A Hidden Abandoned Castle in Ireland
The abandoned Dromore Castle is located on the banks of Kenmare Bay in County Kerry, one of the most evocative regions of the Emerald Isle.
The architectural design of this once-magnificent manor house is neo-Gothic/Revival Gothic. Most of its classic features are still intact such as lancets, turrets, spiral staircases, carriage arches, oriel windows, and of course, the famous round tower which is a replica of the Rock of Cashel.
Dromore Castle and Estate dates back to the 19th century when it was built for Rev. Denis Mahony and his family, in 1839, by the famous Victorian architect, Thomas Deane.
The Mahonys were, in early times, powerful chieftains and landowners in the province of Munster, and had extensive estates along the sea-coast of counties Cork and Kerry.
Rev. Denis Mahony was a Church of Ireland minister who was also known for setting up a soup kitchen during the Irish Famine and providing free education and clothing to local children as long as they converted to the Protestant faith.
However, his proselytizing activities did not make him a popular figure in the locality, and in 1850 he was attacked in his church at Templenoe.
Richard died in an accident at Killarney Railway Station and the entire region was devastated according to local reports. An obituary in the national newspaper the funeral was without exception, the the largest that has been ever seen in the county and that “it was touching to the see the universal regret for so great a Kerryman who loved the people and his native lands”.
When Richard died, the castle then passed in turn to his son, Harold Segerson Mahony. Harold was an extremely successful tennis player and was the last Irish winner at Wimbledon. His tennis court can still be found in the gardens at the Castle, however, it’s overgrown and hard to spot!
It was in the late 1800s, during Harold’s time as head of the household, that Harold Boulton, best known for writing the lyrics of the Skye Boat Song, came to visit Dromore, and it is then that he is thought to have written the words to the popular song “The Castle of Dromore,” published in 1892.
The Lyrics to “The Castle of Dromore,”
The October winds lament around the castle of Dromore
Yet peace lies in her lofty halls, my loving treasure store
Though autumn leaves may droop and die, the bud of spring are you
Sing hushabye loo, low loo, low lie. Hushabye loo, low loo
Dread spirits over the of black water, Clan Owen’s wild banshee
Bring no ill wind to him nor us, my helpless babe and me
And Holy Mary pitying us to Heaven for grace doth sue
Sing hushabye loo, low loo, low lie. Hushabye loo, low loo
Take time to thrive, my ray of hope, in the gardens of Dromore
Take heed, young eaglet, till thy wings are feathered fit to soar
A little rest and then the world is full of work to do
A little rest and then the world is full of work to do
