Baronet, who sat as Member of Parliament for Boyle. In 1748, aged 24, Robert was created Baron Kingsborough in the Peerage of Ireland . He died unmarried only seven years later, at which time the barony became extinct. Lord Kingsborough was succeeded in the baronetcy by his younger brother, Edward, the fifth Baronet, who represented Boyle and County Sligo in
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#17327907038112808-476: Was succeeded by his son, Robert , the second Earl, who represented County Cork in the Irish House of Commons . He married his kinswoman, the heiress Caroline Fitzgerald (died 1823), daughter of Richard FitzGerald by the Honourable Margaret King, daughter of James King, 4th Baron King (of the first creation). Some detail is known about the lives of the second Earl and his wife, as they hired
2862-435: Was succeeded by his younger brother, Henry, the eighth Earl, who was Lord-Lieutenant of County Roscommon and sat in the House of Lords as an Irish Representative peer. Henry married Frances Margaret Christina King-Tenison, daughter of Edward King-Tenison, of Kilronan Castle, County Roscommon , and assumed in 1883 by Royal licence the additional surname of Tenison. He was succeeded by his second but only surviving son, Henry,
2916-495: Was succeeded by his younger brother, James, the fifth Earl, who died childless in 1869, when the barony of Kingston created in 1821 became extinct. The fifth Earl was succeeded in the remaining titles by his first cousin, Robert King, 2nd Viscount Lorton, who became the sixth Earl. Robert was the son of General the Honourable Robert King , fourth son of the second Earl, who had been created Viscount Lorton in
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