Category Archives: Lore and Legend

Dunhill Castle – a poem by Tom Power

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Dunhill Castle

by Tom Power, Kill, Co Waterford

Now empty and forlorn you watch the seasons come and go
But what care you for summer sun or a fall of winter snow;
The ivy now grows green around your ancient wall,
No music now or song from within your banquet hall,
No noise around you now but the lowing of the cattle.
But if I stand and listen I might hear the sound of battle.

Cromwell came and did lay siege – he attacked and attacked again,
But each attack was bravely met by your mistress and her men;
around your grounds and ramparts the sound of sword and gun.
After many days of battle they had Cromwell on the run.
But then disaster struck and all because of a drink,
no, not the alcoholic kind, but a keg of butter milk.

The chief gunner was dissatisfied, he expected a stronger brew,
So above your battered walls the surrender flag he flew,
Cromwell then gained entry; revenge was in his eyes,
He blew up the castle and your mistress bravely died;
From inside your broken walls smoke curled up to the sky,
No one loves a traitor so Cromwell hung the gunner high.

Now a ruin you gaze across that lonely Annestown bog,
where you watched them haul the turf in summers now long gone.
You tower above the winding road a reminder of the past,
below you now on that same road cars and tractors travel fast,
but you go back for centuries, perhaps you can recall,
when they were no road, but just a path through oak woods big and tall.

In this peaceful valley now the song birds sweetly sing,
The river Ann flows gently by the ruined castle of Dunhill;
And if you pass this way, going to Annestown or Tramore,
As you gaze up at castle you might see the Mistress De La Poer;
Is that her wandering there, where she fought and died so proud,
Or perhaps it’s just a trick of light, the shadow of a passing cloud.

* Tom Power published a book of poems in 2007, “Waterford In Pictures And Verse”, launched at the Arts Centre Dungarvan by Julian Walton. His novel, “The Mysterious John Grey” is available from orders@choicepublishing.ie.

Putting Dunhill on the map

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Jackie Kennedy in Dunhill

In 1967, Dunhill village was the focus of the international media when Jacqueline Kennedy came to see a play at the parish hall of Many Young Men of Twenty by John B. Keane, performed by the Dunhill Players and produced by Paddy Barron. Jackie had been widowed four years previously and was holidaying in Woodstown with her children. She declared the entertainment in Dunhill as “better than a night out in Broadway”.

What is less well known is that a few years earlier, Sir Alfred Dunhill, the founder of the luxury menswear brand, with shops in London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai, had been to Ireland to investigate his heritage. Unfortunately he had been told in Dublin that neither the family name nor the place name, “Dunhill” existed in Ireland. It was only when the former First Lady visited the village and Sir Alfred saw all the media coverage that he realised he’d been misinformed. As a result he decided to give his namesake’s village a visit including of course, Harney’s Pub, where he met the owner, Jim Harney.

A friendship was struck up between the two men and Sir Alfred visited again the following year, bringing with him cartons of Dunhill cigarettes as well as bottles of the branded whiskey. Jim also later visited the Dunhill shop in London where he met with Sir Alfred’s nephew. He was taken up to the store archives to be shown some letters sent from Dunhill NS to London a few years previously. A circle completed!

The Legend of the Gunner and the Buttermilk

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‘The Legend of the Gunner and the Buttermilk’ is a famous piece of local folklore that is associated with the seat of the Power Clan in Waterford, Ireland.  Nobody really knows the origins of the tale that follows but it is certainly very entertaining to think on it and the events that happened to bring the villain Oliver Cromwell another lot of illgotten loot.

The legend goes that as Cromwell was attacking the castle in 1649, having pillaged his way across the entire country en route to safe havens for the winter, he came across the stout Dunhill Castle, atop a bleak hillside in Co. Waterford.  It was then being defended by the lady of the house – Lady Power.  Her husband was absent, defending another local castle from the Cromwellian forces – that of nearby Kilmeaden.

Cromwell’s men, tired and battle weary, could not take the castle easily, owing to its position and defences.  During the siege, one of Lady Power’s gunners requested some refreshments for an attachment of his men defending the battlements.  Not wanting her men to consume alcohol at the time, or perhaps from being particularly frugal, she is said to have sent the men some buttermilk instead of the beer they would have normally been expecting.  The men were apparently insensed and the afrementioned gunner signalled to Cromwell’s men, and led them into the castle, taking it !

The gunner himself was promptly hanged as a traitor by Cromwell and hung from the castle walls … or so the legend goes !