Tributes paid to Slane Castle's Lord Henry Mount Charles, who has died aged 74
He died late on Wednesday after 'a long and valiant' battle with cancer, his family said.
Since 1981, the flamboyant rock fan has hosted a series of open-air concerts at his ancestral home of Slane Castle in Co Meath.
'It is with profound sadness that the family of Lord Henry Mount Charles, the Marquess Conyngham, announce his peaceful passing in the late hours of June 18 following a long and valiant battle with cancer,' his family said in a statement.
'A beloved husband, father, grandfather, and custodian of Slane Castle, Lord Henry's courage and unwavering spirit inspired all who knew him.'
The Slane estate, which acts as a huge natural amphitheatre due to its sloping lands, has played host to several top acts including The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Queen, U2 and Madonna.
The last Slane Festival was in June 2023, when Harry Styles performed for 80,000 fans.
His family said Lord Henry Mount Charles had left behind 'an extraordinary legacy as a passionate steward of Ireland's heritage, dedicating his life to preserving Slane Castle and transforming it into a beacon of culture, music and community'.
'His visionary leadership and generosity touched countless lives, while his warmth, humour and resilience endeared him to friends, colleagues and admirers across generations.
'Lord Henry's light will continue to shine through the lives he enriched and the enduring contributions he made to Ireland's cultural landscape. He will be profoundly missed, but never forgotten.'
His family thanked the 'exceptional' staff at St James's Hospital and the many caregivers who treated him with 'compassion' over the last decade.
They also said they were 'deeply moved' by the 'outpouring of public kindness' during his illness.
The family have asked for privacy and said the funeral arrangements will be private.
President Michael D Higgins has led tributes and expressed condolences to his wife Lady Iona, to his children Alexander, Henrietta, Wolfe and Tamara.
'Lord Henry's contribution was quite unique and a very important turning point in live music in Ireland when he decided to begin using the natural amphitheatre at Slane Castle as a venue at which public performances could be held by some of the most contemporary makers of music,' Mr Higgins said.
'It wasn't just in relation to very well-known events that Henry was involved, he had a deep interest in promotion of music including new and young talent.
'I have been saddened over recent years to hear of his struggles with cancer, about which he spoken personally and helpfully of his experiences.'
Ireland's deputy premier Simon Harris said he would be remembered for his 'unrivalled wit, his ability to light up a room, and his incredible sense of warmth and generosity'.
'For so many, Lord Henry will be remembered as the man who brought rock-and-roll to the iconic music venue that is Slane Castle.
'I want to pay tribute to him for the incredible contribution he made to arts, culture and of course his beloved county Meath.
'My deepest sympathies are today with his family and friends.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Charles shares affectionate moment with Duchess of York as race win hopes dashed
The King has known Sarah for decades but she appeared out of the royal fold until invited to spend Christmas Day with the King and Queen at Sandringham in 2023. King Charles kisses the hand of Sarah, Duchess of York (Andrew Matthews/PA) Among the famous racegoers was Harry Potter author JK Rowling who was spotted in a box at the grounds with her husband Neil Murray, former defence secretary Ben Wallace and the King's niece Zara Tindall. On the track the King and Queen's racing pot of gold failed to materialise when their horse Purple Rainbow was well beaten in the aptly named Sandringham Stakes. The royal couple watched the fast-paced race from the royal box and were glued to monitors, with the King animated in the closing stages of the mile-long sprint. He bobbed on the spot as if willing on his jockey Warren Fentiman but Purple Rainbow, who was not fancied by the bookies, did not challenge the front runners. The couple looked up in the closing stages to watch the race as it came past the stands but Never Let Go crossed the line first and the King and his wife were left opened-mouthed. The King and Queen watch their horse being beaten in the Sandringham Stakes (James Manning/PA) The touching greeting between the King and his former sister-in-law, who still remains close to ex-husband the Duke of York, may be in part due to their cancer journeys. The head of state is receiving ongoing cancer care while Sarah has spoken publicly about her own treatment for skin and breast cancer, undergoing a mastectomy. At the start of the day racegoers were given a respite from this week's sweltering conditions but the hazy cloud over the Berkshire racecourse burned away by late afternoon pushing up temperatures. Staff were handing out free bottles of water and Will Aitkenhead, head of corporate and industry affairs at the track, said they had worked hard overnight to provide more shaded areas. The King and Queen were joined in the royal box by Camilla's old school friend Lady Cavendish and her husband Lord Cavendish, the former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad, the Queen's Companion the Marchioness of Lansdowne and musical maestro Lord Lloyd-Webber. JK Rowling in the stands at Royal Ascot (Andrew Matthews/PA) Charles and Camilla will have another chance at racing success – after two of their horses were well beaten earlier this week – when The King's Falcon runs in the Golden Gate Stakes, during Royal Ascot's final day on Saturday. The late Queen was a passionate owner and breeder of thoroughbreds and had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners during her 70-year reign. Charles and Camilla have taken on her stable of horses and enjoyed their first Royal Ascot winner in 2023 when their horse Desert Hero triumphed in the King George V Stakes. Royal Ascot is as much a social occasion as a sporting event and towards the end of the day an online video emerged of two men apparently fighting at the grounds where tens of thousands had enjoyed the day without incident.
The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
Charles and Camilla's hopes of Royal Ascot winner dashed
The King and Queen's racing pot of gold failed to materialise when their horse Purple Rainbow was well beaten at Royal Ascot. Charles and Camilla watched the fast-paced race from the royal box and were glued to monitors, with the King animated in the closing stages of the mile-long sprint. He bobbed on the spot as if willing on his jockey Warren Fentiman in the aptly named Sandringham Stakes but Purple Rainbow, who was not fancied by the bookies, did not challenge the front runners. The couple looked up in the closing stages to watch the race as it came past the stands but Never Let Go crossed the line first and the King and his wife were left opened mouthed. Charles and Camilla will have to wait another day to try to double their tally of Royal Ascot winners. The late Queen was a passionate owner and breeder of thoroughbreds and had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners during her 70-year reign. Charles and Camilla have taken on her stable of horses and enjoyed their first Royal Ascot winner in 2023 when their horse Desert Hero triumphed in the King George V Stakes.
The National
7 hours ago
- The National
Why regime change is required at Club 1872 not just Rangers
Popping down to his local Esso garage and picking up a box of Milk Tray and a bunch of flowers out of the bucket in the forecourt was never going to cut it. No, it took an arduous trek across the Alps in a blizzard and then three days of kneeling outside a castle in northern Italy in the snow wearing nothing more than a sackcloth for the medieval ruler, who had been excommunicated for his sacrilegious act, to be welcomed back in to the bosom of the Catholic church by his old nemesis. Henry's penitential 'Walk to Canossa' in 1077 is regarded by historians today as being the ultimate apology, the mummy and daddy of mea culpas, the gold standard of contrition. It is fair to say the amende honorable offered up by Club 1872, the Rangers supporters' group who at one point in the not-too-distant past were the second largest shareholders in the Ibrox club with a stake of 10.71 per cent, earlier this week fell some way short of it. Read more: 'We sincerely apologise to contributors for our relative silence,' read a statement on the group's official website which revealed they had held a 'very positive meeting' with new chairman Andrew Cavenagh, chief executive Patrick Stewart and other senior executives. Director Euan Macfarlane echoed that sentiment in a series of posts which he put up on the social networking website X (formerly Twitter) which gushed about Cavenagh being a 'supremely impressive individual' and stated 'we're confident in our new custodians more than ever'. He wrote, 'I would reiterate our apology for a long period of silence.' The reasons given for the complete lack of contact with their members during the past six months were 'regular changes to senior decision makers' and 'confidentiality considerations and sensitivities' while a 'live takeover' was in play. That sounded fair enough. Best not to interfere and muddy the waters during a complex and delicate process. Right? Wrong. Brassed off Bears were, unlike Pope Gregory VII when Henry IV came, quite literally, crawling a millennium ago, unwilling to forgive and forget. This is a quality family newspaper which is read by nice little old ladies and impressionable children alike. So it would be wrong to publish most of the online responses to the long overdue missive. Here, though, are a handful of replies which are printable. (Image: Ross MacDonald - SNS Group) What a waste of time for our chairman and chief executive. A new leadership team needs to take over. I am ready to pull my contribution. Hopefully you will get chased. Resign from your positions and let others take charge. Nobody trusts you. Absolute jokers. Only in it for yourselves. Crawl back under your stone. A complete reboot is required. Club 1872 was launched back in 2016 when separate fan ownership groups Rangers First and the Rangers Supporters Trust merged. Dave King and his associates had seized control of the Govan institution from a despised and distrusted regime the year before and optimism abounded. Membership and contributions steadily increased early on along with their shareholding. Their ultimate goal – to own 25 per cent plus one share and so have the power to veto any major decisions – seemed an eminently achievable objective during those heady days. It did not take long, however, for things to unravel in spectacular fashion. Complaints about communication, transparency, governance and independence have been rife since. The number of members has nosedived as the unhappiness with the group's stewardship has risen. An acrimonious attempt to oust the board four years ago resulted in the police being called in. Those who currently hold sway undoubtedly, regardless of the frequent accusations which have been levelled against them, want Club 1872 to play a key role at Rangers moving forward and the Ibrox club to flourish on and off the park. But there is no future for the organisation with its current custodians in place due to the distrust which, rightly or wrongly, exists among the support. Regime change is required. Read more: The Fan Advisory Board (FAB) have shown they are an independent body and are far from toothless since coming into being two years ago. Their actions during the Graeme Souness tifo row last season, to give just one example, underlined that. They let directors know in no uncertain terms what they thought of their condemnatory statement and swiftly made that public. Some supporters would be happy to continue with just FAB representing their interests and feel it would be for the best if Club 1872 sold up and closed down. But far too much money has been spent by far too many people for far too long for that to happen. Plus, being a significant shareholder gives them, even with a new owners snapping up a 51 per cent stake, a different kind of influence. Rangers fans are positively ebullient just now about what lies ahead under the 'supremely impressive individuals' who will take control at an EGM in Glasgow on Monday morning. With good reason. The new hierarchy seem to have the ambition, the means and the smarts to make a real difference. That said, there was mass euphoria when Craig Whyte came in, when Charles Green took over and when King rode to the rescue. It remains important for supporters to wield some power going forward. This honeymoon period won't last forever. But a Papal pardon wouldn't absolve the current Club 1872 directors from their sins, real or imagined, of the past.
