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LOUGH ESKE GRAVE ~ Henry George Wright
The high cross which marks the grave of Henry George Wright
The grave in the grounds of Lough Eske Castle Hotel is of one Henry George White (1835-1906) who had lived in the castle when it was a home. Apparently the site of the grave is near one of his favourite spots there on the shores of Lough Eske.
He purchased Lough Eske Castle in 1894 from Arthur Brooke and lived there until his sudden death which sadly occurred on the day of his only son's wedding.
His son, Henry Herbert Ronald White (1879-1939) married Florence Arnott (1879-1939) whose father, John Arnott, founded Arnotts Department Store, Dublin, in 1843 and who owned The Irish Times (newspaper) at the time.
The grave is marked by an orntate Celtic Cross which stands approximately 12-15' (3.6-4.5m) high.
He purchased Lough Eske Castle in 1894 from Arthur Brooke and lived there until his sudden death which sadly occurred on the day of his only son's wedding.
His son, Henry Herbert Ronald White (1879-1939) married Florence Arnott (1879-1939) whose father, John Arnott, founded Arnotts Department Store, Dublin, in 1843 and who owned The Irish Times (newspaper) at the time.
The grave is marked by an orntate Celtic Cross which stands approximately 12-15' (3.6-4.5m) high.
The image above was taken in 2006 just prior to the renovations that would restore the castle to become Solis Lough Eske Hotel and shows the building post the fire that almost destroyed it in 1939. It gives an idea of how it would have looked when Henry George Wright (and later his son) lived there. More pics of the old Lough Eske Castle from 2006.
From Buildings of Ireland:
“This very fine Celtic high cross monument is a sculptural/artistic work of very high quality with rich Celtic interlacing motifs throughout and with intricate carved figures to the principal face. It was erected c. 1906 to mark the final resting place of Major General Henry George White (1835 – 1906) who owned and lived at nearby Lough Eske Castle (see 40909401) from 1894 until his death. Major General White had a distinguished career in the British Army serving at the Crimean War (1854-56), in the Indian Mutiny (1858-59), in Cyprus (1878-79) and Bechanaland in South Africa in the 1880s. The use of a Celtic high cross is perhaps an unusual choice for a Major General in the British Army. The good-quality ashlar boundary wall and the delicate wrought-iron railings over add significantly to the setting and are works of some artistic merit in their own right. The gateway has two plaques, one of which displays a pelican (a symbol of mortality) and the inscription ‘Beware of Time’, and the other bears the inscription ‘Virtus Semper Vincit’ (Virtue Always Conquers), perhaps an appropriate epitaph for a retired army General.”
“This very fine Celtic high cross monument is a sculptural/artistic work of very high quality with rich Celtic interlacing motifs throughout and with intricate carved figures to the principal face. It was erected c. 1906 to mark the final resting place of Major General Henry George White (1835 – 1906) who owned and lived at nearby Lough Eske Castle (see 40909401) from 1894 until his death. Major General White had a distinguished career in the British Army serving at the Crimean War (1854-56), in the Indian Mutiny (1858-59), in Cyprus (1878-79) and Bechanaland in South Africa in the 1880s. The use of a Celtic high cross is perhaps an unusual choice for a Major General in the British Army. The good-quality ashlar boundary wall and the delicate wrought-iron railings over add significantly to the setting and are works of some artistic merit in their own right. The gateway has two plaques, one of which displays a pelican (a symbol of mortality) and the inscription ‘Beware of Time’, and the other bears the inscription ‘Virtus Semper Vincit’ (Virtue Always Conquers), perhaps an appropriate epitaph for a retired army General.”
- The cross and surrounds are made of marble and were made by Underwood, Baker Street, London.
Transporting all this marble to the site all the way from across the sea in London must have been quite a job - not to mention expensive.
The amount of marble used and the work that has gone into creating this high cross and surrounds together with the transport must have cost an eye-watering sum of money.
CARVINGS ON THE CROSS
Both sides of the cross have been carved:
