David La Touche

A number of places in Greystones
 
are called after the La Touche Family:
 
La Touche Park
 
La Touche Wines
 
The La Touche Hotel (now demolished and turned into apartments)
 
 
The  first of the La Touche Family arrived in Ireland in 1689.
 
His name was David La Touche.
 
He was French and a Huguenot.
 
Huguenots belonged to the  Protestant religion.
 
They were forced to leave France
 
after King Louis the Fourteenth began to persecute non-Catholics.
 
 
To avoid being arrested David ran away
 
and joined the army of William of Orange  the King of Holland.
 
David was only fourteen years old.
 
 
William of Orange ended up in Ireland fighting
 
James the Second of England
 
in the famous Battle of the Boyne.
 
 
David La Touche fought at that battle and his side,
 
the side of William of Orange won.
 
David stayed in Ireland and became a silk and poplin merchant.
 
(Poplin, like silk is a material).
 
 
Lots of his army friends needed someone to look after their money
 
so David La Touche set up a bank
 
and this became the first bank in Ireland.
 
 
You can read more about the history of the La Touche family
 
HERE on the La Touche Legacy website.

From the Archives: An Unwelcome Visitor – September 1649

Leap Year Times – Saturday, February 29th, 1992

by Jennifer Browett from Mrs. McGloin’s 4th Class at that time.

Oliver CromwellCreative Commons License Mike Steele via Compfight

Strange things have happened at Killincarrig Castle in recent days.

The village Castle has been plundered by an English General called Cromwell

who arrived here with a large army. Two arrests have been made since his departure.

 

Last week we heard that Cromwell was approaching on his march from Drogheda to Wexford.

Rumours reached us of dreadful happening in  Drogheda.

The confederate troops who were holding the castle ran away before he arrived and took refuge in Arklow.

 

The local people are not too impressed about this. However Cromwell’s horse was stolen by Luke O Toole’s son Christopher who had been staying at Kindlestown Castle. So Cromwell will have reason to remember his visit here.

After his departure leaving a large garrison at the castle, a man called John Bayley, a soldier, stationed at Killincarrig, was tried for desertion. He was only sentenced to run the gauntlet.

 

Yesterday I heard that Kathleen Farrell a local woman has been arrested. At a special court she has been convicted of spying and sentenced to death. She was taken away to Dublin and as of yet we don’t know of her fate. The villagers will never forget these past two weeks.

Killincarrig Castle

Killincarrig Castle was a manor house

built about 1620.

This manor seemed a popular place

for both soldiers and rebels to stay over the centuries.

 

During the Eleven Years War (1641-1653)

the castle became a stronghold

by the Catholic Confederates.

Cromwell

MacDara Conroy via Compfight

After that in 1649, legend has it that Oliver Cromwell

an English leader came to stay.

He was considered to be a hero in England,

but a villain in Ireland, responsible for

great loss of life in Ireland.

Kento Friesian Stallion Friese. via Compfight

The legend says that Cromwell

spent a night in Killincarrig Castle

and that he posted some troops there

while he went south in search of his horse

which had been stolen by the Irish rebels.

On the same trip, he ransacked Kindlestown.

 

The Battle - Battle of Wisby 1361 Lars Lundqvist via Compfight

Later in history, during the 1798 rebellion,

the Irish rebels hid there after to avoid getting caught!

Some of us have visited this ruin.

It is in a lady’s back garden and is a protected structure.

rust means peace brka via Compfight

Evidence of Killincarrig’s past has been found

such as old muskets, pistol balls, gunpowder measures

and other such equipment which were found in

and around the castle.

A019-00608 Andrew_Writer via Compfight

We think we are lucky to live in a place

that has such a rich and interesting history.

UPDATE:

Lots of great information about Killincarrig Castle

on Greystones Guide. Check out THIS link.

As always please supervise children online. 

The internet is a portal to the outside world.