Cabra Castle facts for kids
Cabra Castle is a famous place in County Cavan, Ireland. It's actually the name for two castles! One is now just ruins, but the other is a beautiful luxury hotel. Both are near a small village called Cabra, which is very close to Kingscourt. Kingscourt is also known by its Irish name, Dún a' Rí.
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The Current Cabra Castle
The castle you see today is located near the R179 road, often called the Carrickmacross Road. It was built around 1800 to 1810. Its design mixes two cool old styles: "neo-Norman-style" and "Gothick-style." The outside looks a bit like a Norman castle, while the inside has a "Gothick" feel.
From Cormey Castle to Cabra Castle
This castle was first called Cormey Castle. It was named after the local area where it was built. A powerful local family, the Fosters, built it. They were part of a group called the "Protestant Ascendancy," which meant they were very important and wealthy at the time. However, building such a grand house cost so much money that the Foster family ran out of funds.
In 1813, soon after Cormey Castle was finished, the Fosters had to sell it. They sold it to their neighbors, the Pratt family, who were even wealthier. The Pratts were another powerful family in the area.
The Pratt Family's New Home
The Pratt family already lived nearby in a place called Cabra House. They had owned the huge Cabra Estate since 1699. When Colonel Joseph Pratt bought Cormey Castle, he added it to his Cabra Estate. Cormey Castle then became the main home for the Pratt family in County Cavan. Around 1820, the Pratts decided to rename Cormey Castle to Cabra Castle. It has kept that name ever since.
The Original Cabra House
The old Cabra House, which was also sometimes called Cabra Castle, is now in ruins. You can still see its remains near the Wishing Well in Dún a' Rí Forest Park. This forest park used to be part of the Cabra Estate. Today, Coillte, the Irish Government's forestry company, owns the park.
Changing Hands: From Private Home to Hotel
Major Mervyn Pratt owned Cabra Castle and the Cabra Estate from 1927 until he passed away in 1950. He mostly lived at another family estate called Enniscoe, in County Mayo. After him, his nephew, Tan Sri Dr. Mubin Sheppard, became the owner. Mervyn Sheppard had worked for the British government in Malaya for many years. He was the last Pratt family member to own Cabra Castle.
Becoming a Hotel
Running a large castle and estate became very expensive. So, in 1964, Mervyn Sheppard sold Cabra Castle to a local Catholic family, the Brennans. The Brennan family decided to turn the castle into a hotel. It stayed a hotel until 1986.
Then, a businessman and politician named Mr. Mansour bought the castle. He was from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in the U.A.E.. Mr. Mansour closed the hotel because he wanted to turn Cabra Castle back into a private home. However, he never actually got around to restoring it.
A Luxury Hotel Today
In 1991, Mr. Mansour sold Cabra Castle to the Corscadden family. The Corscaddens own and run several hotels. They worked hard to restore the castle and reopened it as a luxury four-star hotel in the early 1990s. The Corscadden family still owns Cabra Castle, and it remains a beautiful luxury hotel today.
The castle is very close to the border of County Cavan with both County Monaghan and County Meath. About 100 acres of land, known as the demesne or park, surround Cabra Castle.
