Pictured: Crom Castle, near Newtownbutler, co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, home of the Earl of Erne.
In 2017, I was delighted to welcome John Crichton, the 7th Earl of Erne and Baron of Fermanagh, who presides over Crom Castle, his ancestral home in the heart of Northern Ireland's Lake District, to the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston.
Crom Castle will be recognized by attentive viewers of P.G. Wodehouse's "Blandings," televised on the BBC, which filmed there a few years ago. In his talk at NEHGS, an event co-hosted with the English-Speaking Union, Lord Erne gave a view into his beautiful home, its history, and its many interesting visitors. His family's motto, "God Send Grace," seems a sentiment in every way fulfilled by gracefulness of the castle and its sublime grounds:
"Crom Castle is a 19th century fairytale castle built circa 1840 and designed by the famous architect [Edward] Blore who was responsible for parts of Buckingham Palace. It sits in 1,900 acres of beautiful National Trust [land], one of the most important nature conservation areas in The British Isles, protected parkland in an extremely romantic setting overlooking Lough Erne."
Lord Erne has launched an experience for guests wishing to visit the castle and stay there with him as their personal host, and we, at NEHGS, hope to bring a group of our patrons there in future years. For more information, please visit: www.cromcastle.com.