The History of Moydrum

Under the Cromwellian plantation the greatest beneficiary in South Westmeath was a soldier called William Handcock, given 7,026 acres in the land around what is now called Moydrum today. He died in 1705 leaving two sons to inherit his wealth and land.

Several generations later, another William Handcock, who was a MP in the English Parliament from 1800 to 1803 inherited the land. He violently opposed the Act of Union and spoke against it in his native Athlone. After refusing a monetary bribe, he eventually succumbed to the promise of a title and voted for the Union. His reward came in 1812 when he was created Baron and took the title Lord Castlemaine. He then built a new home to suit his status, Moydrum Castle, which was designed by famous architect Sir Richard Morrison and completed in 1814 in a sham Gothic style with theatrical turrets and battlements. Lord Castlemaine died in 1839.

The 3^rd Baron Castlemaine erected the eight foot high wall around the grounds which can be seen today.

With the new land acts, further generations of the Barons had to hand back more and more land, leaving just 550 acres by 1906.

On July 2^nd 1921, British military forces raided and burned the homes of three small farmers in Coosan in a search for arms. The reaction of the Irish republican forces was swift. A hastily summoned meeting of the local IRA decided that their actions could not go unpunished and that a similar attack be made on the home of a British sympathiser. The most obvious choice was Moydrum castle, the focus of British power for over 200 years.

So at 3.30am on July 3^rd 1921, a party of Irish republicans forced their way into the grounds and gave Lady Castlemaine and her 3 daughters 15 minutes to dress and leave the castle. Then the 106 year old mansion was set on fire and when morning dawned only the front façade remained.

Lord Castlemaine never returned to Moydrum.

He sold the land to the Irish Land Commission in 1924 and it was soon divided among the local people, to whom it had always rightly belonged.

Why We Wanted To Go There

We are U2 fans, and Moydrum Castle was used for the photo on the front of their 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire. (see left)

The albums name was a reference to the atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945. Its track listing is:

A Sort of Homecoming/ Pride/ Wire/ The Unforgettable Fire/ Promenade/ 4^th of July/ Bad/ Indian Summer Sky/ Elvis Presley and America/ MLK

Getting There

Travelling the N6 bypass around Athlone from the Dublin direction: take the first exit after the roundabout and head right.
From the Galway direction: after the Shannon Bridge, drive past junction 4 to athlone town centre and take the next junction, heading left.
The road marked with a sign to Mount Temple is on your right very shortly after turning off the N road. This junction is very easily missed!
Drive down the road for approx 2 and a half miles, passing factories on your left (incl. 'Tubs & Tiles' and 'Budweiser') and then a couple of radio masts to the right.
You'll be able to make out a forest to the right. There are two red brick houses on the right hand side just before the right turn, keep your eyes pealed but they are pretty noticeable.
Not far up the road take the next right turn. There are a number of houses around the junction, and none further down the road so you'll know if you missed it! At the hill ignore the vear to the right and continue down to the next corner: the castle is on your right, and a driveway into 'moydrum house' is at the corner with space to park your car!