Page 113 - The Gonzaga Record 1994
P. 113
AVONDALE HOUSE AND GLENDALOUGH
Prep 3 at Glendalough
It was a cool but clear Friday morning. more orderly fashion. The main entrance
Mrs Crosbie and Mrs Egan gathered us door was opened by our tour guide who
together for a short prayer before our tour. said, ‘You are most welcome here to
We were about to go to the historic Avondale House.’ We were then shown a
Avondale House and then on to video about the house and details of an
Glendalough. Before the bus arrived, Mrs important man who was born in it. He
Crosbie ran through the itinerary for the was Charles Stewart Parnell. The reason
day. The bus arrived, we were on our for Mrs Crosbie's choice of outing then
way! A discreet spot-check was carried became obvious to us. Charles Stewart
out on Mrs Crosbie's bags to ensure that Panell was born in Avondale House in
crawling through hedges would not be 1846 and lived there until 1891. His
necessary this year. There was much mother was American and his father was
excitement as we boarded the coach, an English landowner in Co Wicklow.
because school outings are always Charles was the seventh child in his
enjoyable as well as educational. The family of nine children. When he was a
coach appeared to move very slowly very young boy, the famine afflicted most
through the Dublin traffic, but eventually of Ireland. Wicklow was one of the most
we were on our way to Avondale. On prosperous counties in Ireland and was
arriving at our destination, we all left the therefore less affected by the famine than
coach speedily and began running most counties. Many fam ilies died,
towards the entrance hall until we heard emigrated or became very poor, as a result
Mrs Crosbie’s clear voice. ‘No running!' of the famine, but Charles Stewart Parnell
We continued towards the house in a enjoyed the usual gentlemanly sports:
105
Prep 3 at Glendalough
It was a cool but clear Friday morning. more orderly fashion. The main entrance
Mrs Crosbie and Mrs Egan gathered us door was opened by our tour guide who
together for a short prayer before our tour. said, ‘You are most welcome here to
We were about to go to the historic Avondale House.’ We were then shown a
Avondale House and then on to video about the house and details of an
Glendalough. Before the bus arrived, Mrs important man who was born in it. He
Crosbie ran through the itinerary for the was Charles Stewart Parnell. The reason
day. The bus arrived, we were on our for Mrs Crosbie's choice of outing then
way! A discreet spot-check was carried became obvious to us. Charles Stewart
out on Mrs Crosbie's bags to ensure that Panell was born in Avondale House in
crawling through hedges would not be 1846 and lived there until 1891. His
necessary this year. There was much mother was American and his father was
excitement as we boarded the coach, an English landowner in Co Wicklow.
because school outings are always Charles was the seventh child in his
enjoyable as well as educational. The family of nine children. When he was a
coach appeared to move very slowly very young boy, the famine afflicted most
through the Dublin traffic, but eventually of Ireland. Wicklow was one of the most
we were on our way to Avondale. On prosperous counties in Ireland and was
arriving at our destination, we all left the therefore less affected by the famine than
coach speedily and began running most counties. Many fam ilies died,
towards the entrance hall until we heard emigrated or became very poor, as a result
Mrs Crosbie’s clear voice. ‘No running!' of the famine, but Charles Stewart Parnell
We continued towards the house in a enjoyed the usual gentlemanly sports:
105
