Monivea Castle

Monivea Castle - and the Ffrench Family

Written By: Marion Hardiman

Monivea Castle

1609 until 1939, this are of Monivea and the surrounding Townlands was part of a large estate of over 10,000 acres which belonged to the Ffrench family of Monivea Castle whose ancestors originally arrived with Strongbow to Wexford in 1170 after the Battle of Hastings.

The castle itself dates back to the 1609 when the Ffrench family, who were a wealthy merchant family in Galway city, purchased an O’Kelly Tower House in Monivea for 217 pounds. They added a large house to the West face of the tower and further enhanced the stately home in later years. Monivea village itself was planned at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the mid 1770’s with the intention of providing a workforce for the production of linen cloth.

In its prime in 1876 the Estate occupied 10,121 acres of land stretching from Derrydonnell to Menlough. In a woodland setting, the property was surrounded by a high demesne wall which is still visible today along the road from Monivea East to Killaclogher bridge. The house contained beautiful antiques, paintings and books. There was an attached Orangerie. Two gate lodge entrances at Monivea village and Killaclogher and an entrance at Knockcorrandoo led up sweeping avenues to the house around which there were many beautiful old trees, stables, orchards, gardens and a lake. Almost every family in this area had a member employed at the Castle - maids, cooks, laundry workers, farm workers, carpenter, blacksmith, stable boys, garden staff etc.

The last occupants:

By the mid 1800’s two brothers were the newest generation of the Ffrench family growing up in Monivea – Robert and Acheson. Robert was heir to the Monivea estate and when their mother died, he was sent to England and educated at the best schools. Acheson remained as caretaker in Monivea and married Annie (Blake of Ballygluinin), they had two daughters Nina and Rosamond. Nina went to live in England.

The Ffrench’s were great horse lovers and hunting was a favourite pastime. They travelled by train abroad, hosted parties, picnics and nights of entertainment. Dinner was served formally. They were, by all accounts, fairly decent Landlords.

Robert, the absentee Landlord, became a very wealthy British Diplomat and lived a privileged life abroad. He travelled all over Europe and beyond. The Ffrench’s owned a home in London at 3A Grosvenor Square across the street from Buckingham Palace where he had many connections. At age 30 he met and married an 18 year old Russian heiress, Sophie de Kindiakoff whose family owned vast estates along the Volga River. Robert converted to the Orthodox Catholic faith. Their daughter Ekaterina Sophie Emilia Alexandra Ffrench was born in 1864 – known as Kathleen. The Robert & Sophie marriage was not happy and the couple later separated.

In Russia Kathleen had a privileged childhood, she had a Governess, was beautifully dressed and was well educated. She spoke and wrote Russian, French and English and mixed in Royal and wealthy society. Robert sent money regularly to Monivea Castle for its upkeep to supplement the rent from the tenants.

Robert died in Naples in April 1896. Although he seldom stayed in Monivea, his last wish was to be buried here where his ancestors had lived since the 1600’s. His body was embalmed and kept in Naples.

Kathleen Ffrench was now heir to Monivea Castle at age 32. She arrived in August 1896 to pick a spot in the woods where a Mausoleum was planned. Robert’s large funeral took place in August 1899 and he was laid in the crypt under the Altar.

TIME FOR CHANGE

By the beginning of the 1900’s big changes were taking place in Russia and in Ireland. Irish tenant farmers were demanding land reform. In Russia, the tenants, lead by Vladimir Lenin, were also rising up against the existing regime. In 1914 World War 1 broke out, Kathleen Ffrench joined the Red Cross and set up field hospitals and witnessed unspeakable horrors and suffering.

Following Acheson’s death in 1915 Rosamond was left alone to run Monivea Castle and estate. She was well liked in Monivea and, although her father Acheson was of the Protestant faith, she was Catholic. She regularly corresponded with her cousin Kathleen in Russia by letter.

1916 – The Easter Rising and later the formation of a new Irish State – In 1920’s and 30’s many Landlord estates were taken over and divided among local tenant farmers.

1917 – the Bolshevik Revolution (Russian Revolution): Lead by Vladimir Lenin, land was confiscated, land owners were robbed and houses destroyed. Kathleen lost everything – her vast wealth, houses and possessions. It was said that Lenin’s wife took her jewellery – worth millions of rubles. She was no longer able to finance Monivea. Imprisoned and suffering greatly but eventually released, she came to London and afterwards to Monivea in 1920. She was not welcomed by cousin Rosamond and a rift developed between the cousins. Kathleen left and eventually fled to Harbin, Manchuria in China where she settled in the company of many other Russians.

THE WILL

In 1937 Lady Kathleen Ffrench made a Will. She left nothing to Rosamond. She willed the Monivea estate to the new Irish State to be set up as a home for persons engaged in the Arts – music, painting or literature. Not “a stick nor stone” was to be removed from the house. The State refused the gift.

Excerpt from Lady Kathleen Ffrench’s Will:

“I give devise and bequeath to the Irish Nation the demesne of Monivea with the Castle, including Kilbeg and Currendoo, the bogs, reclaimed lands and plantations, on condition that no parcel of these remains of my former estate shall ever be sold or the old trees cut down unless they fall to pieces”

Lady Kathleen’s death:

Kathleen died on 1st January, 1938 and had requested that her remains be brought to Monivea to lie beside her father Robert. Rosamond was now in poor circumstances at the Castle which had fallen into a bad state of repair with no funds for remedial works.

Kathleen’s coffin arrived to the Mausoleum from China in November, 1938 (4,000 miles of a journey) and Kathleen was laid beside her father in the crypt.

Lady Rosamond Ffrench’s death:

Rosamond died on 16th October, 1939 and requested that she be buried outside the Mausoleum. The Monivea estate had now passed to the “next of kin” who was Nina, (her sister in England) when the Irish State refused the gift. However, Nina had also died having willed her estate to her Chauffeur – Henry Stainer! Rosamond had willed her own possessions to an English friend Lady Cecily Goodwin Austen.

Monivea Castle now belonged to an Englishwoman and a Chauffeur! They both decided to sell the Estate to the Irish State for a small sum of money. There was no consideration given to the Will or to the preservation of the historic house. It was a different time in our history.

LAND DIVISION AND DISTRUCTION

The Land Commission set about dividing the land into holdings. The Auction of four days disposed of the furniture and paintings and valuables. The house was torn down and used to build local roads. A few local people witnessed books being dumped in drains and rescued them. Luckily a few survive to this day.

After over 300 years, this was the end of the Ffrench family at Monivea.

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