Anniversary of the Castles Occupation by the IRA 1922

Thanks to the astute research of Samantha Kelly, Charleville Castle’s Paranormal Consultant and volunteer tour guide, we’ve uncovered a fascinating historical connection just in time for this weekend’s charity paranormal event.

“I was doing some research for Saturday night. Ghostbusters Ireland are running a sponsored scare with Paranormal Adventures Ireland and us, all in aid of the Heart Children Charity,” said Samantha. “And it turns out tomorrow is the anniversary of the IRA taking over the castle in 1922.”

Sure enough, a newspaper clipping, published in Exeter and Plymouth Gazzette, dated April 26th, 1922 reveals that Charleville Castle was occupied on April 25th, 1922 by irregular I.R.A. forces. The brief article includes two major events: the death of Brigadier Adamson at Athlone, and the seizure of Charleville Castle. The full text of the clipping is included below.

BRIGADIER SHOT.

AT ATHLONE.

Brigadier Adamson, of the Irish Army, was shot dead by mutineer troops at Athlone on Monday night. The official headquarters were afterwards surrounded and the occupants arrested.

I.R.A SEIZE A CASTLE.

Charleville Castle, near Tullamore, King’s County, was occupied yesterday by irregular I.R.A. forces. It is the property of Lady Howard Bury, who was absent at the time of seizure.

In April 1922, during the turbulent period leading up to the Irish Civil War, Charleville Castle—then owned by Lady Emily Howard-Bury—was taken over by anti-Treaty IRA forces while she was away. Her son, Charles Howard-Bury, a noted explorer and politician, would later inherit the estate.

This occupation was part of a broader pattern of IRA activity in April 1922, as tensions escalated following the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. Anti-Treaty units were actively seizing strategic buildings across Ireland—most notably the Four Courts in Dublin—marking a shift toward open defiance of the Provisional Government.

Though little is known about what occurred inside the castle during this time, the event underscores the broader unrest of the era and how iconic estates like Charleville became entangled in the conflict. As symbols of Anglo-Irish aristocracy, such properties often found themselves at the heart of the battle over Ireland’s political future.

For those curious to learn more about this turbulent period in Offaly’s history, check out this related article:🔗 The burning of Tullamore courthouse, jail and barracks by the anti-Treaty IRA on 20 July 1922