1901 census Gormanston castle Co Meath

have you looked at the census website of the National Archives ?

http://census.nationalarchives.ie/

The Castle is located in the townland of Gormanstown, see OSI map :

http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,716639,766581,5,7

(click the historic options to see the townland name)

and I suspect this is the relevant census :

http://census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Meath/Stamullin/Gormanstown/1610269/

The head of the household is a Jenis W F Preston, and the premises is listed on the building return has having 37 out buildings, and 33 windows in the front of the 'house'... stands out from the other properties in the townland.

edit : Looking at the form, I think his first name has been mistranscribed and it may read Jerrico.


Shane

Hello,

Lord Gormanston's name was Jenico Preston, as with many other peculiar names it isn't transcribed properly.

There is a legend that when the Viscount is dying the foxes gather around Gormanston Castle on the lawn. There are a few anecdotal records of this including Lord Fingall who upon hearing Lord Gormanston was dying, complained that there would be no hunting because all the foxes in Meath would be at Gormanston. It is also linked to the fox on the Preston family coat of arms

It's quite a common tale, I believe there is a similar one for the St Ledgers at Doneraile House, and possibly one about ravens and one of the Plunkett families either Lord Dunsany or Lord Fingall, can't remember at the moment.