Markree Castle in Collooney, County Sligo, #Ireland, has deep connections to Maire Rua (Red Mary), our resident red-haired ghost from Lemenagh Castle in the Burren. Cornet Edward Cooper, a soldier under Cromwell, was gifted the land and original 14th Century castle after the defeat of the OBrien Clan in 1663. He married OBriens widow -- you guessed it -- our illustrious Red Mary! Some reports say Cooper died after she kicked him in the stomach for making a disparaging remark about her late husband and one true love, Conor OBrien. One of her sons inherited Dromoland Castle in Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare, and the other son inherited Markree Castle. It does not appear she lived at Markree for very long, if at all. She spent most of her later years at Dromoland, now a 5-star hotel that hosted world leaders including U.S. President George W. Bush for the G8 Summit in 2004. Todays photos show the approach to Markree Castle, the main tower, the main entrance and the main staircase inside.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 17:35:00 +0000