The Plunkett family came into possession of Clonabreany during
the 14th century and continued to rule it through to the dramatic
Cromwellian settlement until it fell under the ownership of the
Wade family. Indeed, the Plunkett family remained at Clonabreany
and later inter-married with the Wade family. The Wade family
themselves were very prominent in the administration of the
county, holding the positions at various times of High Sheriff
and Master of the Rolls. Members of the Wade family were also
involved in leading academic and cultural institutions. The Wades
remained at Clonabreany until the start of the 20th century and
held approximately 5,000 acres in Meath throughout that time.
In the late 1700s and early 1800s the Norman castle and original
houses were demolished and Clonabreany House and demesne
were commissioned and constructed by the Wade family. The
house and courtyard were reputedly designed by the celebrated
Charles Robert Cockerell (1788-1863) although no conclusive
evidence of this can be found. The estate was split up after World
War 1 when the Wade family left it, and the old courtyard homes
were given to returning soldiers from the war. Afterwards the
Land Commission divided up the remainder of the propertyFor the remainder of the 20th century the property fell into
disrepair and eventual dereliction until part of the old servant›s
hall was purchased by the current owners in 1998. Over the
following 10 years and after a number of purchases they acquired
the remaining buildings that formed part of the original demesne.The opening of Clonabreany House in 2009 marked the
unveiling of a major restoration project of the 18th century
estate manager›s house and adjoining courtyard. The restoration
work, which took place over almost a decade, was carried out
by Principal Construction Services and conservation architects
Paul Arnold and Associates were brought on board to ensure that
the work carried out was in accordance with best conservation
practise. In 2008, Clonabreany Courtyard received an Ellison
Award from An Taisce, for excellence in conservation.The story that is told by those who knew the Wade’s house at
Clonabreany in the years soon after the First World War is that,
soon after the massacre at Drogheda on 11th and 12th September
1649, Cromwell surveyed the view from Crossakiel Hill
towards Clonabraney. Speaking to one of his officers who had
distinguished himself so shortly before, Cromwell offered him
1,000 acres of “that land”. But the officer said “I would not live in
an old swamp like that!”. Then he spoke to a drummer boy who
replied “I would be delighted to own a thousand of such land”
and Cromwell said “Young Wade! I will give you 2,000 acres.”
And so, not long after and for the next 250 years, the Wades
lived on the site previously occupied since 1190 by the Plunketts.
The story goes that having taken Drogheda, with Dundalk and
Trim also under his control, Cromwell decided to harry a little
of Meath and Westmeath. Lord Plunkett was watering his
horse at the ford at the same time that Cromwell arrived and,
seeing his reflection in the stream, Plunkett hurled his sword
at the conqueror – in vain! Captured and condemned to death,
Plunkett asked to die with his good sword in his hand against
any two of Cromwell’s officers. At this, he was pardoned. Could
this have been the source of the link between Henry Wade and
the Plunkett lands, and the basis for the selection of that estate
for Henry? The idea that Cromwell camped on Crossakiel Hill
probably resulted from that foray in 1649If Henry had truly been a Puritan drummer boy at the massacre
of Drogheda in 1649, we can assume he was born about 1634,
probably somewhere in England which fell under Cromwell’s
influence rather than the King’s. Perhaps his father, whomever
and whatever he might have been, was drafted into the
Cromwellian army so that it was natural for young Henry to
follow as soon as possible – drummer boys rarely being older
than their mid-teens. By 1669 therefore he would have been
around 35, a respectable, albeit young age, to become High
Sheriff. So from his position of High Sherriff we can assume
that Henry would have approved of the restraints on Catholic
freedoms which applied during Charles II reign. Were these
restraints considered by him to be the lesser evil compared to
his original Puritan attitudes? Or did he only serve Cromwell
grudgingly as a member of his army? Fifteen years after his year
as High Sheriff, on 3rd November 1684, Henry received a Patent
granting him Clonabraney and 1490 acres in County Meath.
This detail seems to be one of the limited number of points of
agreement between Burke’s Landed Gentry of Ireland and the
New York Librarian, Stuart C. Wade, who wrote the history of
several families of Wades and published them in 1900.Clonabreany House was set atop a gentle rise looking South.
On the front were four columns of corrugated blue stone with
the outer walls of granite. Up four large steps was a spacious
front patio leading to the front door of black ebony with two
wrought iron foot scrapers on either side.
Inside the entrance was a large, marbled-floor hallway with a crest
and the words Plunkett and Wade in mosaic. There was also a huge
stone fireplace. The house was four stories high with a basement,
so five stories in all. On the first floor, above the basement, was a
library, smoke room and a study together with a large reception
room later reduced in size to form the entrance to the new wing.
A very wide staircase led from the first to the second floor
comprising the drawing room, safe room and small servant’s
area with bathroom and cloakroom. The third and fourth floors
were comprised of the bedrooms, two bathrooms and the butlers
quarters, he being the only member of staff to live in the Big
House proper. The new wing included a large banquet-hall-cumballroom, a corridor with arches to the cloak and powder rooms
and others besides. Below was a basement with a large fruit store,
wine cellar and vat room. In the basement of the main house was
the large kitchen, a pantry, wash house, boots room and corridor,
off which were six staff bedrooms. There was also a fuel supply
chamber. The staff comprised the butler and eight servantsAt the rear to the house were five flights of stairs up to the roof
which provided a splendid view of the local foxhounds.
There were two entrances. The main one past the lodge which
is still there and the other connected to the main avenue and
farmyard. In the farmyard were twelve horse stables, a harness
room, coach sheds and cow houses together with a steward’s
house, other workers living quarters and even a forge at the
entrance through the archway. The farmyard had a steward, a
groom and ten farm-hands.
The house overlooked the pond, which was full of water lilies,
and two prominent, dropping ash trees. The extensive gardens,
as well as containing sufficient produce to supply the house all
year round and leave extra for export, also included well-kept
grounds with flowers, trees and shrubs of every kind and hue.
Much of the grounds were covered with rhododendrons of all
colours, surrounded by a huge wooded area.
It was a truly magnificent place.The presence of decorated megalithic stones in the nearby
graveyard indicate that Clonabreany, or Russagh as it was
also known, had been an exceptional place in the prehistoric
community of North West Meath. The site is part of the
region traversed by Slighe Assail, one the major route ways of
Ancient Ireland. The early Christian settlement at Clonabreany
can be dated back to 500 AD. Clonabreany later played host
to Richard Detuit from the 11th century and later formed part
of the primary Anglo-Norman settlement of the area under
James Ormond in the 15th century.
Although Clonabreany was almost forgotten for the last
century, it now has the opportunity to return in some way to its
former prominence when it stood in the centre of what was the
fifth province of Ireland, the ancient province of Meath where
tribes came from all over Ireland to celebrate their cultural,
ritual and spiritual beliefs.