Lord Coote

transcribed at

Lord Coote  [duchas:4717915]

After the battle of the Boyne in 1690  Sir Thomas Coote was William's foremost general. Sir Thomas Coote travelled across the midlands until he came to County Cavan. He stopped at the Castle of O'Reilly who was then landlord of the surrounding district. He captured O'Reilly and had him hanged in a field near by called the "Hoop Hill".

The tree on which he was hanged is still to be seen. Its branches are turned downward to the ground. Its blossoms every Summer are of a blood-red colour. On the ground under the tree there is to be seen the shadow of a man.

O'Reilly's two sons managed to escape. They swam teh Dromore river and was conveyed to Baileborough from which place they went to France accompanied

Lord Coote  [duchas:4717916]

by their uncle. They afterwards became priests and returned to Ireland.

Lord Coote tossed O'Reilly's castle and built a new one about half a mile nearer to the town of Cootehil. He seized the bullocks of the people and killed them and used their blood mixed with horse hair to build the mansion. The castle is five storey in height and has a hundred windows on it. It's roof is perfectly flat

Lord Coote was a Landlord of his estate for many years but in the end he committed suicide. The town of Cootehill derives its name from Lord Coote.


Alice Ward
Peter Ward