Bailieborough Castle: From Manor to Marist Monastery
In his latest Times Past column, Jonathan Smyth takes a look at Bailieborough Castle, Lord Lisgar and the Marist Order...
The historic town of Bailieborough can trace its origins back to William Baillie of Ayrshire in Scotland who was granted 1,000 acres at Tonergie in 1610 as part of the Ulster Plantation. Three years after the land grant, Bailie built a castle and named it the ‘Manor of Bailieburrow’. The first settlement of local inhabitants was built near to the entrance gates of the castle and the sight of these ungainly hovels did little to enhance the gentleman of the manor’s driveway, so he had them knocked down.
Within a decade, there was evidence of a town with houses constructed of wood and roofed in straw thatch emerging within the vicinity of the original Church of Ireland building at Kilcollie. According to historian, Leslie McKeague, the town was called after ‘Mr Baillie, otherwise referred to as Baillie’s Borough’. More history about the early days of the estate can be read in Bailieborough: A Pictorial Past by Leslie McKeague.
Over the years the estate became the property of different owners. In the mid 1680s a man called Hamilton became owner and, after a period, sold it to a Colonel Stewart. Thereafter the property went to the Stewart Corrys who were connected to the Corrys of Rockcorry, Co Monaghan. In 1814, the Corrys decided to sell up. Bailieborough Castle and estate was acquired by William Young on his return from the colonies, having rendered his services in the East Indies. Sir William, being elevated to 1st baronet of Bailieborough Castle, affirmed his position as the new man about town. However, it was his son John who later became the ultimate bigshot both locally around Bailieborough and on the international stage.
John Young, the eldest son of William and Lucy Young, first saw the light of day in Bombay, India, on August 31, 1807. Young gentleman John was educated amongst the toffs of the upper class English prep school Eton, and afterwards obtained a BA from Christ Church, Oxford, in 1829. In 1834, he was elevated to the bar. Two years later, he entered politics as representative for Cavan in the House of Commons and served the county from 1831 to 1855.
Under the administration of English prime minister, Sir Robert Peel, John Young was appointed Lord of the Treasury in 1841, and Secretary to the Treasury in 1844, holding the ministerial position until his resignation two years later. Under Prime Minister Lord Aberdeen, Sir John was promoted to Chief Secretary for Ireland in December 1852. Then in 1855, he was shipped off to the colonies to take up the plum role of ‘Lord High Commissioner’ of the Ionian Islands.
The Right Hon Sir John Young, Baron Lisgar, died at Bailieborough Castle, on Friday, October 6, 1876, having attained the age of 69 years. The Cavan Weekly News obituary column noted, ‘we are sure this announcement will be received with very deep regret by an attached and prosperous tenantry’, and a ‘wide circle of personal friends’.
On January 26, 1877, the Cavan Weekly News reported on works at the new cemetery being carried out under Mr G. Brown, the head gardener, at Bailieborough Castle who oversaw the ‘planting and decorating’. The late Lord Lisgar’s grave was said to have been encircled by a ‘splendid selection of yews and other fancy shrubs’.
In 1900, the trustees of Baroness Lisgar sold the estate in lots, of which the Agricultural Department bought around 400 acres. Fifteen years later, Bailieborough Castle became a monastery of the Marist Brothers, otherwise known as the Little Brothers of Mary, a renowned teaching order. The Marist Brothers remained in Bailieborough until 1936.
Supernatural
It was decided to demolish Bailieborough Castle in February 1937. The demise of the big house took with it its own secrets and this paper wrote about strange events occurring around the time of the demolition works. A supernatural happening took place in the residence of Patrick Hackett who lived by himself in a house located in the castle yard. Mr Hackett had been hearing lots of knocking on his front door at night but, when he answered it, there was no one to be seen.
One evening, a large knock came and, on opening the door, a large rat entered the house. Taking up the story, the Celt recorded: ‘The rat perched itself on a table and spat at him when he attempted to remove it. Mr Hackett, having failed to dislodge the rat, closed the door, and when he again attempted to beat the rodent off the table, its form changed into that of a serpent and it went out through the keyhole of the door.’
On another evening the rat came in the door and jumped into the man’s bed. Hackett picked up a stick and walked over to the rodent and, as he did, a voice came from the same direction and said ‘they have pushed me out of my home and I have no shelter’. After that, Mr Hackett stayed with a neighbour at night and only returned home in daylight. It was perhaps no coincidence that when a ‘haunted room’ in the castle was being demolished that a rat was seen on the floor. The room had been boarded up for generations and, during the Marist Brothers time at the castle, they did not attempt to open it.
Several locals added to the story of supernatural goings-on having reportedly seen a tall man in a dress suit, wearing a silk hat while walking the ‘castle avenue late at night’. Could it have been, that Sir John Young (Lord Lisgar) had returned to haunt the estate?
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