Cabra Castle
- Star Rating 4
- Location Kingscourt, Co. Cavan
- Open All Year Round
Cabra Castle standing on 100 acres of gardens and parkland, with its own nine hole golf course boasts a proud history dating as far back as 1760. Its long history lends a mature, cultured air to the Castle which can be felt by one and all as they stroll along the Castle's magnificent hallways and stairwells. Follow in the footsteps of Oliver Cromwell and James II, and treat yourself to a stay in this magnificent Castle. Cabra is an ideal base from which to discover the mystery and the magic of County Cavan, the Lake Country - a county with an ancient and colourful heritage.
Rooms at Cabra
The hotel's guestrooms are a splendid collection of carefully designed, superbly fitted guestrooms with generous space and comfort to ensure you can enjoy a relaxing evening's rest. All 80 bedrooms are fitted out to the highest possible standards with every comfort and modern facilities. There are two types of rooms:
Standard rooms in the "Old House" or the newly added Courtyard Rooms which are located in what was formerly a 1750 granary & blacksmith.
All of the rooms at Cabra are furnished to the highest standard. With e-tv, luxurious bathrooms and tea-caddy, you can be sure your stay at Cabra Castle will be one to remember.
Dining at Cabra
At Cabra, we would like to make your meals memorable and endeavor to keep to our high standards in gastromony. We cater for all tastes and fancies. All of our food is either home grown or is 100% guaranteed Irish.
Our fully stocked wine cellar will compliment any meal. We also have a full breakfast menu.
Relax in the Derby Bar or unwind on the sun terrace where light snacks are served throughout the day. The Court Restaurant offers wonderful views over the countryside along with wonderful food. The bar and restaurant offer views over countryside famous for its lakes and fishing, as well as Dun a Ri Forest Park.
The History of Cabra Castle
The original Cabra Castle, the ruins of which still stand on high ground above the Wishing Well - not far from Cromwell's Bridge, was situated to the west of the Kingscourt - Carrickmacross Road.
The Castle and the land surrounding it is believed to have belonged to the O'Reilly Family until it was confiscated in the mid 17th century by Cromwell's orders and given to Colonel Thomas Cooch. Colonel T. Cooch was born in Donegal in 1632 and was the grandson of Sir Thomas Cooch K.C. Sir Thomas Cooch K.C. had migrated to Ireland very early in the 17th century and was given a grant of 1,000 acres in Donegal by James 1.
Colonel Thomas Cooch, first owner of Cabra Estate, married Elizabeth Mervyn, sister of Audley Mervyn (Speaker of the Irish House of Commons), and they had an only daughter and heiress, Elizabeth.
Colonel Thomas Cooch, first owner of Cabra Estate, married Elizabeth Mervyn, sister of Audley Mervyn (Speaker of the Irish House of Commons), and they had an only daughter and heiress, Elizabeth.This Elizabeth Cooch married firstly Nathaniel Pole, Sergeant of Arms of Ireland, of Geraldstown, Co. Meath, but he died in 1685 without any heirs.
Elizabeth then married Joseph Pratt, who lived not far off at Jaradice, Co. Meath, a property which he received when he migrated from Leicestershire to Ireland in 1641. This marriage (which was also Joseph Pratt's second) took place in 1686 and a son, Mervyn Pratt, was born in 1687.
At this time, Colonel T. Cooch was still the owner of Cabra but in 1695, he made a will leaving all his property to Mervyn Pratt, his grandson, and when Colonel T. Cooch died in 1699 the Cabra property came into the possession of the Pratt Family. Mervyn Pratt was then only twelve years old. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin and married Elizabeth Coote, daughter of Sir T. Coote, Judge, and lived at Cabra near the Wishing Well.
The castle had been destroyed during the Cromwellian War and the Pratt Family at that time is summarised in the following information.
The Pratt Family continued to reside near the Wishing Well and to occupy Cabra land, including the site of the present town of Kingscourt. There was an old village of Cabra near the site of Kingscourt, but in 1780 Mervyn Pratt ( Grandson of Captain Mervyn Pratt, and son of the Reverend Joseph Pratt, who succeeded Captain Marvyn Pratt as owner of Cabra) laid out a new town of Kingscourt - an Anglicisation of Dun A Ri. He leased town plots with one rood of garden adjoining each, for 999 years, for one guinea a year per acre.
This scheme was continued by Mervyn Pratt's brother - another Reverend Joseph and it was during his time that the Kingscourt Rectory was built in 1816 with a gift of £100 and the site, and a loan of £825 from the Braid of First Fruits.
During this period the land on the opposite side (East) of the Carrickmacross Rd (where the present Cabra Castle stands) was owned by the Foster Family - whose main seat was at Dunleer. This land which contained an old round tower castle, called Cormey Castle. The main building was in ruins - destroyed during the Cromwellian War, however it's adjacent courtyard remained in good repair. In 1795 this land and Castle belonged to John Tomas Foster but he died leaving two young sons, both minors (Augustus being the eldest), who went to live with their mother (the Dowager Duchess of (Devonshire) in England.
Mr Henry Foster, cousin of the late John Foster, was appointed their Trustee and Executor, and in 1808 he rebuilt Cormy Castle. In doing so he exhausted the personal estate of his ward Augustus, and incurred debts, which made it necessary for the Castle and land to be sold.
At that time (1810) Colonel Joseph Pratt was the owner of Cabra Estate. Born in 1755 - he was the son of Rev. Joseph Pratt the second - referred to previously. His aunt, Ann Pratt, sister of Rev. Joseph Pratt, had married another Foster, and had lived at Cormy at a slightly earlier period - therefore there was a also link between the Pratts and the Fosters.
It also seems possible that Colonel Pratt lent Mr. Henry Foster money prior to his insolvency. There was an enquiry and Mr. Henry Foster was declared insolvent, and the remains of the Estate were taken over by Mr. Augustus Foster, the rightful Heir.
Colonel Joseph Pratt bought Cormy Castle with about 400 acres of Cormy Land from Mr Augustus Foster in 1813, and moved from Cabra House near the Wishing Well) to Castle in that year. For a few years he continued to use the original name of Cormy Castle for his new home, but later - in about 1820 - Colonel Pratt renamed it Cabra Castle, and it has been known by this name ever since.
Colonel Joseph Pratt had married Jamina, daughter of Sir James Tynte, and had ten children. The eldest - Mervyn, born in 1807, married Madeleline Jackson, only daughter and heiress of Colonel Jackson of Enniscoe, Co. Mayo. They inherited this property when Colonel Pratt died. He succeeded his father, Col. Joseph Pratt, as owner of Cabra in 1863, but from this time onwards the interests of the Pratt Family were divided between Cabra in Co. Cavan, and Enniscoe in Co. Mayo. Mervyn Pratt died in 1890 and was succeeded on his death by his eldest son - Major Mervyn Pratt, in 1927.
Major Mervyn Pratt was badly wounded in the Boer War and never married. He lived permanently at Enniscoe, and left Cabra unoccupied. His younger brother, Colonel Audley Pratt, was killed in the First World war and also was unmarried.
Major Mervyn Pratt died at Enniscoe in December 1950, and left Cabra to his nearest male relative - Mervyn Sheppard, a Malayan Civil Servant. The burden of death duties, taxation, rates, cost of repairs to the Castle, and farm losses made it impossible for him to live there. In 1964, he reluctantly disposed of the property, 265 years after Cabra land first came into the family possession.
In 1964, a local family - the Brennan Family, bought Cabra Castle. They renovated the building and converted it into a 22 bedroom hotel.
It was in their ownership up until 1986, when it was then sold to a group of Arabs. They closed down the hotel, finished off prebooked functions, and then kept the building as a private house. Having closed the Castle, with view to retaining it as a private house, political and economic circumstances in the Middle East prevented the new Arab owners from further enjoyment and development of the property. It effectively lay idle until 1991, when it was purchased by its present owners, the Corscadden family who re-opened it as a hotel. Since then the property has been extensively refurbished and expanded from 24 bedrooms, to incorporate the former Courtyard area bringing the total number of bedrooms to 80.
The following lcoations are in close proximity to Cabra
County Cavan
The inland county of Cavan's name comes from the Irish word cabhán, meaning “a hollow”, which is appropriate, as it is set between highlands in the east and the Erne Valley and a mountainous region on the west. The county is said to have 365 lakes, one for each day of the year, the largest of which are Lough Oughter and Lough Sheelin. Cavan’s rivers, streams and tree-lined lakes also provide great opportunities for fishing, cruising and swimming. The source of the Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, is known as the “Shannon Pot” and is just a few miles north of Dowra, on the southwest side of Cuilcagh Mountains.The Boyne Valley (45 minutes)
The Boyne Valley, located on the east coast of Ireland in County Meath, contains the largest and most decorated megalithic sites in all of Ireland and has been described as "the largest and most important expression of prehistoric megalithic art in Europe". The large Megalithic sites were built over 5000 years ago between 3800 and 3200 BC, built before both Stonehenge in England and the great pyramids in Egypt. Within a three square mile radius in the Boyne Valley are grouped more than 30 prehistoric monuments including the great passage tombs and their satellite structures, standing stones, barrows and other enclosures. The great sites of the Boyne Valley include Newgrange, Knowth, Dowth, Loughcrew, Fourknocks and the Hill of Tara. Neolithic communities built these sites over earlier sacred spots and it is suspected that they were used for a combination of different purposes, including use as burial tombs, sacred temples and astronomical observatories. The nearby towns of Slane or Navan make ideal bases from which to explore the area.Dublin City (1.5 hours)
Dublin is a lively cosmopolitan city brimming with culture. You could spend your time strolling the streets soaking up the atmosphere, relaxing in its cafes and bars or you could check out its myriad historical, literary and cultural delights. The 8th century illuminated manuscript, the Book of Kells, must be viewed. It is on display at the impressive Trinity College, Ireland's first university (founded 1592) in the heart of Dublin. For the rest of your time, it is up to you how much you want to pack in. Phoenix Park, twice the size of New York City's Central Park, Georgian Dublin around Stephen's Green, the National Botanical Gardens, National Museum, Kilmainham Jail and the Hugh Lane Municipal Art Gallery are all highly recommended stops on your tour. Then there's the Guinness Storehouse and Jamieson Distillery. A visit to Dublin's Temple Bar to experience the lively Dublin pub culture is a must, though many of Dublin's best bars can be found outside this area in the streets and laneways around Grafton Street, the shopper's street of choice.Belfast City (1.5 hours)
Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, is on the River Langan in the southeastern corner of County Antrim, with a small portion of the city edging into Co. Down. About a third of the population of Northern Ireland - about half a million people - live here. It's setting is very attractive, nestling in a semicircle of hills, where the River Langan enters Belfast Lough. The city got it's name from Beile Feirst "the mouth of the sandy ford" - and was founded in 1177 when the Anglo-Normans built a castle here. It began to really expand in the 17th century with the development of the local linen and shipbuilding industries (the Titanic was built here). Sights to see in Belfast City, the Belfast City Hall, built of Portland stone in Classical Renaissance style, dominates the city center. The Linen Hall Library, founded in 1788 is an absolute delight, a cultural centre with exhibitions, a Theater & Performing Arts Archive and a Genealogy and Heraldry collection. Away from the city center you have the Ulster Museum in the Botanic Gardens, near Queens University which has miles of galleries and exhibitions. This lively and friendly city, with historic buildings standing side-by-side with modern creations is a delight not to be missed.Sligo (1.5 hours)
Sligo, which has a close association with the poet W.B. Yeats offers a fine museum and gallery, much of which is devoted to the great man. Close to Sligo you will find 5,000 year-old megalithic tombs left by the ancient Celtic people. Also worth a look are the ruins of the 19th century Sligo Abbey. One interesting possible diversion will take you to the town of Knock where in 1879 Mary, Joseph, and St. John miraculously appeared. The number of witnesses on that evening and the many subsequent healings that have taken place here leave little doubt in many people's mind that something incredible did in fact happen here. A 12,000 seat Basilica was built to accommodate the vast number of visitors each yearWe value your privacy! We will never share your details with anyone else.
