Killeavy Castle
The Castle started as an eighteenth century villa with two storeys over a basement, a three-bay front, and a central bowed projection to the rear. "It was remodelled in 1836 by architect, George Papworth who did little but dress it up for Powell Foxall" - from Kevin Mulligan's book entitled "Buildings of Ireland - South Ulster"
The Foxall coat of arms, crest and motto are displayed in Roman cement on the upper stage, these have been beautifully restored along with the rest of the castle. In 1881 the property was acquired by Joseph Bell and was then known as Bell's Castle.
The Foxall arms, crest and motto at Killeavy
Killeavy Castle, the display of the Foxhall coat of arms
https://www.killeavycastle.com/families-killeavy-castle.html
A blog of 'Lord Belmont' provides a history of both the Foxhall and Bell families.
http://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2014/10/killeavy-castle.html
In 1836, Powell Foxall JP (1800-75), a banker from Newry, commissioned the architect George Papworth to enlarge his modest farm house. The Foxall family are buried nearby in the family vault at St Luke's Church, Meigh.
The Inscription on the Foxhall family vault at Meigh
St Luke's Church, Meigh
In 1881 Joseph Bell (Clerk of the Newry Poor Law Union) and his wife Margaret (nee Smith), the daughter of a farmer from the nearby townland of Carnegat, purchased the Castle. It remained in the family until the year 2000. Elizabeth Gould Bell and her sister Margaret Smith Bell were the first women to qualify as medical doctors in Ireland graduating Belfast in 1893. Elizabeth was born on 24 December 1862 at Spring Hill House, close to the Newry Workhouse.
https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/bell/16175/
https://www.ums.ac.uk/umj086/086(3)189.pdf
Members of the Bell family are buried nearby at St Luke's, Meigh.
Official Opening of Killeavy, July 2019
https://newrychamber.com/official-opening-of-killeavy-castle-estate/
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