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Letter About Ireland
I first went to Mt. Blakeney near Charlieville. A guy at the Texaco in Charlieville gave me very good directions but there were no signs since it is just a house and property. A very nice family of 5 gave me directions with each ember contributing. The house is way back off the road. I blew the horn when I drove up because a pack of dogs greeted me. The man who lives there no, Daniel Binchy, came out and motioned me in. I told him who I was and he lit up. We had tea and he brought out a picture of the house as it looked originally. He said he was sorry that he did not have as much knowledge as his father, who died several years ago. He told me to take as many pictures a I would like and I did. He read the letter you sent me from Mrs. Kaspern and agreed with all the. He said there was not a lot more that he could add to it. He was interesting though, himself having written w fiction humor books "The Neon Madonna" and "The last Resort." The house sat in front of several building built like a square. It was really quite exciting to see.
I did go the Heritage Center and got a few names.
The Trip to Castleblakeney proved to be much more exciting. I did not get to the parish to get records but I met Michael Grady who lives on the property and knows something about the past. Mr. Grady's daughter had completed a school project on Castleblakeney and had information on her poster. This family was very nice. There was a hill near their house where the castle stood. He said O'Kelly's lived there first then the Blakeney's. Also he took me to the tomb in Abbert and showed me where the house that burned was. There are still structures standing. He also took me to a man named Christy Glen whose father worked for John Blakeney. He told me quit a few stories.
There were several brothers, Henry and Robert being two. Mr. Grapy says he has a land deed with Robert's signature and he will try to find it and photocopy it. Also there was s sister who moved to England. Ethel's tomb says "TENDERLY LOVED WIFE OF LUCIEN JOSEPH JEROME ESQUIRE AND YOUNGEST DAUGHTER OF JOHN BLAKENEY WHO DIED O FEVER AT HAVANA, WEST INDIES. HER REMAINS REPOSE HERE IN PEACE."
Mr. Grady's daughter, Sheila, had a lot of information on her school project. How castle Blakeney got its name: Gallaig ui Ceallaig-Castle Blakeney-got its Irish name from the O'Kellys of Hymany. The O'Kelly's were always noted for their hospitality. He gave the greatest feast of all times. This feast lasted for three months. The English name Castleblakeney originated in the 18th century. Castleblakeney was called after a landlord named Blakeney. He owned most of the land in Castleblakeney when Cromwell attacked the O'Kelly's, Blakeney took over the land and castle.
The Scarlet Pimpernel: Sir Percy Blakeney born in Castleblakeney made history as the famous scarlet Pimpernel also known as the elusive Pimpernel. A very interesting film was made in the 1940's on the Revolution and the Scarlet Pimpernel's part in the daring evacuation. The French Revolutionaries knew that a mysterious character known as Scarlet Pimpernel was the man behind the secret evacuation but they never doubted that then trusted Sir Percy was the elusive Pimpernel. It is said that it was Sir Percy himself composed the ditty "We seek him here, we seek him there, those Frenchmen seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven or is he in hell. The damn elusive Pimpernel."
The Blakeney family are all buried at Abbert because they lived at Abbert before coming to Castleblakeney. They are buried in a tomb at the back of the house in Abbert. The Abbert House went on fire at one time, but the house can still be seen.
Christy Glen is an older man who remembers all his father told him and his father lived and worked for the Blakeneys. He recounted a story that during the famine that John Blakeney did not know about it. When he was told about the famine, he insisted all come to his place where he kept a large pot of potatoes and other staples cooking and fed many as long as he could. He told the story of the suicide. Said he was very depressed and Mr. Glen talked to him and suggested the sister move back from England to help fill the big empty house. He said a few weeks later the saw the servants milling around and thought that the sister had arrived. Instead he was dead. No one heard the gun go off.
Mr. Glen said that Mr. Blakeney use to feed the crows and after his death the crows did not build nest on the property until recently.
He spoke of Henry. He said Henry went to South Africa several times and also to the Klondide. He said Henry was a gallant dresser wearing jodhpurs and other clothes not seen in Ireland. He told of Henry giving a silver plate to someone and it ended up in England.
I did go to Limerick and got a few names.
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