Markree Castle
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Markree Castle, in Collooney, Co. Sligo, Ireland is a small family run hotel.
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[edit] History
[edit] 17th century
In 1663 Cornet Edward Cooper, who served under Cromwell when his army defeated the O'Brien Clan, was allotted the original 14th century Markree Castle and the surrounding lands. Until then, Markree had been a fortified outpost of the Irish McDonagh Clan, guarding the ford across the river Unsin.
O'Brien himself lost his life in this battle, and Edward married his widow Marie Rua (Red Mary). With her two sons they went to live at Limerick Castle. One son was left the castle in Limerick and the other inherited Markree. Charles Cooper, the current owner, is a direct descendant of this son
Times remained turbulent and during an attempt by the English King James to regain the throne, the Catholic army occupied Markree Castle and the Coopers had to flee. After the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, they returned and have been resident ever since except for a brief period during the Civil War in the 1920s when Markree was again occupied, this time by the Irish Free State army.
[edit] 19th century
In 1830, Col. Edward Joshua Cooper MP (1798-1863) eldest son of Edward Synge Cooper MP, and Ann, daughter of Henry Vansittart, Governor of Bengal set up Markree Observatory in the castle grounds.
He acquired from Robert A. Cauchoix of Paris, an objective of 13.5-inches (35.5 cm) for which he paid £1200. For a number of years Cooper’s big refractor was the largest in the world. Later a 5-foot (1.5m) transit and a 3-foot (0.9m) Meridian Circle, fitted with an interchangeable 7-inch (17.75 cm) glass were added, which was the largest at that time in 1839. In 1842 a 4-inch (10 cm) Comet Seeker was added. At the Annual Meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society of 1851 it was described as “the most richly furnished private observatory in existence”.[1]
In 1848, Cooper’s assistant, Andrew Graham discovered the asteroid 9 Metis with the Comet Seeker. Graham resigned his post at Markree in 1860, but continued his research at Cambridge Observatory until his retirement in 1905. E.J. Cooper died in 1863, but the observatory remained active until the death of Edward Henry Cooper MP in 1902.
Ireland's lowest recorded air temperature, -19.1°C (-2.4°F), was measured at Markree Castle on 16th January 1881.[2]
According to some sources Cecil F. Alexander wrote her famous hymn, All Things Bright and Beautiful, while a guest there in 1848.[3]
The castle as we see it today, dates from 1802 with exterior changes by the architect Francis Johnston with some changes made, mainly to the interior, in 1896.
[edit] 20th century
After the Second World War the castle fell on hard times and stood empty and derelict for many years. In 1988 it appeared on the front cover of The Vanishing Country Houses of Ireland, a testament to the sad state of decay of many of Ireland’s great houses at the time, until in 1989, Charles Cooper transformed his ancestral castle into a hotel.
[edit] The castle today
Today, Markree Castle operates as a hotel run by Charles and Mary Cooper, the 10th generation of the family to live there.
The 300-acre (1.2 km²) estate holds an array of wild life from red squirrels, to otters, to kingfishers.
The entrance contains a monumental staircase, which leads to a wonderful hall, from where a second staircase in carved wood leads to the 30 guest rooms. On the landing, a huge stained glass window traces the Cooper family tree from Victorian times back to the time of King John. The dining room is decorated in Louis Philippe-style plasterwork.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, volume 11, page 104 - 105, 1851
- ^ MET ÉIREANN
- ^ Cyberhymnal.org
