New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-22
Romance OF the Lords Dunboyne.

Another vacancy has occurred in the
list OF twenty-eight representative peers
Of ireland I'm the House of Lords, who
are elected for life. by the death of Lord
Dunboyne, an eminent member Of the
English bar who is succeeded In his
Irish peerage by his eldest son. Captain
the Hon. Fitz Walter Butler, OF the royal
navy, thirty-nine years old and unmar-
rled. Being, like his father, Tory. he
is likely to be elected at an early date
as one Of Ireland's representatives In the
upper chamber of the imperial legislature
at Westminster. since the Irish peers en-
titled To vote at these elections are over
| whelmingly Unionist.
Lord Dunboyne is the twenty-sixth
baron OF his line since Sir Thomas But
Ter. or lie Bother, received his summons
rs a peer. in 1924, from King Edward III.
This peerage. which was forfeited for a
SHIRT time to the crown during the Wars
Of the Roses, was restored by an act or
Parliament at the beginning OF the reign
of Edward ". and Henry VIII further
confirmed the honors Of the tenth LORD
Dunbovne OF his day by granting him a
patent in which the descent OF the barony
was restricted to his heirs male only.
Lord Dunboyne's estates are situated IN
county Clare. and he makes his principal
! home at Knoppoguc Castle near the town
of Quin in that county.
There is an extraordinary romance In
connection with this Dunboyne peerage.
The twenty-frst holder thereof was the
Roman Catholic Bishop Of Cork. when the
barony suddenly devolved upon him
through the death Of nephew. wishing
IN nernetuate his branch of the family,
and IN prevent the honors and estates
from passing TO cousins with whom he
had always been on bad terms. ne apphen
10 Plus VI for a dispensatlon to retire
from the episcopacy and TO marry. Inc
replv which he received from the Natl-
can was couched In such severe terms OF
cansure that the hot tempered Irish prel-
ate publicly seeded from the Roman
Catholic Church. Joined the state Re-
formed Church OF Ireland and then mar
ried "A Protestant lady very much MS
unior. There was no issue of this union,
| = circumstance which exercised con-
siderable influence on the mind of the eX-
Bishop
Another thing which perturbed him
was the sudden death or his old famliy
coachman. He was being driven along
a lonely road. far away from any VII
lage. when the man was suddenly taken
very dangerously i'll. Realizing that the
man was at deaths door. the ex-bishop'
! forgetting his Professionalism, besought
his old servant to make his confession
| 60 that he might grant him absolution
The coachman stubbornly refused, on
| the ground that his master was an
anostate. Lord Dunboyne assured him
! that even an apostate in such time oil
dire necessity had full power given him
nv the Church to grant absolution. But
although this was an established doc
trine of the Catholic Church, the coach
man could not he got TO believe in It's
existence and died unshriven. declaring
that he would sooner trust to the mercy
of God than receive absolution at the
hands of a renegade.
The ex-bishop was horror stricken
and profoundly impressed. and the Incl
dent undoubtedly contributed to his rec
onciliation 10 the Church Of Rome
when he himself died very shortly az
terward. Just before his death. which
took place at Knoppogue Castle on May
7. 1900, he was received back into the
| Roman Catholic Church by the Rev. DR.
| Gahan.
MARQUIsE DE FONTENoY.