Everything about Markree Castle totally explained
Markree Castle, in
Collooney,
Co. Sligo,
Ireland is a small family run hotel.
History
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.
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”.
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, was measured at Markree Castle on 16th January 1881.
According to some sources
Cecil F. Alexander wrote her famous hymn,
All Things Bright and Beautiful, while a guest there in 1848.
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.
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.
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 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.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Markree Castle'.
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