Irish Heraldry: Ninth Bellew Reunion at Barmeath 2023

Ninth Bellew Reunion

Took place on Thursday 27th July 2023 at Barmeath, Dunleer, Co Louth.

Followed by lunch at Donegans at Monsterboice (Monasterboice Inn) for lunch.

Directions to Barmeath:

A92 P973

Come off the M1 motorway, best to take the Dunleer exit and come that way.

10 a.m. Dysart Church (also known as Skeaghmore Church)

There was a brief time to remember ...

11am Barmeath Castle

Lunch Time Monasterboice Inn

Some additional information on Barmeath

https://irishhistorichouses.com/2020/10/23/barmeath-castle-dunleer-drogheda-county-louth/

Potted History of the Bellews

In 2006 we visited Bellewstown, this was the first place along with Duleek, where the Bellews settled when they came as part of the De Lacy Norman invasion into Ireland. In 2013 Geoff Martin gave us a detailed talk on the Bellews after they arrived into England with William the Conquer. They ended up in the north of England in Yorkshire. A hundred years later they formed part of the De Lacy's contingent where they came down through England to Wales and over to the south east of Ireland.

In 2013 the year of the gathering we were in Dundalk in Castletown where Richard Bellew built a £10 castle c. 1470. There were two brothers John senior, John junior of the Bellewstown branch. Junior ended up in Castle Roche and Castletown. Castle Roche was purchased from the De Verdons. A few generations later both lines were reunited through marriage with Catherine Fleming.

Their son John Bellew (1522-1600) had three wives Margaret Plunkett, Ismay Nugent and Jenet Sarsfield. It was through Jenet Sarsfield that we ended up in Dardistown Castle in 2015. This John was forbear of the third cousins, both the John Bellews. John Bellew who lived in Castletown, Dundalk was visited by Oliver Plunkett in 1670, he fought at the Battle of Aughrim. His third cousin was John Bellew who was born in Lisrenny where we visited in 2011. He was a solicitor and Harry O'Sullivan wrote a book about him in 2000. John Bellew bought a property at Willystown close to Drumcar but after the arrival of Cromwell, through a sitting of the commissioners in Loughrea in 1655, he literary moved lock stock and barrel to near Moylough, Co Galway, known as Castle Bellew. However after the restoration under Charles II and through the influence of Lord Carlingford (Theobald Taffee) he and his eldest son Patrick Bellew, returned to Co Louth to here at Barmeath, where the family have been since.

In 2019 we visited Rokeby courtesy of Jean Young who is completing her Ph.D. on some of the eighteenth century Bellews. She has elucidated the connections with the Bellews who continued to lived in Co Galway. The junior brother Christopher Bellew remained in Galway and settled quite early in Mountbellew while members of the Louth family continued to have a presence in Castle Bellew. Richard Bellew who died in 1792 was the last of these. IN 1784 the Louth Bellews 'sold' their interest in Mountbellew, so that they could concentrate their resources locally here.

The Queen's Beasts

Sir George Rothe Bellew who died in 1993 was Garter King of Arms and played a leading in the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. We present a coin to Rosemary & Bryan that features the Queen's Beasts. Bryan is a grand-nephew of Sir George. Further details:

https://irishheraldry.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-queens-beasts.html