The First Eight Earls of Ormond (1327-1539)

The First Eight Earls of Ormond (1327-1539)

The Butler earls of Ormond operated one of medieval Ireland’s dominant dynasties, centred on Kilkenny and Tipperary. From James Butler, 1st Earl (created 1328) through the “Noble Earl” and the cultured “White Earl,” they combined royal service, war in France, and...
Baron Dunboyne (Butler)

Baron Dunboyne (Butler)

The Butlers of Scatorish and Maiden Hall, County Kilkenny, descend from a branch of the Viscount Dunboyne’s descendants who settled at Priestown, County Meath, returning to County Kilkenny in the nineteenth century. Become a member of Turtle’s History Library to...
Eulogy to James Butler (1942-2020) – The Quiet Man

Eulogy to James Butler (1942-2020) – The Quiet Man

James Butler (1942–2020) was a distinguished Kilkenny farmer and family historian who managed his ancestral farm at Scatorish and Burnchurch, descended from the Butlers of Dunboyne. Renowned for his quiet humour, deep knowledge, and generosity, he farmed in Tanzania...
Robert Essex & the Siege of Caher

Robert Essex & the Siege of Caher

Following the rise and fall of one of Queen Elizabeth I’s favourites, and his connection to a canon ball wedged into the wall of Caher Castle in County Tipperary. Become a member of Turtle’s History Library to access all areas, €12/year...
Humewood Castle, County Wicklow

Humewood Castle, County Wicklow

Humewood Castle is without doubt one of the most eccentric buildings in Ireland. Built in 1868 for Fitzwilliam Dick, it later passed to his granddaughter, Mimi, who married General Maxim Weygand, commander-of-chief of the Allied forces in Europe on the eve of the...