Castleblayney - History

History

The town of Castleblayney originated in the aftermath of the Tudor conquest of Gaelic Ulster, following the Nine Years' War, 1583-1601. Forfeited secular lands in the area previously owned by the MacMahon chieftains were granted by the Crown in 1611 to Sir Edward Blayney from Montgomeryshire in Wales, who became Baron of Monaghan and later, the first Lord Blayney. He had been in the service of Queen Elizabeth I. Appropriated church land (or 'termon') of Muckno Friary (Augustinians|Augustinian) on the northeastern side of the lake in the Churchill area (Mullandoy) had already been granted to him in 1606/7.

Muckno is also the name given to the Roman Catholic parish (St. Mary's, Castleblayney and St Patrick's, Oram, just three miles north east of the town) and Church of Ireland parish (St Maeldoid's), of the diocese of Clogher. These cover most of the areas around the lough and town.

Strategically placed at junctions of many routes from all directions, the nucleus of the town developed around the site of the original Blayney Castle, above the western shore overlooking the lough. The old redundant monastic and parish church site fell into disrepair and largely disappeared, though it was used as a graveyard that has seen some recent restoration. During the first hundred years after the establishment of Castleblayney, the 'town' was little more than a vulnerable, besieged fortification due to the widespread instability, insurgency and wars throughout Britain and Ireland for much of the 17th century. Consequently, 'civility' on anyone's terms did not develop. The piecemeal settlement of English and even some French Huguenot incomers, all of the Protestant faith in contrast to the continuing Catholicism of most of the native population, was followed by a significant influx of largely Ulster-Scots settlers after 1690 when greater security prevailed. This led to the formation of Presbyterian 'meeting-houses' and congregations dissenting from the established state Church of Ireland just outside the original town (1717), originally at Drumillard and then relocating to 'McPhearson's Brae' (1784) past Lakeview as now, two seceding congregations at Frankford (1750) and Garmony's Grove (1818), and finally another mainstream church at Broomfield (1841) (now 'An Eaglais' Heritage Centre and restaurant); in addition, a commercial school and classical academy or grammar school run by a minister was set up supplementing local 'hedge schools'. By the 1830s, there were in the area 23 public, private, or parochial schools catering for all denominations.

Population displacement and settlement along with gradual urban and commercial development, the crossroads location, the anglicizing National Schools system, the Famine as well as the incorporation of the town into the rail network (1849), all helped hasten the decline of the vernacular Irish spoken in the area. However, in rural districts to the south and south-east of the town - particularly Lisdoonan and the barony of Farney as well as parts of neighbouring south Armagh, the language was quite widely spoken among country people and written by local scribes until the mid-19th century. Some naturally native speakers survived into the 20th century. Not completely died out is old Irish music and songs that have been recovered in recent times.

In 1762, a demonstration occurred in the town accompanied by a threatening military presence. This was connected with the 'Oakboys' movement that was active in the county. The protest was about compulsory work to repair public roads as well as private roads and avenues in gentry demesnes that was exacted from agricultural labourers for no wages.

The modern planned town, reminiscent of Plantation towns with its characteristic very wide main street, and with long, narrow individual gardens to the rear and out of sight, dates from ca. 1830. It was laid out under the direction of the 11th Lord Blayney, Andrew Thomas, who governed the Blayney estates from 1784 until his death in 1832. Educated in France and Germany, Andrew Blayney is famous for his distinguished military career, eventually becoming Colonel, having served the Crown in the West Indies, South America, southern Africa, the Napoleonic Wars as commander of the 89th Foot, popularly known as 'Blayney's Bloodhounds'. He was very active in the suppression of the revolt of the United Irishmen in 1798. Relatively enlightened, socially progressive, and professedly committed to the welfare and improvement of the people and county of Monaghan, he also provided for the erection in Castleblayney of the current church buildings of the Roman Catholic, Episcopalian and Presbyterian churches, being tolerant in religion if traditionalist in politics and strongly supportive of Empire and the Anglo-Irish ascendancy. He also had a Market House built, on to which the Courthouse was later superimposed in the quasi-centre of the town. It and the former Alms Houses (1876), which were interdenominationally managed, are the only civic buildings of any architectural merit in the town. As for older domestic dwellings, of fine design and quality (apart from modern PVC windows) is a row of formerly Muckno Estate workers' cottages in Church St, possibly of Continental style; some more substantial bourgeois houses in the 'Square' close to the Castle gates have Georgian echoes. The 'Courthouse' will soon undergo major refurbishment and restoration. There are around the town about 40 structures and buildings designated as being of 'regional or local importance'.

In the early 1840s, what is now St Mary's Hospital was erected as a Workhouse for the very poor. In the course of the year 1849 following the dire effects of the Famine, it catered for up to 2000 inmates in an extreme state of destitution and misery - its own graveyard is nearby. In later times, the Workhouse became a 'County Home' for the infirm.

In 1853, Cadwaller Blayney, the 12th Lord and sometime MP for Monaghan in the United Kingdom Parliament, sold the Castle and estate to Henry Thomas Hope from Deepdene in Surrey, a former MP at Westminster. Thereafter the Castle was renamed 'Hope Castle', as it still called. Hope gave the Georgian Castle with its splendid prospect a Victorian makeover that the present prettified building retains, externally at least. 'Castle' has always been a misnomer, since it was more of a 'Big House', mansion or manor house than a castle. After his death in 1862, Hope's wife, Anne, inherited the estate. Soon after 1887, the Castle and demesne fell to the next heir, a grandson of Hope: Henry Francis Hope Pelham-Clinton-Hope, otherwise known as 'Lord Francis Hope', famous for having sold the renowned family heirloom, the 'Hope Diamond'. After 1916, he no longer resided in the Castle nor in Ireland. On becoming the Duke of Newcastle in 1928, he later sold off both the Castle and the estate which became broken up and used in part for local political patronage. During the 'Emergency' (World War II), the old woods on the Black Island in Lough Muckno were comprehensively despoiled by the Irish Free State government, so that for several decades the Island was a wilderness and environmental eyesore. The woods were only reinstated in recent times as a valuable amenity.

In 1919-1921, during the Anglo-Irish military hostilities over independence, the Castle was used as a barracks by the British Army. Some time afterwards it functioned as a hospital, and from 1943 to 1974, it was occupied by Franciscan nuns who also managed an adjacent guest house. After some years of neglect, the Castle has been used for catering and hotel purposes set in what is now a Leisure Park with golf course, though the location and lough suffer from being in management and conservation limbo, despite its amenity status. The current Castleblayney Golf Club adopted the Blayney family coat of arms, with its three nags' heads. In October 2010, the Castle was burnt down in an arson attack.

Rail services at the town ceased on New Year's Day, 1960. Recent decades have seen some incomers from Eastern Europe and beyond settling permanently or temporarily arising out of European Union obligations. And with increasing all-Ireland harmony, there is increasing natural 'cross-border' mobility that is diminishing the old and sterile 'border town' atmosphere and mentality.