Late Saturday afternoon I took Matt, Kristin and Maeve on a mystery trip to Breeogue Pottery down at Ransborough. http://www.calleryceramics.com/ There we had a foot and hand casting made for Maeve. She was nt too sure if she liked the feel of her warm foot on the cold clay!
Beeogue pottery is located in the grounds of Breeogue lodge under the shadow of Knocknarea on the Coolera pennisula. The story of the Walsh family who built the lodge is an interesting one complete with a widow's curse.
The Walsh Family of Breeogue were descended from the old Norman-Welsh family of Walsh of Carrick mines, Dublin. Edward Walsh moved to Sligo (died 1782) and worked as a steward on an estate at Beltra. He fell in love and eloped with the landowners daughter. They married and settled down on a holding at the foot of Knocknarea.. His son Matthew greatly extended the family holdings. It was during his lifetime that the Walsh family settled at Bree. Matthew built the lodge there at the end of the 18th century at a cost of 100 pounds. Matthew Walsh was the leading landholder in the Coolera peninsula. He died in 1802 and is buried in Sligo Abbey:
Beneath this Stone in Heaven Sleep
The Virtuous Matthew lies
Ye Friends of his forebear to weep
For a good man never dies
On Matthew's death, the lands passed to his eldest son Laurence Walsh who at the time was involved in Catholic Emancipation. In 1842, he was succeeded by his eldest son Matthew Walsh (1805 -1887) who was not a popular landlord in his lifetime. It is said that a widow put a curse on Matthew’s family when she was forced to part with a small tenant holding for a fraction of its value. Shorty after this sale, Matthew’s three sons died while in their prime within a year of each other, and the estate was divided between his three married daughters. Breeogue Lodge and the demesne lands passed to his daughter Mrs P White. The other three unmarried daughters entered religious life. The last Walsh of Breeogue, Mother Claire, died in 1936.
The Walsh Family of Breeogue were descended from the old Norman-Welsh family of Walsh of Carrick mines, Dublin. Edward Walsh moved to Sligo (died 1782) and worked as a steward on an estate at Beltra. He fell in love and eloped with the landowners daughter. They married and settled down on a holding at the foot of Knocknarea.. His son Matthew greatly extended the family holdings. It was during his lifetime that the Walsh family settled at Bree. Matthew built the lodge there at the end of the 18th century at a cost of 100 pounds. Matthew Walsh was the leading landholder in the Coolera peninsula. He died in 1802 and is buried in Sligo Abbey:
Beneath this Stone in Heaven Sleep
The Virtuous Matthew lies
Ye Friends of his forebear to weep
For a good man never dies
On Matthew's death, the lands passed to his eldest son Laurence Walsh who at the time was involved in Catholic Emancipation. In 1842, he was succeeded by his eldest son Matthew Walsh (1805 -1887) who was not a popular landlord in his lifetime. It is said that a widow put a curse on Matthew’s family when she was forced to part with a small tenant holding for a fraction of its value. Shorty after this sale, Matthew’s three sons died while in their prime within a year of each other, and the estate was divided between his three married daughters. Breeogue Lodge and the demesne lands passed to his daughter Mrs P White. The other three unmarried daughters entered religious life. The last Walsh of Breeogue, Mother Claire, died in 1936.
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