The sun., 1894-10-30
ANCIENT KILLEEN CASTLE.
MIR. THOMAS NEVINs MAY HhTE
1T If HE WANTS IT
ne win Not Take ~. However, n the Earl
OF Fingsu IL UnwiliinE TO Part with It
The Latter on NE WAY rrom Austrnlia.

Hs win Not Take ~, nowever, " the Earl
OF FIngsu is UnwiIiine TO Part with It
The Latter on His Way from Australia.
When a child. Thomas Nevlns Of Orange, n.
J., played In the shadows OF Killeen Castle,
county Meath, ireland. and ss aboY he followed
the hounds In the hunts which have made the
Kiileen coverts famous. When he was 90 years
OF age, q more serious problem than fox hunt
ing had to be faced. SO. 80 years ago he
came to America to seek his fortune. The
old Earl OF Fingall was then alive and the
present Earl unborn. Mr.. Nevins became
a contractor and finally a street-car cap
italist. Recently he purchased thirty miles OF
horse-car lines in Detroit. He has never forgot
ten his boyhood home and the once awe-inspir-
ing Kileen Castle. with the guests who rode TO
the hounds. AS his fortunes advanced, those of
the Earl OF Fingalrs family rctrograded, until
finally the estate containing the castle OF Kill
leen was deeply mortgaged that the Land
Court Of Ireland put 1t on the market Then II
was that Mr.. Nevins found opportunity TO
satisfy an ambition OF his boyhood days. He is
now It's 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 MIR. Nevins visited Killeen Castle,
where lac met Lady Fingal. The Earl was in
Australia seeking to retrieve his lost fortune.
Lady Fingall was ready TO surrender the castle,
but the friends OF the Earl wished to keep It for
him. Mr.. Nevins had taken II out Of the courts.
II the Earl OF Fingall wishes TO retain Castle
Killeen Mr.. Nevins will interpose no objection;
II not. he will take possession. The Earl is on
the way from Australia to ireland, and an an
swer Is expected in the near future.
The Earl Of Fingalls estate in county Meath.
comprises 200 acres on witch are coverts, pas
tures and farms II is watered by the River
Skeyne, famous trout stream, and IL near tho
banks OF the Boyne. Dublin is only twenty-five
miles away. Drumree station on the Dublin
and Meath Railroad is near the two lodges at
Castle covers two and half acres of ground. Il
Is composed OF the Older part, when was o%Htit %
Arthur. eighteenth Baron Of Killeen and ninth
Earl Of Fingall King John John, visited the
known rs King Johns tower. Part OF the
walls OF the castle were blown up by Oliver
valley Killeen Abbey was built In lao. The
| building is now rooicss and the walls covered
the crusades and one monument. OF Dillon, Earl
| OF Roscommon, u title now extinct. The abbey
Se sse In the css ne six
famous for their marble mantelpieces and
carved ceilings; Two Of the drawing rooms %, are
size. An outer hall leads To an inner hall on the
| left which is furnished in the Gothic style Of
interior decorations. An oak stairway leads to the
| upper floors where there are twenty bedrooms.
| Offices studies, smoking rooms, and the ser
| wants quarters are on the first floor. In front
| Of the graceful porch OF the castle Is a large
hornbeam tree, draped in Ivy, that overshadows
| a grotto through which q stream OF water is
| conducted through stone conduits from small
| lake. The size of the conduits will be nppre-
| ciated when II is mentioned that once red hart,
| pursued by hounds. passed through the con-
| duits swan tho lake, and emerged on the far
| side IN full view of the pack.
| On the grounds Is IA large stable. In which the
| old Earl once kept thirty hunters.
| Castles killyn and Dousane were once the
| most important in "the Pale" An old record
| reads: They're be two lordes of Plunketts, one
| of killyn and the other OF Dousane, and lite
| doth so happen that hee who shale passe safely
| by Killyn shnlle be robbed at Dousane. hee
| who shale passe safely by Dousane shalle be
| robbed at Killyn." A division OF the two estates
| was not made until the the sixteenth century,
| when the two earls were married on the same
| gan TO run toward Castle pousane, and the
| new Lady Dousane toward killyn Castle. Where
| the two met boundary stone was set up, ana the
| "mearing" dates from this race OF the brides.
| MIR. Nevins met with pleasant reception at
| his old home near the castle. some OF the old
| men remembered him a boy. The county
families invited Mrs. Nevins and Miss Nevins "a
| visit them. -
II the Earl OF Fingall decides TO retain his es.
| tate. Mr. Nevins will purchase the estate or Mrs
| Kirk in Wexford, known as Ransford Park. II
| acres in extent and is entirely surrounded by Q
stone wall. The house is more modern and
| more comfortable than Killeen Castle but has
| none of the historic or romantic associations
| which surround the castle. This place Is nifty
| miles from Dublin.