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June 2024 – Newsletter

NEWS 2023/2024 ENNISCOE HOUSE

The month of April 2023 brought an unexpected start to the season with the visit of President Joe Biden, his sister Valerie, and his son Hunter, first to the North Mayo Heritage Centre and then to the house. The visit to the Heritage Centre was on his official itinerary as he wished to talk to Brendan Walsh of the Family History Research Unit. The visit to the house was intended to be private to give him some “down time” before  going on to Ballina to give the final speech of his four day visit to Ireland. It was a privilege to meet him and to welcome him, and his family, to the house. The security in the days before his arrival was unreal, and the number of people involved in the “private” visit was surprising. However, he was charming to meet, and there are photographs to tell the story.

Later, in June 2023, we hosted the launch of the Irish Life and Lore collection of recent interviews with owners of historic houses titled “The Landed Gentry in Ireland, An Oral History Collection (www.irishlifeandlore.com ) Some forty people attended  the event, sponsored by Robert and Sheelagh Davies- Goff. The collection was launched by Donal Cahill, executive director of the Irish Georgian Society. Maurice O’Keeffe, who carried out the interviews, then gave an interesting presentation.

2024 got off to a quiet start, with a very early Easter  and cold damp weather. And then in mid-May DJ had a bad fall and broke his arm. It was a severe break and required surgery.  We are only now picking ourselves up, and he is on the mend.

 In the last week of May the  twinning between Yosemite National Park, California, and Wild Nephin National  Park, County Mayo, took place, after several years of careful planning. The National Park and Wildlife Services held a dinner in Enniscoe House to mark the occasion. The American Ambassador, Claire Cronin and the Minister of State for Heritage Malcom Noonan were in attendance during the day.

We wish Denis Strong and all his staff great success with this new venture.

Meantime, Nation Parks and Wildlife Service continue to work in partnership with us. The Irish Moiled cattle and the Connemara ponies  are well settled in the fields around the house. The grassland is being managed as old fashioned meadows and will not be mowed until August. 

 The ornamental garden was restored some years ago under the Great Gardens of Ireland Restoration Programme.  Later  we received a welcome grant from Failte Ireland to repair the great wall and alcove and to add to the collection of miniature conifers in the rockery. The architect Jeremy Williams designed trellised arches each side of the alcove, one of his last projects before he died.

 While the garden was somewhat neglected during the Covid period work is on-going under head gardener Bobby Collins to bring it under control again. The garden does not look like a “public park”, meaning it is not totally weed free and tidy, but  we continue to add, and propagate, interesting plants. This spring new plantings of tulips and irises looked particularly well, and now the pure white flowers of the Viburnum plicatum are on show.

Under the supervision of Aine Bell work in the organic vegetable garden continues to go well, and the poly tunnels continue to be put to good use. One tunnel is set up as a teaching area with good access for wheelchair users. And the supply of fruits and vegetables to the house is very welcome. During the week there is a stall selling fruit and vegetables  at the garden gate.

Extra trails were recently added to the looped walk around the estate. These go along the lake shore and along a woodland stream. There is a new route map in the Heritage Centre car park and signs along the way. This is a pleasant and easy walk and you may wish to end your walk with a visit to the coffee shop in the Heritage Centre.

We look forward to seeing old friends and new this summer.

Susan, DJ and Colette, Fearne and Hilary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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