Foxhall.

The land of Foxhall estate originally belonged to the O'Farrells, who lived in Rathreagh Castle. (Rath Riabhach means grey, or speckled fort) Sir Patrick Fox obtained the land and castle somehow, and both were officially passed to Sir Patrick's son Nathaniel in 1622, under Surrender and Regrant. The Foxes remained as landlords there until the 19th. century. Rathreagh was the old name of the parish, and it was Nathaniel who changed the name to Foxhall. The Fox estate was worked by cottiers and small farmers.

Foxhall House was an extremely large three-storey house built in the 1700's on the ruins of old O'Farrell castle. It was rated among the most valuable houses in Longford at that time. It had ornamental walls and ceilings, and had 20 windows in front. They had their coat of arms built into a triangular shape above a third floor window. The house had an oval shaped dining room. The house was demolished in the 1946. They also had an impressive orchard, surrounded by a high wall.

A lawn fronted the building where they held picnics and parties. A sunken ditch, three feet below ground level, runs down the center of a ten-acre field in front. This type of boundary ditch is called a ha-ha and was added by Richard Maxwell Fox, a Member of Parliament. It served to keep the cattle from grazing too close to the front door of the house, but did not spoil the view . Richard Maxwell Fox owned 4172 acres, and was known as a good and kind employer during the Famine.


The Stone Man of Foxhall


Nathaniel Fox (1588 - 1634) ordered a small church to be built. It measures only 13' X 18', and is now in ruins. Inside the Church lies a statue which is known locally as the Stone Man of Foxhall.

Local legend tells that Nathaniel Fox, stated in his will that a monument be erected in his honour. Statues of himself and his wife were commissioned in France. When the statues were being shipped to Ireland, a terrible storm arose in the Bay of Biscay and the ship was in danger of sinking. It was decided to allow the statue of his wife to be thrown overboard, but not Nathaniel's! His statue, a full size figure clad in armour, with an engraving of the crest and coat of arms of the Fox family now lies over his tomb in the old Church in Foxhall, but his head and leg are missing.


This is a translation of the latin inscription over the tomb.

Here lies Nathaniel Fox, founder of this church, eldest son and heir of Patrick Fox of Moyvore in Co Westmeath, who had as wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Wallir Hussey of Moyhussey Knight. By whom he had 8 sons and 5 daughters, of whom 8 sons and 3 daughters survived. Patrick, son of the aforesaid Nath, sole heir, had as wife, Barbara, daughter of Lord Patrick Plunkett, Baron of Dunsany. The same Nath and Elizabeth lived for 25 years as man and wife, and he died at Rathreagh, 2nd Feb. AD 1634, aged 46.
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