Happy St Patrick’s Day! Beannachtai Na Feile Padraig Oraibh!
Now I’m not at all Irish, well, I don’t think I am, but I do wish all of my friends and followers in Ireland, those with Irish ancestry, and those named Patrick and Patricia a very Happy St Patrick’s Day. Beannachtai Na Feile Padraig Oraibh!Have fun celebrating today!
Did you know that at one point it looked like Anne Boleyn was going to live in Ireland?
Anne was recalled from France in late 1521 due to marriage negotiations which were going on to marry her off to James Butler, son of Sir Piers Butler, to settle a dispute over the earldom of Ormond. The negotiations fizzled out and Anne eventually married Henry VIII, but it’s interesting to think that Anne could have ended her days at Kilkenny Castle, the seat of the Butler family at the time. Would we ever have heard of her if that had been the case?
Here are some articles about the marriage negotiations and the Boleyns and their Irish links:
- The Negotiations for Anne Boleyn to marry James Butler
- The Clonony Boleyn Girls
- Anne Boleyn’s Irish Roots – Lady Margaret Butler and the Butlers of Kilkenny Castle
If you’re interested in reading more about St Patrick and his feast day then The Telegraph website has an article St Patrick’s Day 2017: How to celebrate the Patron Saint of Ireland which gives an overview.
Picture: St Patrick depicted in a stained glass window in St. Benin’s Church, Kilbennan, County Galway, Ireland. Wikimedia Commons.
I wonder what Anne felt about that, being sent of to Ireland and becoming chatelaine of Kilkenny castle had she married her cousin? Maybe she was ok about it but I somehow feel that for a young lively girl who had lived in France upto then and was used to its sophistication the prospect of having to live in Ireland in the heart of the country did not have the same appeal, Sir Thomas her father wanted the Earldom of Ormonde for himself which did eventually come to him, she knew that her marriage to her Irish cousin would bring this about and hence the reason why she left France, daughters were not looked upon as important as sons but they had their uses and their marriages were made to cement important alliances and often heal family rifts and secure lands and titles, so Anne knew where her duty lay but often marriage negotiations did break up and I doubt Anne wasn’t that much bothered, she was close to her mother and it would have meant leaving her and the family seat at Hever, she then left for the court of Henry V111 and became one of the queens ladies, I should imagine she found the prospect thrilling in many ways she had been very lucky, she had a very good education for a knights daughter, more than some girls her own class had, she had lived in France and now was going to be in the English court, who a Burgundian visitor had described as the most sophisticated in the world, Anne was fortunes darling it seemed, an exciting life awaited her at court, little could she have realised the impact she was going to make on it and would make for the next ten years.
Found out I’m related to the Ormonds of Ireland. I guess that makes me a wee bit Irish
Wow, do you know where they come in your family tree? How exciting!
I’m related to the Butlers Jean so I guess that makes us distant cousins.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day from the real Capital of Ireland. My dad’s Irish roots go deep and true. Have a good time. Poo on Sky for taking away the Irish channel as I was looking forward to the parade live from New York.
Cheers
Enjoy the weekend.