Moore Hall, County Mayo
Encyclopedia
Moore Hall, or Moorehall, the house and estate of George Henry Moore
and family, is situated in the barony
of Carra
, County Mayo
in a karst
limestone landscape. The Moores were an aristocratic Irish family who built Moore Hall between 1792 and 1795. The first Moore of Moore Hall was George Moore, a name borne by many members of the family down the generations. The Moores were originally an English Protestant family but some became Catholic when John Moore married the Catholic Jane Lynch Athy of Galway, and when their son, George, married Katherine de Kilikelly (really Kelly), an Irish-Spanish Catholic, in 1765.
The ruins of the Moore family's large stately home, Moore Hall, lie on Muckloon Hill overlooking Lough Carra
. The house was designed by John Roberts, an architect from Waterford who also designed Tyrone House in Co. Galway, and Waterford Cathedral. Several members of the Moore family played major parts in the social, cultural and political history of Ireland from the end of the eighteenth century to the early twentieth century. The house was burned down in 1923 by anti-Treaty
irregular forces during the Irish Civil War
because Maurice Moore was viewed as pro-Treaty.
Moore Hall house was burned down on 1 February 1923 during the Irish Civil War
. An account of the burning was given shortly afterwards by the owner in a letter to the press.
upon the death of George Moore, and a campaign to restore the house has been waged.
A 37-minute documentary about Moore Hall, recorded in 2001, is available in three parts:
George Henry Moore
George Henry Moore was an Irish politician who served as Member of Parliament for Mayo in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. He was one of the founders of the Catholic Defence Association and a leader of the Independent Irish Party. He was also father of the writer George A. Moore and the...
and family, is situated in the barony
Barony (Ireland)
In Ireland, a barony is a historical subdivision of a county. They were created, like the counties, in the centuries after the Norman invasion, and were analogous to the hundreds into which the counties of England were divided. In early use they were also called cantreds...
of Carra
Carra, County Mayo
Carra is one of the nine baronies of County Mayo in Ireland, located in the mid-south area of the county. It is sometimes known as Burriscarra and on the map of Mayo baronies below it is the portion shown in grey in the south of the county....
, County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
in a karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
limestone landscape. The Moores were an aristocratic Irish family who built Moore Hall between 1792 and 1795. The first Moore of Moore Hall was George Moore, a name borne by many members of the family down the generations. The Moores were originally an English Protestant family but some became Catholic when John Moore married the Catholic Jane Lynch Athy of Galway, and when their son, George, married Katherine de Kilikelly (really Kelly), an Irish-Spanish Catholic, in 1765.
The ruins of the Moore family's large stately home, Moore Hall, lie on Muckloon Hill overlooking Lough Carra
Lough Carra
Lough Carra is a limestone lake of , located in the Barony of Carra, County Mayo, Ireland, approximate 8 miles south of Castlebar. It is approximately long and varies in width from to one mile . The average depth is , with a maximum of 60. Lough Carra was part of the estate of the well-known...
. The house was designed by John Roberts, an architect from Waterford who also designed Tyrone House in Co. Galway, and Waterford Cathedral. Several members of the Moore family played major parts in the social, cultural and political history of Ireland from the end of the eighteenth century to the early twentieth century. The house was burned down in 1923 by anti-Treaty
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
irregular forces during the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
because Maurice Moore was viewed as pro-Treaty.
The Moores of Moore Hall
Notable Moores include:- George Moore, who built the estate
- John Moore, first President of Connacht, 1798
- George Henry Moore, statesman and provider of famine relief
- George Augustus MooreGeorge Moore (novelist)George Augustus Moore was an Irish novelist, short-story writer, poet, art critic, memoirist and dramatist. Moore came from a Roman Catholic landed family who lived at Moore Hall in Carra, County Mayo. He originally wanted to be a painter, and studied art in Paris during the 1870s...
, writer, novelist, and co-founder of the Abbey TheatreAbbey TheatreThe Abbey Theatre , also known as the National Theatre of Ireland , is a theatre located in Dublin, Ireland. The Abbey first opened its doors to the public on 27 December 1904. Despite losing its original building to a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the present day... - Senator Colonel Maurice MooreMaurice George MooreMaurice George Moore was an Irish soldier, author and politician.Moore was the second of four sons born to George Henry Moore of Moore Hall, County Mayo, and Mary Blake of Ballinafad, County Galway. His elder brother was the writer, George A. Moore.Moore joined the British army in 1874 and saw...
, first Irish envoy to South Africa.
History
- George Moore (1727-1799), who built Moore Hall, originally came from Straide near CastlebarCastlebarCastlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
. During the time of the Penal Laws, George went to SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
where he was admitted to the Royal Court. From the 1760s until about 1790, George made his fortune in the wine and brandy trade, running his business from AlicanteAlicanteAlicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
. When the Penal Laws were relaxed at the end of the 18th century, he returned to County MayoCounty MayoCounty Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
with a fortune of £200,000 and in 1783, bought over 12000 acres (48.6 km²) of land at Muckloon, Ballycally and Killeen from Farragh Mc Donnell, and commissioned the building of the grand residence of Moore Hall.
- George's son, John Moore (1767 - 1799), was educated in France and became a lawyer. With the rebellion of 1798, he returned to Mayo. General Humbert appointed him President of the Connacht Republic in CastlebarCastlebarCastlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
. Thus, John Moore was the first President of an Irish republic, albeit for a very brief interval. He was captured by the English Lord Cornwallis, and although initially sentenced to death, his sentence was later commuted to deportation. He died in the Royal Oak tavern in WaterfordWaterfordWaterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
on 6 December, 1799. His body was exhumed from Ballygunnermore Cemetery in Waterford in 1962 and brought to Castlebar, where he was buried in the Mall with full military honours.
- George Henry MooreGeorge Henry MooreGeorge Henry Moore was an Irish politician who served as Member of Parliament for Mayo in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. He was one of the founders of the Catholic Defence Association and a leader of the Independent Irish Party. He was also father of the writer George A. Moore and the...
(1810 - 1870), was educated in the Catholic faith in England and later at Cambridge University. His main interest was in horses and horse-racing. His brother, Arthur Augustus, was killed after a fall from the horse Mickey Free during the 1845 Aintree Grand National. At the height of the Great Irish Famine in 1846, he entered a horse called Coranna for the Chester Gold Cup and netted £17,000 from bets laid on the horse. During the Famine he imported thousands of tons of grain to feed his tenants, and gave each of his Mayo tenants a cow from his winnings. It is still remembered on the Moore estate that nobody was evicted from their home for non-payment of rent during hard times, and that nobody died there during the Famine. George Henry is buried in the family vault at Kiltoom on the Moore Hall estate.
- George Augustus MooreGeorge Moore (novelist)George Augustus Moore was an Irish novelist, short-story writer, poet, art critic, memoirist and dramatist. Moore came from a Roman Catholic landed family who lived at Moore Hall in Carra, County Mayo. He originally wanted to be a painter, and studied art in Paris during the 1870s...
(1852 - 1933), was a distinguished writer of the Irish Literary Revival period. Many famous writers of the time, including Lady Gregory, Maria EdgeworthMaria EdgeworthMaria Edgeworth was a prolific Anglo-Irish writer of adults' and children's literature. She was one of the first realist writers in children's literature and was a significant figure in the evolution of the novel in Europe...
, George OsborneGeorge OsborneGeorge Gideon Oliver Osborne, MP is a British Conservative politician. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, a role to which he was appointed in May 2010, and has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.Osborne is part of the old Anglo-Irish aristocracy, known in...
, and W. B. Yeats were regular visitors to Moore Hall. George was an agnostic, and anti-Catholic. His ashes are buried on Castle Island on Lough CarraLough CarraLough Carra is a limestone lake of , located in the Barony of Carra, County Mayo, Ireland, approximate 8 miles south of Castlebar. It is approximately long and varies in width from to one mile . The average depth is , with a maximum of 60. Lough Carra was part of the estate of the well-known...
in view of the big house on the hill.
- Maurice George MooreMaurice George MooreMaurice George Moore was an Irish soldier, author and politician.Moore was the second of four sons born to George Henry Moore of Moore Hall, County Mayo, and Mary Blake of Ballinafad, County Galway. His elder brother was the writer, George A. Moore.Moore joined the British army in 1874 and saw...
(1854 - 1939), Senator Colonel Maurice Moore was the statesman of the family. He served with the Connaught Rangers in the Boer WarBoer WarThe Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
and became concerned with human rights in South Africa. He also worked to relieve Irish prisoners held in English jails, and for the retention of UCG when it came under threat. He was also involved with the co-operative movement in Ireland, founded by Horace Plunkett.
Moore Hall house was burned down on 1 February 1923 during the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
. An account of the burning was given shortly afterwards by the owner in a letter to the press.
Moore Hall today
The house, lake, farm, and estate is now owned by the forestry company, Coillte, and it is popular with visitors to the area. The house is not open to the public due to its poor condition — it has not been refurbished since it was burned. The estate is a haven of native forestry grown over the farm walls and buildings behind the ruins of the grand house. Local people who lived and worked on the Moore Hall estate remember it fondly. The estate passed to the Irish Land CommissionIrish Land Commission
The Irish Land Commission was created in 1881 as a rent fixing commission by the Land Law Act 1881, also known as the second Irish Land Act...
upon the death of George Moore, and a campaign to restore the house has been waged.
Pictures
External links
- Moore Hall website
- Moore family record at the Landed Estates Database, NUI Galway.
- Estate record at the Landed Estates Database, NUI Galway.
A 37-minute documentary about Moore Hall, recorded in 2001, is available in three parts: