Americans experience La Touche

A group of 21 young American sociology students visited Harristown House last weekend as part of a trip to the areas of Carnalway and Brannockstown associated with the La Touche family.



The students were from two colleges, Hobart & William Smith College in Geneva, NY, and its associated Union College, Schenectady, NY. Since August they have been studying in NUI Galway with visiting Professor of Sociology at Hobart & William Smith, Jim Spates.

"We're in Ireland for just one semester and what I'm trying to do in association with their studies is give them as much a sesne of Ireland as I can," Professor Spate told the Diary. "So we've had weekend visits to Dublin, Cork, Derry and Belfast in Northern Ireland, and to Carraroe in Connemara."

The trip to Kilcullen came about because of Professor Spates's personal interest in the painter John Ruskin, who had a strong association with the La Touche family through his friendship with the daughter of the family, Rose.

"Because of my interest in Ruskin, I have known Robert and Olive Dunlop of Brannockstown for some time, and through them I met Hubert Beaumont and his wife at Harristown. I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to give the students a personal history of a big house and the history and stories attached to it."




The visit began with a visit to the La Touche Mausoleum, located outside the graveyard at St Patrick's Church at Carnalway. Pastor Robert Dunlop gave some details of the history of the family, and Hubert Beaumont then gave a reading of Rose La Touche's description of the burial of her Uncle William there.



Afterwards the party went back to the church, where Pastor Dunlop spoke at length about the La Touches, before all retired to Harristown for refreshments.

"It was a most memorable visit," Pastor Dunlop commented.

Brian Byrne.