French Park House was a three-storey house built most likely to the design of Richard Castle. "Begun in the 1650's by Patrick French, the house was built of bricks which were brought in from Holland". It is said to have been the first and for many decades the only brick mansion in Connaught. Some of the walls were four feet thick and all the space between the bricks and plaster that faced the rooms was filled with turf which had originally been packed there in the brick-like shape that everyone used as fuel - it was a perfect insulator against heat and cold but the fear of fire was more intense than at Rockingham or Strokestown. French Park House is said to have been more beautiful than Strokestown House - the red brick enhanced the character of the house. The house was lived in until 1952. By then only 250 acres of the estate remained. The last of the estate was purchased by the Land Commission. The contents of the house, livestock, machinery etc. were auctioned; the auction lasted three days.

The roof was removed soon after it was sold (1953) and in the mid 1970's what was left of the house was demolished. The Land Commission was responsible for both of these events. When the house was demolished the rubble was used for the foundation of the Shannonside factory in Ballaghaderreen.

"All that now remains is an ivy clad brewhouse, the petrified lake and a souterrain of a once prosperous domain of Lord De Freyne. Very faintly the red bricks which formed the wings and archway from the non-existent central block, can be seen in the course grass"

For further information contact:
The Dr. Douglas Hyde, Interpretative Centre,
Portahard, Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon
or
The Curator, Deirdre O'Gara at 0907 - 70016

The French Family

It is recorded that Sir Humphrey De Freyne accompanied Strongbow to Ireland in 1172. The Norman origin of the De Freynes is from the Latin 'Fraxinuf' - an Ash Tree. It seems that Sir Humphrey's descendant Walter was the first to settle in Connaught, at Galway, where he married the daughter of John Athie in 1473 and another Tribe of Galway was founded. Over the centuries the French's were to become powerful and respected traders in salt. Walter French became Sovereign (Mayor) of Galway in 1520. A descendant of his, Patrick French was a burgess of the town of Galway and before 1636 he had acquired as mortgages and by purchase, extensive landed property in Counties Sligo and Roscommon. he was deprived of a considerable portion of his property in 1636 by Sir Thomas Wentworth (Earl of Stafford), then Lord Deputy of Ireland. However, in 1656, Patrick French, by decrees of Cromwellian Commissioners, was allotted 6,000 acres in Co. Roscommon. he died in 1669 "at his mansion house of Dun Gar (now called French Park), built by himself". He was buried in the Dominican Abbey near Frenchpark in a vault near the belfry on which are engraved the arms of his family and this inscription:- "Pray for the soul of Patrick French Fitz Stephen, of Galway, burgess, who lived in this world eighty-six years""

He had six sons and it was from his second son, Dominick, that the De Freyne family is descended. Dominick was succeeded by his eldest son, John, who in turn was succeeded by his eldest son, John (called Tiarna Mor or the Great Landowner). His successor was Arthur, his eldest son, who was elected Knight of the Shire for Roscommon in 1721. His successor was John (Shane Dhu), M.P. for Roscommon from 1743 until his death in 1775, in which year he and his brother Robert were drowned while crossing by boat to England. He was on his way to London to be called to the House of Peers as Lord Dungal. Shane Dhu was succeeded by his brother Arthur, also an M.P., who refused to accept the peerage promised to his brother. His successor at Frenchpark was his son, also named Arthur who in turn was succeeded by his son, also called Arthur (the third Arthur in a row). The latter Arthur became the first Baron De Freyne of Artagh (May 1839) and in 1851 he received a second peerage, Baron De Freyne of Coolavin. He died without issue and was succeeded by his brother John who was a parson in Co. Kilkenny, and when the latter died without an heir, a third brother Charles became the third Baron De Freyne.

The third Baron married a local girl from Fairymount named Catherine Maree, daughter of Luke Maree. She was a Catholic and their children were Catholics. The first of their family, Arthur, became the fourth Baron. He was born in 1855 and he was married twice. His first wife, Lady Laura Octavia Dundas died four years after their marriage. They had a son Arthur Reginald who became the fifth Baron and a daughter. By his second marriage to Marie Georgina Lamb there were five children.

The fifth Baron De Freyne (Arthur Reginald) was killed in France during World War I (May 9th, 1915 the same day as his stepbrother, George Philip was killed in action. The title thus devolved on another stepbrother, Frances Charles, (the sixth Baron), who died in 1935. His son Francis Arthur John French is the present Lord De Freyne, who was born in 1927. He and his three sisters, Patricia, Patience and Faith emigrated when the Land Commission took over the last of their estate. He now resides in England and is a prominent member of the House of Lords and he has three children, Charles, Vanessa and Patrick.

Another member of the French family was George Arthur French. He was born in June 1842. He was the eldest son of John French. In his youth he gained entrance to the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England. Having served in the various ranks, he was appointed to the Royal Artillery.

Following a request from the Canadian Government, George Arthur French was despatched to Canada where he became Inspector of Artillery. He was later appointed head of the school of Gunnery in Kingston.

Sir John MacDonald, the then prime minister of Canada, was in the process of setting up a Canadian Police Force to maintain law and order in the "Wild West". This mounted police was to be modelled on the Royal Irish Constabulary and George Arthur French was appointed first commander of the North West Mounted Rifle in 1973 by the Canadian prime minister. He presided over the force as Lieutenant Colonel George French.

The force changed it's name to the North West Mounted Police and subsequently took the title of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, better known as the Mounties.

For sixteen years his brother, John French, served in various military establishments before he joined the North West Mounted Police. He received many honours for his first rate horsemanship and headed up a battalion of mounted police in a rebellion. His troops were known as "French's Scouts" and John French distinguished himself with many acts of bravery. However, he died in combat and "French's Scouts" which he founded, was disbanded.

George Arthur French attained the rank of Major General in the Canadian Police Force and was knighted in 1902. He died in 1921 and his funeral was attended by King George V.

Rathra House

Rathra House was built by the Hon. John French, brother of Lord De Freyne and rented by him to Dr. Hyde at the beginning of the century. On his marriage to the English/German artist Lucy Cometina Kurtz, The Gaelic League bought the house from Mr. French and presented it to Mr. Hyde

For info on the town of Frenchpark click here