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Ballynahinch Castle
~ Connemara |
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Ballynahinch Castle is steeped in a wealth of tradition and
has been intertwined in the history of Connemara and its
people for many centuries. From the days of the O'Flaherty
Chieftains, to Grace O'Malley, the Pirate Queen of
Connemara, to Humanity
Dick Martin, founder of the society
for the prevention of cruelty to animals and to H.R.H. the
Maharajah Ranjitsinji, also known as the 'Ranji', Prince of
Cricketeers. |
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The name comes from the Irish
Baile na hInse meaning settlement of the island.
Ballynahinch Castle is located at the heart of the
Ballynahinch Estate between Recess and Roundstone in
Connemara. Comprising of 450 acres of beautiful woodlands,
gardens, lakes and rivers. This sporting country estate
offers a secluded retreat of peace for any visitor.
The history of Ballynahinch Castle goes back over 700 years.
It was the home of 'The Ferocious O'Flahertys" and one of
its most famous residents was Grace O'Malley from Mayo who
married Donal O'Flaherty in 1546.
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The lands of the O'Flaherty
clan stretched to within 15 miles of Galway City on the east
and into County Mayo to the north-west.
The clan leaders were the
Lords of Connaught and Masters of the castles of
Ballynahinch, Aughanure, Doon, Moycullen, Bunowen and
Renvyle.
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Grace O'Malley-O'Flaherty is
well known for her meeting with another famous queen -
Elizabeth I - in 1593. Grace was 63 years old at the time
and an awesome and formidable lady. She certainly stood
proud and erect next to the English Monarch. Although Irish
was her native tongue, Grace conversed comfortably with her
equal in Latin. The English court of the day wrote: "In
the wild grandeur of her mien erect and high before an
English Queen she dauntless stood"
Grace was unconventional to say the least, allowing neither
social nor political convention to stand in the way of her
ambitions. Her exploits as a pirate are well documented in
history. It was on one of her voyages that she took a lover,
divorced her husband and gave birth to a son at sea. She
took over the role of head of the O'Flaherty family when her
husband was murdered by a rival clan and it is said that she
was 'a better man than her husband'. She died in 1603 at the
age of 70 years, the same year as the death of Elizabeth I.
A suite of music was composed in her honour in the 1980's
called the 'Granuaile Suite' and historian Anne Chambers has
received two films offers for the rights of her book on 'The
Pirate Queen'.
Ballynahinch Castle has changed hands many times since and
its decline as the noble home of the O'Flahertys began
towards the end of the 16th. century. One other famous
resident was 'Humanity Dick', founder of The Royal Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). His
ancestors took over the house in 1590.
The present house was built by Richard Martin's father in
the early 1700's as an inn and so history repeats itself.
The house is now one of the finest hotels in Galway renowned
for its warm hospitality, good food, lovely ambiance and
spectacular surroundings.
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Castles in
County Galway
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