Curraghchase is a forest park located in

County Limerick "Remember Limerick" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Republic of Ireland, Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Provinces of Ireland, Province , subd ...

. It is 20 km from the city of

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

, between the towns of Adare and

Askeaton Askeaton (, Waterfall of Géitine, also historically spelt Askettin), is a town in County Limerick, Ireland. The town on the N69, the road between Limerick and Tralee, is built on the banks of the River Deel some 3 km upstream from the ...

. The land was the Hunt/de Vere family estate for 300 years (1657–1957), including the period of the

de Vere baronets The Hunt, later de Vere Baronetcy, of Curragh in the County of Limerick, was a title in the Baronetage of Ireland. It was created on 4 December 1784 for Vere Hunt, who subsequently represented Askeaton in the Irish House of Commons. The second B ...

, also serving as the home of renowned poet and critic

Aubrey Thomas De Vere Aubrey Thomas de Vere (10 January 181420 January 1902) was an Irish poet and critic. Life Aubrey Thomas Hunt de Vere was born at Curraghchase House (now in ruins) at Curraghchase, Kilcornan, County Limerick, the third son of Sir Aubrey de Vere, ...

Archaeology

In the park area there are 8 classified sites; 1 cairn, 2 enclosures, 3

ringforts Ringforts, ring forts or ring fortresses are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Bronze Age up to about the year 1000. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in South Wales ...

, 1

standing stone A menhir (from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large human-made upright stone, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. They can be fou ...

and the 18th century house probably built on the site of Curragh Castle which is mentioned in Desmond Roll.

Environment

The park consists of mainly broadleaf and mixed woodland with some mature conifer stands, parkland with some of the area under water. The woods occur on low limestone ridges. Conservation of rare Yew (''

Taxus Baccata ''Taxus baccata'' is a species of evergreen tree in the family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the famil ...

'') core area has also been ongoing together with other conservation initiatives including the development of a new Summer Bat Roost area for the Lesser Horseshoe Bat. The

hawfinch The hawfinch (''Coccothraustes coccothraustes'') is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Coccothraustes''. Its closest living relatives are the Chinese grosbeak (''Eophona migratoria'' ...

, generally a very scarce bird in Ireland, is a regular winter visitor, forming flocks of between 15 and 30 birds, and the

brambling The brambling (''Fringilla montifringilla'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It has also been called the cock o' the north and the mountain finch. It is widespread and migratory, often seen in very large flocks. Ta ...

is also a frequent winter visitor.

History

Curragh House (Curraghchase explained below) was built in 1657 by Vere Hunt, an officer in

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

's army and a descendant of the

Earl of Oxford Earl of Oxford is a dormant title in the Peerage of England, first created for Aubrey de Vere by the Empress Matilda in 1141. His family was to hold the title for more than five and a half centuries, until the death of the 20th Earl in 1703. ...

, who traced their lineage to

Aubrey de Vere I Aubrey (Albericus) de Vere (died circa 1112-1113) was a tenant-in-chief in England of William the Conqueror in 1086, as well as a tenant of Geoffrey de Montbray, bishop of Coutances and of Count Alan, lord of Richmond. A much later source named ...

, a tenant-in-chief in England of

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, ...

in 1086. Hunt was granted the land, which consisted of originally owned by John Fitzgerald, as one of the Cromwellian plantations. The estate remained home of the Hunt/De Vere family for over 300 years. The existing house dates from the early nineteenth century, rebuilt by Sir Aubrey (Hunt) de Vere, 2nd Baronet. The estate was originally called Curragh (meaning 'marshy plain' in Irish). When the 2nd Baronet changed his surname by royal licence to de Vere in 1833 to reflect his de Veres of Oxford lineage, he also changed the name of the property from Curragh to Curraghchase. The 2nd Baronet was a noted poet, and his third son,

, is a renowned poet and critic. The younger Aubrey recalled that the lake at the bottom of the house was rich meadow when he was in his youth. A slender stream divided this meadow. Across the lake a monument to the de Vere family stands on a small hill. Near the house, there is a small cemetery to the de Vere's family pets.

Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

spent some time as a guest at Curraghchase and wrote the poem

Lady Clara Vere de Vere "Lady Clara Vere de Vere" is an English poem written by Alfred Tennyson, part of his collected ''Poems'' published in 1842. The poem is about a lady in a family of aristocrats, and includes numerous references to nobility, such as to earls or coa ...

to show his close friendship with the family. The house was accidentally destroyed by fire in December 1941. The grounds at Curraghchase were bought by the State in 1957 and the property is now used as commercial timber. Some of the state forest is used as a public amenity and includes tourist trails, camping and caravan park facilities, which make the area a popular tourist attraction.

Lady of the Lake legend

On the eastern side of the house is an artificial lake. Historic maps display a ''Lady's Island'' within this lake. During a visit,

told of seeing the mystic arm of the Lady of the Lake thrust above the waters. A century later during a Christmas party at the house, rose a cry of acute anguish and of such force that even above a storm occupants of the room heard it distinctly. Looking out to the lake they saw a figure of a woman, redly aglow as if sheathed and point with arm outstretched, toward Curragh Chase. It was this storm that caused a limb to crash through one of the windows, knocking over candelabra and creating a fire that destroyed the house. On every Christmas Eve thereafter, the burning figure of a woman was seen floating on the waters of the lake.

Other notable people born here

Henry Hunt (1707–1796), the first to hold the titles of state apothecary and governor of the Apothecaries Hall of Ireland (son of John "of Glangoole" Hunt and his second wife Margaret Bowles) Contra Burke's Landed Gentry, his wife was Elizabeth Kiernan married 1742 rather than Grace Forsyth in 1747. As state apothecary, he was succeeded by his son James, his nephew George Kiernan followed by Thomas Hunt. James and George also served terms as governor.

References

{{reflist

External links

Curraghchase Forest Park

Curraghchase Scout Centre

Curraghchase House & Woods

Geography of County Limerick Tourist attractions in County Limerick