From hosting kings to music icons, Slane Castle is no stranger to moving with the times – and with eco-farming and a world-class distillery added to the mix, its history is a backdrop to exciting innovations.
The ancient hill of Slane, steeped in myth, legend and history, overlooks the quintessential estate village of Slane, at the heart of the Boyne Valley. Slane Castle is the jewel in the triumvirate archaeological crown of Tara, Newgrange and Slane. Set on the grounds of a 1,500-acre estate, it presides over the natural amphitheatre that formed and continues to provide the backdrop to iconic live performances. Such a bold venture was born of Lord Henry Mount Charles, the 8th Marquess, and with the emerging new generation, Alex and Carina Conyngham; Earl and Countess of Mount Charles, even greater life and energy is being breathed into this remarkable castle and estate. Turning their gaze to its very fabric, they took their first steps as organic farmers in 2010 when they took over the Rock Farm on the estate.
Carina’s interest lies in permaculture and together she and Alex brought this approach of diversity, stability, and resilience to bear on Rock Farm. Carina, who had previously studied finance and languages, learnt from Patrick Whitefield, the pioneer of northern hemisphere permaculture, and then from organic vegetable gardener, Jim Cronin in Co Clare. To fully equip herself, Carina also studied hospitality, tourism and energy management, bringing both knowledge and boundless enthusiasm to bear on the estate and farm.
Carina and Alex are passionate about food and how it is produced and are great believers in grass roots action for climate change mitigation and environmental protection. Rock Farm Slane has been designed and is purposefully managed as a showcase for organic farming and ecotourism. On 90 acres, they rear Tamworth pigs, Dexter cattle, Bronze turkeys and hens for egg production as well as running a thriving market garden and agroforestry.
Muttonhead Butchery in Slane village makes sausages with the pig meat and they work closely with Eoin Bird of The Wooded Pig in nearby Tara to create charcuterie. The Conynghams also run an ecotourism business where guests can stay in zero-carbon glamping and eco buildings made with straw, clay and lime. Carina is a co-founder of Slane Food Circle, which offers people the opportunity to meet artisan producers, and to see how both ancient traditions and a deep connection with the Boyne Valley landscape influences the food they produce.
In 2008, seeing the potential in the barley the estate grew, Alex identified the opportunity to distil a premium whiskey, and he and his father founded the Slane Whiskey Distillery. The estate has always grown barley but now, instead of feeding it to cattle it uses it, and the limestone waters of the Boyne River to make whiskey: one of the few distilleries in the world with their own grain and water outside their door. Happily, the quality of the distillery was recognised by Kentucky’s Brown family, owners of the Brown-Forman brand who have been in the whiskey making business for 147 years.
An investment of €50 million has seen the beautiful, but faded outer courtyard of Slane Castle transformed into an impressive state-of-the-art distillery. They have managed to restore all the old character of the courtyard and stables, marrying it with new larch-clad buildings which hold enormous quantities of barrels for their triple cask whiskey (virgin oak, seasoned and sherry casks). The stalls in the old stables have been refurbished into a hugely atmospheric space for hosting tastings.
Lady Eileen Wren Mount Charles (née Newsam), Alex’s grandmother, an equestrian breeder who bred the 1985 Grand National winner Last Suspect and was a former joint-master of the Meath Hounds, is still involved in spirit: her tack room is preserved within the courtyard. The equestrian theme runs through the castle. The Conyngham Cup race, first run in 1854, is still run at Punchestown. Reference to it hangs pictorially on the walls throughout the castle, particularly in the Hunting Room bedroom, where the wallpaper is dedicated to it. Another is named the “Kings Room”, papered in Royal Blue with a gold motif. It is so called because of the liaison between Lady Elizabeth the Marchioness Conyngham (Alex’s fourth great-grandmother) and King George IV. Their affair was known to the Marquess, and Lady Elizabeth’s room adjoined that of the King.
The devastating fire that ripped through the castle in 1991 gutted rooms and took with it original features, art and furniture. It took ten years to restore the building. The original colours have returned to the walls and family paintings and photographs, many of which were saved by Lord Henry on the night of the fire, grace the rooms again, a little less abundantly than before. The original alcove which held a harpsichord for playing after dinner in the drawing room was recreated, overlooking the lawns of the castle that run down to the Boyne River and Rock Farm beyond.
In the new business model for the castle there will be a move away from historical tours, to exclusive venue hire. Following the success of the Allta Summer House pop-up last year, there will be a focus on exclusive dining events with top Irish chefs, including Wolfe, Alex’s brother, who is a private dining chef in London, formally of Wolfe restaurant in Notting Hill. There were great flurries of excitement this year; Harry Styles lit up the stage with Bono’s son Elijah Hewson’s band, Inhaler, playing support to the massive crowd.
To maintain such a venerable and historic house in a modern age is no easy task. Its future depends upon the innovation and industry of its custodians. From concerts to farming, distilling to eco-camping, Alex and Carina take on the mantle with an ease that belies the sheer hard work and sense of duty required to carry Slane Castle through this century and into the next.
Words and photography: Cliodhna Prendegast
This feature originally appeared in the autumn/winter 2023 issue of IMAGE Interiors. Have you thought about becoming a subscriber? Find out more, and sign up here.
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