How it all began...

Hello , I'm Sarah and thank you for joining my adventures around Ireland and around the world to beautiful historical homes. We will travel from Forts to Houses to Lodges to Manors to Estates to Castles and to Palaces whether in renovation or completed.

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Here is a little information on my Ancestral history and research my family has done to date...enjoy !

My family name Fogarty, originated in Tipperary ,Ireland which is where I am from and the Fogarty tribes were associated with Dalcassian Septs and regarded as Dalcassian in origin. The Dalcassians Septs are a Gaelic Irish tribe, generally accepted by contemporary scholarship as being a branch of the Déisi Muman, that became a powerful group in Ireland during the 10th century.

The Fogarty name has a crest and was said to have come into existence many years ago, probably as early as the 10th century. Prior to this, it is known that the Fogarty tribe probably had some form of proto-heraldry. I would like to believe that this was true.

The Fogarty tribe had such importance from this period onwards, that a significant piece of land in Tipperary had their name on it - it was called Eliogarty. Eliogarty is now the name of the barony of land of County Tipperary and we know this to be the beautiful town of Thurles today. Ely O’Fogarty Chieftancy reined over this mighty land for their future generations.

The Fogarty crest motto is 'Fleadh agus Fáilte' - Festivities and Welcome.

Fogarty Crest
Blue - Represents Loyalty and Truth

White - Peace & Sincerity

Gold - Generosity

Crescent Moon - One who has been enlightened & honoured by strength

Wheathsheaf - Plentiful

Harp - Harmony & Contemplation

Lions - Courage

Surviving magnicificent artifact such as The O’Fogarty Harp that dates from around 15th century has survived all this time. How truly incredible. It is currently standing tall in all its glory at the Tipperary County Library, The Source Arts Centre, Cathedral Street in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. It is remarkable that we have this valuable piece of culture and heritage still to this day to proudly display to the world.

The harp has a very large low headed design measuring at its longest 92cm and accommodates 35 strings in total. At the upper end of the harps pillar four holes mark the place where a plate of gold was once attached. This plate, which is now missing unfortunately, is believed to have borne the following engraved words in Irish, “This is the harp of Cornelius O’ Fogarty“.

The O’Fogarty harp was owned and played by the gentleman harper Cornelius O’Fogarty (1661-1730) then resident at Castle Fogarty, County Tipperary and has remained in the ownership of his descendents ever since until recent years. It has since been sold. One day, this majestic castle may be up for sale again perhaps I will have the opportunity to buy it. I can always dream !

In the last four hundred years Castle Fogarty in Tipperary passed out of family ownership just once (until a few years ago for the 2nd time) and it was when Cromwell himself confiscated it in the 1650s . The O’Fogarty’s had to buy it back from one of his troopers and successfully did so. This story filled castle survived the turmoil of Irish history in the same Gaelic family hands since the middle ages.

The seat of the O’Fogarty clan since medieval times was originally built as a stone fortress at Ballycahill, between Thurles and Cashel. It was later rebuilt as a large house in the Georgian era, before being transformed in the 1840s into a gothic revival castle with five elegant castellated towers and twenty bedrooms.

Today, the Neo-Gothic ruin is still an attractive building. Listed for preservation, it is described by the Buildings of Ireland Website as being a well built structure with good detailing seen in the string courses, buttresses and imitation loops. Sadly it concludes that the castle “presents a gaunt ruin in the landscape today.'

The Fogarty Chalice of 1641 that was splendid on display at the Rock of Cashel, Tipperary.

Fogartys are also known to have built and owned Killahara Castle, also in North Tipperary. The history of Killahara Castle in many respects reflects the history of the country from 1550. The disruption of a country still largely under ancient Brehon laws, the relative silence of the 18th century, the turmoil of the 19th, ongoing struggle for land, power and cultural dominance, the devastation wrought by Malthusian economics, the Great Famine, pastoralisation mass forced emigration, the Land War, the demise of an aristocracy and the War of Independence - all are represented in the story of this Castle.

Local belief is that Killahara Castle was built by the Fogarty clan in around 1400. However, archeological experts say that it is more likely to have been built in the mid 1500s. That is near the end of the era in which castles of its kind, ‘tower house’ castles, were built . The finer detailing on the stone work (e.g. hammer dressing on the quoins, fine pecking and drafted margins), is typical of the style of stonework favoured towards the end of the tower house castle era.

A castle like Killahara was primarily a family dwelling. It was a place where friends and extended family of a powerful chief could be entertained. There would have been large fires going all the time and in the old tradition, the chiefs would have prided themselves on their hospitality. Visitors would have been generously fed and watered. Travelling musicians and entertainers of all sorts would have been welcomed. Just like the motto of the Fogarty crest - Festivities and Welcome.

Fogarty Castle

Fogarty Harp

Killahara Castle

Historical Homes - Sarah Fogarty

sarah@historicalhomes.com