This was one of the draft covers for the Kilkea book.
For the full contents, see here.
This book has been a deep dive into the history of Kilkea and of the FitzGerald family, as well as many other remarkable people and families associated with the castle. In the historical process, consultation is key. As such, I have been blessed by a magnificent cast of kind and supportive hands to help me shape, enhance, verify and enrich the stories told in these pages.
My sincere thanks to Jay and Christy Cashman, for their fabulous zeal to have this history told.
To the the Duke and Duchess of Leinster, Rosemary FitzGerald, Edward FitzGerald and Hermione FitzGerald.
To the incredibly patient and talented John Power, the designer of these pages, and Yvonne Gordon, our ever-capable editor and proofreader.
To Maria O’Brien, Louise Piantedosi and Michael Brabazon for additional proofreading.
To Elaine Barker for her magnificent photography.
To Ally Bunbury for coordinating the project.
To Colette Jordan for providing such a useful collection of source material.
To the team at Kilkea Castle for providing many of the vital details, not least Aidan O’Sullivan, Matt Kirwan and Síofra Ryan-Smith, whose splendid dissertation helped me get to grips with the facts.
To Sam Casey and Jane Ward for weighing in with invaluable assistance from Boston.
To Kevin Murphy, Local Studies Department, Kildare Library, for providing such a helpful list of portraits and potential other avenues to pursue.
To Ross King for introducing me to the Carnesecchi circle, and to Carolina Santarelli, Elaine Ruffalo and Bill Wallace for further clues on Mona Lisa and Michelangelo.
To William Cade for memories of his father – Vive la France!
To Sven Habermann for crucial details on the Rent Table.
To Dr Vincent P. Carey (State University of New York at Plattsburgh) for bringing the Wizard Earl to life, and to David and Pierce Synnott for his wonderful portrait.
To Jackie, Robin and Catherine Greene for verifying the Greene information, and to Sharon Greene for guiding me around the Lerr and correcting my early medieval blunders.
To Professor Marian Lyons (Maynooth University) for her guidance on Silken Thomas.
To Dr Richard Allen (Magdalen College, Oxford) for Emeline Longespée’s seal.
To Philip Doyle for access to St John’s Tower.
To Tom Sykes for PTS management, and to Réamonn Mc Donnell for patiently listening.
To Mary Heffernan, Sandra M Murphy, Myles Campbell, David Hartley, Dublin Castle, the Office of Public Works and the Castletown Foundation.
To Tracey Flinter (President’s Office, Maynooth) and the Rev. Dr John-Paul Sheridan of St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, for providing access to the 9th Earl of Kildare.
To Michael Billinge, Bonnie Shaljean and the team at WireStrungHarp for honing the data on the FitzGerald harp.
For help with the acquisition of images, I am indebted to Bella Bishop (Sotheby’s), Pia Barbero (Sotheby’s) and James O’Halloran (Adam’s).
And a special thank you to Adam Goodwin … hippity hip hooray!
Thanks also to:
- Bobby Ashe
- Alice Boyle
- Ciaran Brady
- Rosemary Butler
- William Cade
- Erica Cashman
- Jaclyn Cashman
- Ken Corcoran
- Mario Corrigan
- Alastair Bao Butler Crampton
- Edwin Davison (Davison & Associates)
- Greg Denieffe
- Derry Dillon
- Graeme Donald
- Megan Dooley
- Professor Terry Dooley (Maynooth University)
- Tommy Doyle
- Pádraig J. Dunne
- Rory Everard
- Will Fennell
- Mathew Forde
- Dr Niav Gallagher (Royal Irish Academy)
- Donna Goldstein
- Jen Goodwin
- Dr Lucy Gwynn
- Mary Teresa Hamill
- Alan Haslam (River Grise Fishing Club)
- Dr Cathy Hayes (Irish Manuscripts Commission
- Neil Jackman (Abarta Heritage)
- Arthur Johnson
- Morgan Kavanagh
- John Kelly
- John Kirwan
- Erica Longfellow (New College, Oxford)
- Conor Mallaghan
- Adrian Mooney
- Miriam Moore
- Rachel Moss
- Isabella Rose Nolan
- Diarmuid O’Connor
- John Onions
- David Patterson
- Elliott Patterson
- Michael Purcell
- Charlie Raben
- Seamus Raben
- Stanley Ridgeway
- Mary Rogers
- Rupert Rokeby-Johnson
- Daniel Byrne Rothwell
- Patrick Ryall
- Frank Taaffe
- Dr Christopher Skelton-Foord (New College, Oxford)
- Jessica Slingsby
- Thomas Sunderland
- Dr Andrew Tierney (Trinity College Dublin)
- Catherine Victory (Castletown House Guides)
- David Walsh
- Margaret Walsh (Shackleton Museum, Athy)
- Patrick Walsh (Castletown Foundation)
- Sue Walsh
- Bill Webster