Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-04
OLD KILLEEN CASTLE.
Mr.. THOMAS NevINs MAY HAVE IT If
HE WANTS tr.
Of FinEaIi IL Unwilling to
Part with 1t.
New York SUM-

When a child, Thomas Neyins, OF
Orange. N. j.. played In the shadow OF
Killecn Castle. County Meath. Ireland,
and as a boy he followed the hounds in
the hunts which have made the killeen
| coverts famous. when he was 20 years
| OF age, a more serious problem than fox
hunting had to be faced. So, 90 years
ago. he came to America 70 seek his
fortune. The old Earl OK F'ingall was
then alive and the present Earl unborn.
Mr.. Nevins became contractor, and
| finally street-car capitalist. Recently
he purchased thirty miles OF horse-car
lines In Detroit. He has never forgotten
his boyhood homo and the once awe
Inspiring Killeen Castle. with the guests
who rode 10 the hounds. AS his fortunes
advanced, those Of the Earl OF EinEalls
family refrigerated. until finally tho es-
tate containing the castle Of killeen was
50 deeply mortgagsd that the Land Court
OF Ireland put II on the market. Then IL
was that Mr.. Nevins found opportunity
10 satisfy an ambition OF his boyhood
days. lie ~ now its sole proprietor.
Whether he will ever take possession OF
the castle or not. the Earl Is beholden to
him for the rescue OF his estates.
Recently Mr.. Nevins visited kilieen Cas-
tie. where he met Lady Fingall. The Earl
was in Australia seeking to retrieve his
lost fortune. Lady tingall was ready TO
surrender the castle. but the friends of
the Earl wished to keep 1t for him. Slr.
NevIns had taken II out OF tho courts.
IL the Earl Of Fingal wishes TO retain
Castle Killcen Nr. Nevins will interpose
no objection; Il not. he will take possess
sion. Tho Earl Is on the way from Au-
stralia 10 Ireland. and an answer Ia ex-
pected In the near future.
ANCIENT STRUCTURES.
The Earl OF Fingall's estate In County
Meath. comprises 1909 acres on which
are coverts, pastures. and farms. 1t Is
watered by the River Skeyne. a. famous
trout stream. and is near the banks OF
the Boyne. Dublin is only twenty-five
miles away. Drumree station, on the
Dublin and Meath Iailroad. Is near the
two lodges at the main entrance OF the
grounds Kiileen Castle covers two and
a half acres OF ground. 1t Is composed
OF the older part. which was built in the
year ISL by Hugh do Lacy, and the mod
ern wings. constructed In 1911 by James
Arthur. eighteenth Baron OF Killeen and
ninth Earl OF Flngall. King John visited
the castle in 1910. A tower still standing
Is known as King Johns tower. Part OF
the walls of the castle were blown up by
Oliver Cromwell. The buildings dominate
a wooded valley. KiIleen Abbey was built
In no. The building IS now rocfiess and
the walls covered With Ivy. In it there
yet remain many relic. Of tho crusades
and one monument. OF Dillon. Earl OF
Roscommon. n tbs now extinct. The
abbey and surrounding graveyard ara ex-
cuded from the gale. In the castle arc
SIX reception-rooms famous for their mar
4 III
OF the drawing-rooms are 10 by Is feet
The dining room Is OF the same size Ar
outer hall leads to an inner hail on the
left. which Is furnished IN the Gothic
style Of interior decorations. An oak
stairway leads 10 tho upper floors, where
there are twenty BEDROOMS. Offices
studies, smoking and the servants
quarters are on the first floor In front
OF the graceful porch Of tho castle IL a
large hornbeam tree. drsped in Ivy, that
overshadows a grotto. through which n
stream OF water ~ conducted through
stone conduits from n email lake. Th-
size Of the condults win be appreciated
when II IS mentioned that once a rcd
hart. pursued by hounds. passed through
the conduits. swan the lake. and emerged
on tho far side In full vlew Of the pack.
THE STABLE.
On the grounds is a large stable. in
which the old Earl once kept thirty
hunters.
Castles Killyn and Dousane wers onca
thu most important in the Pale" An
old record reads: They're be two lordes
of Plunketts, one of Kllyn and tho other
OF Dousane. and tie doth so happen that
hee who shalle passe safely by killyn
shalle be robbed at Dousane, he VINO
shaIle passe safely by Dousane shalle be
robbed at killyn." A division of the
two estates was not made until the six
tenth century. when the two earls vera
married on the same day. At a given
signal the new Lady Killyn began TO
run toward Castle DOusane. and the
new Lady Dousane toward Killyn Castle.
Where the two met n boundary stone was
set up, and the nearing dates from
this race OF the brides.
Mr.. Nevns met with n pleasant recep-
ton at his old home near the castle. Some
OF the old men remembered him as a boy
The county families invited Mrs. Neyins
AMI Miss Nevins 10 visit them.
If tho Earl OF FinSall decides TO TO-
tain his estate. Mr.. Nevins Will purchase
the estate OF Mrs. Kirk In Wexford.
known as Rainsford Park. Il adjolns
Parnelrs estate in Wicklow. II IS so
acres in extent. and IS entirely surround
ed by n stone wall The house IS more
modern and more comfortable than Kill
leen Castle. but has none Of the historic
or romantic associations which surround
m. castle. This place Is fifty miles from
Dubiin