Tandragee Castle

The current Tandragee Castle, Tandragee, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, was rebuilt in 1837 by George Montagu, 6th Duke of Manchester as the family's Irish home. The 6th Duke of Manchester acquired the estate through his marriage to Millicent Sparrow (1798–1848).

1610: Sir Oliver St. John, 1st Viscount Grandison 1630: Sir John St. John, 1st Baronet 1648: Henry St John of Tandragee Robert Sparrow Robert Bernard Sparrow 1805: Lady Olivia Sparrow 1822: Millicent Sparrow & George Montagu, 6th Duke of Manchester (rebuilt the castle) 1855: William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester 1882: George Montagu, 8th Duke of Manchester 1890: William Montagu, 9th Duke of Manchester 1940s: Alexander Montagu, 10th Duke of Manchester 1955: Thomas Hutchinson

During the Plantation of Ulster the castle at Tandragee became the property of Sir Oliver St John, Lord Deputy of Ireland. He rebuilt the original stronghold of the O'Hanlon Clan. During the Irish Rebellion of 1641, however, the O'Hanlons attempted to regain their lands – the result was the castle being ruined; it remained so for two hundred years.

Tandragee Castle underwent reconstruction around 1837, following its destruction during the Irish Rebellion of 1641, commissioned by George Montagu, the 6th Duke of Manchester. In 1928, Alexander Montagu, 10th Duke of Manchester, left the castle until the outbreak of World War II.

In 1943, Alexander Montagu leased Tandragee Castle to the United States Army for use during World War II. Reports suggest that General George S. Patton was a visitor to the castle in 1943. While inspecting troops in Northern Ireland, he was guest of honour at a dance in the castle.

The castle and estate were sold by Alexander Montagu, 10th Duke of Manchester (who was born at Tandragee) in the 1950s, and it was purchased by Thomas Hutchinson, a businessman from Tandragee who founded Tayto. Today, the castle houses offices for the Tayto potato crisp factory and the park's demesne incorporates a golf course.

Text adapted from “Tandragee Castle” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Tandragee Castle ranks #4,114 of 7,044 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #15 of the 32 mapped in Northern Ireland. Founded 1837, it is older than 10% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 496 atlas entries founded in the 19th century. See how Northern Ireland compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗