Patrick Comerford
During our visit to Croom, Co Limerick, earlier this week, two of us walked around the walls and ramparts of Croom Castle, standing above the bend on the River Maigue that gives Croom its name.
The castle was rebuilt by the FitzGeralds of Kildare on the site of an earlier O’Donovan fortress, and the history of Croom Castle has been inter-twined over the centuries with the history of Croom.
Croom Castle was once one of the principal residences of the Kildare branch of the FitzGerald dynasty. Their ancient rallying cry, ‘Crom a Boo,’ became the motto of the Earls of Kildare and the Dukes of Leinster.
Until the arrival of the Anglo-Normans, the territory around Croom was the domain of the ancient Uí Cairpre Áebda (Cairbre Eva), of whom the O’Donovans were the principal family. The Ui Chairpre were a member of the larger regional kingdom of the Uí Fidgenti, once squeezed between the rival Kingdom of Desmond to the south and Kingdom of Thomond to the north.
Uaithne mac Cathail), ancestor of the O’Donovans, is said to have lived in the Cromadgh or Croom area ca 960. The O’Donovans were associated with the Croom area in the 1130s, when they are mentioned in the Caithréim Chellacháin Chaisil.
Ruaidhri, son of Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair, made a great predatory attack from Thomond in 1151, when he burned Cromadh and carried away many cows.
Some O’Donovans remained in the Croom area after the arrival of the Anglo-Normans and, according to Samuel Lewis in 1837, Dermot O’Donovan built the first-known castle at Croom sometime during the reign of King John or shortly before.
According to Samuel Lewis, this early castle was built to secure the country that the O’Donovans had recently taken from the MacEnirys, their Ui Fidgheinte kinsmen.
It is believed that the tower castle was built in the early 13th century, following earlier attacks on the town.
During the reign of Elizabeth I, the FitzGeralds were besieged in Croom Castle on at least three occasions. The last of these sieges was in 1600, when Carew, the Lord President of Munster, led a force of 1,500 men in an attack on the castle. The castle garrison was commanded by Pierce Lacey,who made his escape at night under cover of darkness, and the castle surrendered the following morning.
The Countess of Kildare was living at Croom Castle in the winter of 1601 when the northern chief, Red Hugh O’Donnell, arrived in Croom with his men after their overnight march across the frozen Slieve Felim to link up with the Spaniards who had landed at Kinsale.
Croom Castle and manor were restored to the FitzGerald family by James I, but they forfeited Croom once again during the wars of 1641.
After the restoration, King Charles II granted Croom Castle in 1678 to his six-year-old illegitimate son, Charles Lennox (1672-1723), Duke of Richmond, who later lived in the castle for several years.
The castle was fortified against the Williamite force in 1691 by Jacobites who later took refuge in Limerick.
The Duke of Richmond sold Croom Caste to his agent, John Croker, in 1721. Later, a residence was built at Croom Castle with some of the stone and rubble from the old castle.
This attached two-storey house was built ca 1730, within the bawn of the mediaeval castle. It has rubble stone walls, square-headed windows with stone sills, and stone chimneystacks. The crenellations on the walls may date from the 19th century.
For over a century, the Croker family of Croom Castle provided the rectors and vicars in the parishes of Adare and Croom from the mid-18th until the second half of the 19th century: the Revd Richard Croker (1756-1823) was Rector and Vicar of Croom and Adare (1784-1823), the Revd Edward Croker (1787-1863) was Vicar of Croom (1823-1863) and Vicar of Adare (1824-1828), and the Revd Thomas Croker (1800-1872) was Vicar of Adare (1828-1872).
John Croker was the father of Captain Edward Croker married Lady Georgina Ellen Monck of Charleville House, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, one of the 11 daughters of Henry Stanley Monck (1785-1848), Earl of Rathdown, in 1841. His father was disappointed that Edward was not marrying an heiress who might shore up the family fortunes; her father questioned Edward’s motives in marrying his daughter and was concerned about his mounting debts.
Edward Croker’s debts mounted up between 1849 and 1859, reaching close to £70,000, while the Croom Castle estate was valued at £2,158. By then the Dickson family were living at Croom Castle as agents and tenants of the Croker family. But the sale of Croom Castle was complicated and led to a lengthy legal dispute.
Samuel Dickson of Limerick was the father of the Revd Richard Dickson (1776-1867), Rector of Kilkeedy (1799-1867); Stephen Dickson, a barrister, who died in 1839 and Major General William Dickson.
General Dickson married Harriet Dallas and they were the parents of two sons, Samuel Auchmuty Dickson (1817-1870), who lived at Croom Castle, Co Limerick and Major General William Thomas Dickson, 16th Lancers, and two daughters, Mary Eleanor who was disinherited when she became a Roman Catholic nun, and Fanny Charlotte, who married Mortimer Sackville-West (1820-1888), 1st Baron Sackville, in 1847. Her nephew was the father of the English novelist, poet, journalist, letter writer and diarist Vita Sackville-West (1892-1962).
Samuel Auchmuty Dickson of Croom Castle was born in Madras, India, in 1817. After failed attempts to be elected in Co Limerick (1850), Reading (1852) and Kingston upon Hull (1854), he was elected Conservative MP for Limerick (1859-1865). He died in 1870;at the time, his brother, General William Dickson, owned 8,559 acres in Co Limerick and 513 acres in Co Tipperary.
Meanwhile, Croom Castle and its demesne were advertised for sale in February 1864. The Croker estate at Croom, including 450-500 acres, was sold for £8,000 in 1872. The Croker Estates Act 1888 was designed to settle many outstanding issues dating back to Edward Croker’s marriage settlement in 1841.
Croom Castle was bought by the Lyons family, descended from Denis Lyons (1749-1809) who in 1779 married Christian daughter of Thomas Casey, MP. The Lyons family were the owners of the mills in Croom and also lived at Croom House.
Their successors, Henry Lyons of Croom House and John Edward Lyons owned 1,665 and 1,329 acres in Co Limerick in the 1870s, while William Henry Lyons of Cork and later of Croom Castle, owned 388 acres in Co Cork and 1,313 acres in Co Limerick.
Henry Lyons (1828-1885) of Croom House was High Sheriff of Co Limerick in 1860 and in 1873 married Olivia Montagu (1850-1928). She was a daughter of Lord Robert Montagu (1825-1902) and a granddaughter of George Montagu (1799-1855), 6th Duke of Manchester. Lord Robert Montagu was Conservative MP for Huntingdonshire (1859-1874) and for Westmeath (1874-1880).
The descendants of Henry Lyons were still living in Croom in the mid-20th century.
Today, Croom Castle is little more than a large, undistinguished ruin. Two walls of the tower remain standing, although both have collapsed to about half their original height, with the other two walls of the tower collapsed into a very large pile of rocks and bricks.
The house at Croom Caste is of architectural importance as it remains relatively intact. It retains its archaeological significance as it was built within the bawn of the mediaeval castle. It was bought by Michael Corry in 1936, and more recently offered self-catering accommodation.
4 comments:
A very interesting article. Croom Castle (and the adjacent Croom Castle House) were bought by the Lyons family in 1872. However this family were not related to the Lyons family of Croom House. The Croom Castle Lyons family had moved from the city of Cork where the head of the family, Sir William Lyons, was a successful butter merchant and former Lord Mayor. Sir William was my ggggrandfather.
I am interested in getting more information about William Henry Lyons who owned Croom Castle. I have a book that was passed down to me with an inscription inside it from William Henry Lyons of Croom Castle dated 1892. He gifted the book to my great grandmother. It's unclear to me how they would have interacted. Any information or suggestions on how I can find out more about him would be much appreciated.
Thank you.
Have you seen the comment below this one? "I am interested in getting more information about William Henry Lyons who owned Croom Castle. I have a book that was passed down to me with an inscription inside it from William Henry Lyons of Croom Castle dated 1892. He gifted the book to my great grandmother. It's unclear to me how they would have interacted. Any information or suggestions on how I can find out more about him would be much appreciated."
I am descended from the same man on my mothers side of the family Her name was Ruby Strath her mother’ maiden name was Catherine Lyons and granddaughter of Sir William Lyons
jimadolan@gmail.com
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