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2020 Glen Keen - Experiencing The History Of One

7th,
October Of Ireland’s Largest Working Farms

Many landlords were absen-
| len Keen is one of Ireland’s tees and allowed middlemen to Sligo estate and was owned by chased the present Glen Keen of the Glen Keen Estate.
After her 3rd level studies
largest working farms (it’s
property through a land pur-
Sir Roger Palmer. Their family
EXAMINER Ginthetop20sizewithasize run their estates. There was an continued to do well and there chase agreement with the Land Catherine went to work in
London for Ryanair and Royal
over-dependence on the potato
Commission. Margaret had
over 1700 acres). It is set in a stun-
were two priests in the family,
received some assistance for the
Fr. William O’Malley who
ning location at the gateweay to
Brunei Airlines. She met Jim an
as a staple food and between
IRISH the Connemara region, nestled at 1816 and 1842 there were at went to the USA where he deposit from her Uncle’s Fr. American Pilot and moved to
least 14 partial or general fail-
became a Catholic Priest in the
William and Fr. John.
thefootoftheSheaffreyMountains
the USA after their engage-
Rocky Mountains and his
ures of the potato crop.
with the towering Mweelrea
ment. Catherine’s uncles asked
Hugh and Margaret togeth-
(Connaught’s tallest peak) as its In the late 1700s Philip brother Fr. John O’Malley who er with their young family them if they would consider
backdrop. Glen Keen is in an EU O’Malley, Catherine O’Grady’s stayed in Ireland. It was Fr. moved to the former Marquis returning back to Glen Keen
designated special area of conser- Great, Great, Great John who was the chief organ- of Sligo’s Farm Manager’s and taking over the running of
vation, the land still retains the Grandfather and others had izer of the struggle that bought House at Glen Keen in 1922. Glen Keen. There was little
ecology of the Ice Age! arrived in the Glen Keen area, Captain Boycott to his knees in Hugh passed away in 1948 and convincing for Catherine, she
having endured forced migra- Ireland, this event won a noted Margaret continued the Land always had a longing for home
By the early 1600s less than tion from north Connemara. victory for the Land League in Purchase payments and looked and Jim thought it would be a
5% of Irish people owned land Philip and Mary’s son Ireland and invented the word after the farm with the help of great idea to live in the west of
in Ireland, Britain owned 95% William (1826 – 1889), succeed- ‘Boycott’! There is a monu- her family, Catherine’s dad Ireland in such a pristine and
of all of the land in Ireland and ed as tenant on the holding but ment dedicated to the memory Peter and his brother’s and sis- beautiful setting. They both
controlled the country. The sadly the family and others of Fr. John, Catherine’s Great ters who emigrated to America worked fulltime while investing
land was divided into large were evicted in 1847. The evic- Gran Uncle, it is located in the and continuously sent funds in the upgrade of the farm and
estates owned by British tions took place on a market Neale near Ashford Castle, Co. home to support Glen Keen. developing more sustainable
Landlords who charged the day when the majority of the Mayo. There are a number of histori- and diverse routes for this
Irish Tenants rent for small males would be at the local In 1885 the Ashbourne Land cal documents and Land majestic place they call home,
pieces of property on the estate. market in Louisburgh, they Act prepared the way for tenant Purchase receipts on display at Glen Keen Estate.
In Petty’s map of 1683 returned to devastation at Glen proprietorship. The Wyndham the visitor center at Glen Keen. In addition to operating the
Glankenie becomes Glankeyne Keen, their homes (stone & Act of 1903 led to the abolition Margaret passed away in working sheep farm, in 2014
and prior to the Irish Famine thatch cabins) leveled. of landlordism and the tenant 1970 and her son’s continued to cooinciding with the launch of
the village of Glen Keen had a Luckily Catherine’s ances- farmers were becoming the run and operate the large estate the Wild Atlantic Way, Jim and
large population. The 1836 OSI tors had some coins buried in owners of their holdings. at Glen Keen. The farm was Catherine opened a purpose
Heritage map shows a number their garden which, gave them Hugh O’Grady and his wife stocked with mountain sheep, built state of the art Visitor
of cluster Tenant farm cabins at the means to move to another Margaret (nee Mc Namara), cattle, horses and poultry. Center where they welcome
Glen Keen. One of these clus- holding. who was grand-daughter of the It is Margaret’s grand-daugh- guests from all over the world
ters still remains to the present The family moved to Bouris evicted William O’Malley, a ter Catherine and her husband to enjoy Irish experiences from
day and is under a conservation which was not part of the Lord Tenant at Glen Keen, pur- Jim who are the current owners sheepdog herding demonstra-
project by the descendants of tions, cultural walking tours of
the Tenant Farmers. the bronze age sites and pre-
The Great Hunger of the famine cluster of homesteads
1840s devastated the region and and the aban-
by 1851 the Glen Keen popula- doned/unharvested Potato
tion had plummeted to 31 ridges from the 1800s, wool
males and 34 females. The spinning, Irish music and dance
property under the Glen Keen experiences, Irish Coffee, soda
Estate runs through the Doo bread and scone making and
Lough Valley where a monu- traditional turf cutting events.
ment was erected in honor of The events are fun and immer-
the Victims of the Great sive, transporting the guests
Hunger. A Cilin Burial site is back in time, providing a tactile
also located on the estate prop- connection, walking in our
erty, it’s most recent use was ancestor’s footsteps.
for the burial of unbaptized During the pandemic
infants, prior to that it was a Catherine and Jim adapted their
place of burial for the victims of experiences to online virtual
Famine. events direct from Glen Keen
Landownership in early 19th on the west Coast of Ireland.
century Ireland was the pre- They also broadcast a weekly
serve of a small minority; the ‘Discover Hidden Ireland’
overall population in 1804 was series on the Glen Keen Farm
slightly under 8 million of Facebook Page and on their
whom no more than 10,000 You Tube Channel and they
were land proprietors. share wonderful moments on
Confiscations through Instagram @glenkeenfarm.
Plantations and later under They will be launching a
Cromwell, Charles II, William new website very soon at
III and the Penal Laws had by www.glenkeenfarm.com!
the late 1770s resulted in When we can travel again, a
Protestants owning 95% of Cead Mile Failte awaits you at
Ireland’s total acreage. The Doo Lough Famine Memorial Glen Keen Farm. C