lord belmore – Lavender's Blue

The Darlings + Crevenagh House Omagh Tyrone

Omagh Gosh

Country House No Rescue

At the turn of the 21st century Edenderry Church of Ireland published a short history of its parish in the Diocese of Derry. Or Derry-Londonderry-Derry. The authors were Sue Darling and David Harrow. Back then Mrs Darling was châtelaine of Crevenagh House on the outskirts of Omagh County Tyrone. Not long afterwards she sold the seat and the furniture in it, innit.

First Sight

Darling Harrow, ‘In 1656, John Corry purchased the manor of Castle Coole from Henry and Gartrid St Leger. His great granddaughter, Sarah Corry, in 1733, married Galbraith Corry, son of Robert Lowry and, about the year 1764, assumed the name Corry in addition to that of Lowry. From this union are descended the Earls of Belmore, and, most if not all, the townlands of the parish passed to the Belmore family. In 1852 and 1853, the following townlands were sold to the Encumbered Estates Court: Arvalee, Aghagallon, Cranny, Crevenagh, Edenderry, Galbally, Garvaghy, Lisahoppin, Recarson and Tattykeel.’

Townland and Country

P McAleer in Townland Names of County Tyrone and their Meanings, 1936, writes that Crevenagh means ‘A branchy place’. It still is. Like most Irish townlands, the name has had a few variations: Cravana, Cravanagh, Cravena, Cravnagh, Creevanagh before landing on Crevenagh.

Family Album

Crevenagh House was the seat of the Auchinleck family. David Eccles Auchinleck was born on 16 October 1797 and died on 3 March 1849. He was the youngest son of the Reverend Alexander Auchinleck and Jane Eccles of Rossory, County Fermanagh. In the early 19th century David bought land at Crevenagh from Lord ~~Belmont~~ Belmore to build a home. Later he bought more land from the good Lord to build a church, Edenderry Church. Said church was consecrated two years before David’s death.

The Ghost

On 16 January 1837 David’s eldest son Thomas Auchinleck was born. He married Jane Loxdale from Liverpool. Thomas died on 1 February 1893, leaving Jane a widow at Crevenagh House for the next 24 years. Their son David married Madaline Scott of Dungannon. He was killed in action at Ypres in 1914 while serving with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. His widow stayed with her mother-in-law until she died in 1921 and then on her own until her death in 1948.

Matters of the Heart

On the demise of Mrs Auchinleck (Aunt Mado to all) her nephew Colonel Ralph Darling inherited Crevenagh House. He got hitched to Moira Moriarty of Edenderry. In 1953 the Colonel and Mrs Darling threw a Coronation Party for the young people of Edenderry Parish. Ralph died five years later.

Going Home

Gerald Ralph Auchinleck Darling inherited Crevenagh House from his father. Although he continued his career as a barrister in London, Gerald considered Crevenagh his home, returning there as often as possible. In 1954 he married Susan Hobbs from Perth (nope not Scotland). They had two children, Fiona and Patrick. Gerald retired from London in 1990 six years before his death.

Mixed Blessings

Gerald was a cousin of Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck, 1884 to 1981 (The Auk to all). The Auk was a frequent visitor to Crevenagh House. The Field Marshal is commemorated in Edenderry Church: ‘The plaque, the design of which is identical to the memorial in St Paul’s Cathedral, was erected beside others to members of the Auchinleck family, most of whom were killed in action.’

Fine Things

Crevenagh House is an architectural delight. Pure joy. Tight and bipartite and tripartite and quadripartite windows shimmer against cut stone walls that dramatically darken in the dripping Irish rain. Crimson coloured window frames and doors resemble the red rimmed eyes of an aging beauty peering across an unsettling landscape, weeping as time goes by. The charming formal symmetrical entrance front gives way to quasi symmetrical side elevations before finally wild abandon bleeds across the asymmetrical rear elevation.

Wine Dark Sea of Homer

A perky pepperpot gatehouse signposts the main entrance to the estate. The house is approached via a gently curving driveway up the hillside. To the left, views of it romantically unfold. Unusually, Crevenagh is twice as deep as it’s wide thanks to one owner ambitiously fattening the size of the original block. Over to Mark Bence-Jones,

Echoes

‘A two storey house built circa 1820 by D E Auchinleck, great uncle of Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck. Three bay entrance front with Wyatt windows in both storeys and projecting porch. Three bay side with central Wyatt window in both storeys. A slightly lower two storey range was subsequently added by D E Auchinleck’s son, Major Thomas Auchinleck, behind the original block and parallel with it; its end, which has a single storey bow, forming a continuation of the side elevation, to which it is joined by a short single storey link. The principal rooms in the main block have good plasterwork ceilings, and the hall has a mosaic floor depicting the Seven Ages of Man. There are doors made of mahogany from the family plantations in Demerara.’

Middle Temple

Lot 1a Crevenagh House (two hectares): ‘A tree lined avenue leads from the public highway to the house which faces south and west over its own grounds. The Georgian house, built circa 1820 for the Auchinlecks, is a fine example of a period residence, set in rolling lawns and woodland. The house has remained in the same family ownership since it was built.

Cinque Ports

There is a self contained and separately accessed staff or guest accommodation to the rear of the house. To the south of the stable block there is a south facing walled garden of approximately one hectare surrounded by a brick wall, stone faced on the exterior. The southern boundary is formed by a pond.’

Lots and Lots

Lot 1(b) Stable Block (0.1 hectares): ‘The stables are located within the grounds of Crevenagh House and provide an opportunity to purchase and develop attractive stable buildings and a yard for residential purposes. Planning permission was granted on 26 October 1999 for conversion into three residential units.’

Going Going Gone

Lot 2 Hill Field (four hectares): ‘An area of south sloping pasture land divided into two fields. The fields are zoned for housing within Omagh development limits: Omagh Area Plan, 1987 to 2002. A planning application has not been submitted and prospective purchasers should rely on their own inquiries of the Planning Authority.’

Pegasus

Lot 3 Orchard Field (3.6 hectares): ‘This area of approximately four hectares lies to the east of Crevenagh House and is bordered by woodland. The south facing lands are not presently allocated for development but there may be longer term potential.’

Until the End of Time

Lot 4 The Holm (3.9 hectares): ‘This field, with access from Crevenagh road under the old railway bridge, is bordered by the Drumragh River. The lands are presently used for agricultural and recreational purposes. Parts of this Lot will be affected by the new road throughpass but a portion of the remainder may have some development potential, subject to planning approval.’

Seasons Change

Castle Coole Fermanagh + Heaton Park Manchester

Quite Wyatt

It’s the Editor’s night off, the intern’s gone awol and Zelda’s asleep. Dinner at Fischer’s, Marylebone’s finest Austrian, calls, dropping the schnitzels and strudels for the vegetarian gröstl in the esteemed company of Astrid Bray newly appointed General Manager of Hyde Park Residence. So it’s the ideal time for a mega filler quote from our illustrious predecessor, the Lavender’s Blue of his day, Rev Francis Orpen Morris scribing in his voluminous volumes County Seats of Great Britain and Ireland 1850 or so. James Wyatt, never one to shy away from plundering his own portfolio, must have bet that the owners of Heaton Park in Great Britain and Castle Coole in Ireland weren’t likely to compare notes. Or elevations, to be precise. Spot the difference competition.

‘This mansion is situated in the midst of the beautiful demesne of the same name. It commands an extensive woodland view to the southwest, with a fine mountain background, while the back, or more correctly the northwest front, looks down upon a picturesque lake (Lough Coole) of some 40 acres of water. A flock of grey lag wild geese, which settled here, it is said, several generations ago, have become domesticated on the lake, never straying far from its shores. There are small four small wooded islands near the borders of the lough, which are possibly ancient Irish cranoges. The demesne contains two other lakes: one, Lough Yoan, of considerable size; the other, Breandrum Lake, much smaller.

The timber at Castle Coole is a noticeable feature in the landscape. There is a row of beech trees, some of which are about 125 feet in height, supposed to have been planted early in the last century; and another not so high, but containing some magnificent specimens, planted probably about 1750.

The present mansion house was erected towards the close of the last century, by the first Lord Belmore, from the plans of the celebrated James Wyatt, at a cost of towards £60,000. It is faced with Portland stone. It contains five handsome Reception Rooms. The Billiard Room to the right, and the Library to the left of the front Hall are 36 or 37 feet long, by 24 feet wide, and 18 feet high. The Drawing Room corresponds with the Library, and the Dining Room with the Billiard Room, on the back or northwest side of the house, and are divided by a very handsome oval Saloon. The Library and Drawing Room are divided by the inner Hall, containing a stone staircase with two branches. Above the Saloon is a large bow windowed sitting room, commanding an extensive and beautiful view, including Lough Coole; this room is divided from the state bedroom to the front by a lobby, lighted by skylights, and surrounded by a gallery from which open the bedrooms, etc, on the second storey.

The mouldings of some of the cornices and ceilings at Castle Coole are very elaborate, and were executed by Mr Joseph Rose of London, it is believed from the designs of Mr Wyatt. In the front Hall are two fine scagliola pillars, and two pilasters, by Mr Bartoli. There are some more in the inner Hall. The estate of Castle Coole came into the family of Lord Belmore by marriage. The residence of the Lowry family was previously at Ahenis, near Caledon, County Tyrone.

The original “Patentee”, or grantee, of the manor of Coole was Captain Roger Atkinson, temp. James I. This gentleman, who was for a time MP for Fermanagh, sold the property circa 1641. In 1655 it was resold to John Corry, of Belfast, who dying between it is supposed, 1680 and 1689, was succeeded by his son, James Corry, subsequently MP for Fermanagh and Colonel of the Militia.

The original house having been burnt by order of the Governor of Enniskillen in 1689, to prevent its being occupied by the Duke of Berwick’s army, a new house was erected about 1709, not far from the present mansion, the broad oak avenue leading up to which now forms an important feature of one of the approaches to the present house. This house was accidentally burnt down about the time the present one was completed.

Colonel Corry dying at an advanced aged in 1718, was succeeded by his son, Colonel John Corry, some time MP for Enniskillen, and subsequently for Fermanagh. This gentleman dying in 1726, aged 60, was succeeded by his son, Leslie Corry, then a minor, who died in 1741, and bequeathed this portion of his property to Margetson Armar, his cousin, and the husband of his third sister, Mary. Colonel Armar dying in 1773, left the estate to his wife for her life, and after her death to her second sister, Sarah. Mrs Armar dying the following year, was succeeded by her sister, Sarah Lowry Corry, widow of Galbraith Lowry, MP for Tyrone, who had assumed the name of Corry on succeeding, some years previously, to another portion of the Corry estates in the county of Longford. Mrs Lowry Corry died in 1779, and was succeeded at Castle Coole by her son, Armar Lowry Corry, MP for Tyrone, created, 1781, Baron Belmore, and advanced to the dignity of a Viscount in 1789, and of an Earl in 1797. Lord Belmore died in 1802, and was succeeded by his son, Somerset, second Earl, previously MP for Tyrone, and subsequently Governor of Jamaica and a representative Peer. He died in 1841, and was succeeded by his son, Armar, third Earl, some time MP for Fermanagh, who, dying in 1845, was succeeded by his son, Somerset Richard, present and 4th Earl, late Governor of New South Wales.’

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