Markree Castle facts for kids
Markree Castle is a historic castle in Collooney, County Sligo, Ireland. It has been the home of the Cooper family for a long time. Part of the castle is surrounded by the River Unshin. Today, Markree Castle is a small hotel run by a family.
In the 1830s, the castle had an amazing observatory. It was home to the largest refracting telescope in the world! Later, in the 1840s, the asteroid 9 Metis was discovered there by the Cooper family's astronomers.
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Castle History
The 1600s
In 1663, a soldier named Cornet Edward Cooper received Markree Castle. He served under Oliver Cromwell, whose army had defeated the O'Brien Clan. Before this, Markree was a strong fort for the Irish McDonagh Clan. It guarded a crossing point over the River Unsin.
Edward Cooper married Marie Rua (also known as Red Mary), the widow of Conor O'Brien. They lived at Dromoland Castle with her two sons. One son inherited Dromoland, and the other received Markree. Charles Cooper, who was the last of the family to own Markree Castle, is a direct descendant of this son.
Times were often difficult. When King James tried to regain his throne, a Catholic army took over Markree Castle. The Cooper family had to leave. After the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, they came back. They lived there ever since, except for a short time during the Irish Civil War in the 1920s. During that war, the Irish Free State army occupied Markree.
The 1800s
In 1830, Colonel Edward Joshua Cooper set up the Markree Observatory on the castle grounds. For many years, Cooper's telescope was the biggest in the world.
The Royal Astronomical Society said in 1851 that "The Observatory of Mr Cooper of Markree Castle – undoubtedly the most richly furnished private observatory known – is worked with great activity by Mr Cooper himself and by his very able assistant, Mr Andrew Graham."
The observatory continued to be active until Edward Henry Cooper passed away in 1902.
Some people believe that Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander wrote her famous hymn, All Things Bright and Beautiful, while visiting the castle in 1848. The castle you see today was built in 1802. The outside was changed by architect Francis Johnston, and the inside was updated in 1896.
Record-Breaking Weather
Ireland's coldest official air temperature was recorded at Markree Castle. On January 16, 1881, it was −19.1 °C (−2.4 °F).
The 1900s
The soldier and politician Bryan Cooper inherited the castle in 1902 after his father died. He lived there with his family from 1903 until his death in 1930. He was away during World War I and when he was working in politics.
After the Second World War, the castle faced hard times. It was empty and falling apart for many years. In 1988, it even appeared on the cover of a book called The Vanishing Country Houses of Ireland. This showed how many great Irish houses were decaying. Then, in 1989, Charles Cooper turned his family castle into a hotel.
The castle's restoration was shown in a TV show. The new hotel and restaurant became popular.
Markree Castle Today
For a long time, Markree Castle was a hotel run by Charles and Mary Cooper. They were the 10th generation of the family to live there. In 2015, after four centuries, the castle changed hands. It is now run by the Corscadden family. They also own other castle hotels in Ireland, like Cabra Castle Hotel and Bellingham Castle.
The castle's 300-acre (1.2 km2) estate is home to lots of wildlife. You can find red squirrels, otters, and kingfishers there.
Inside the castle, there is a grand staircase at the entrance. This leads to a beautiful hall. From there, another carved wooden staircase goes up to the 30 guest rooms. On the landing, a huge stained glass window shows the Cooper family tree. It goes all the way back to the time of King John. The dining room has fancy plasterwork in the Louis Philippe style.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Markree para niños
