Looking Back: The Visit of the Duke and Duchess of Connaught

Yesterday the Duke and Duchess of Connaught had a quiet day at the Curragh. They went for a carriage drive in the afternoon, and in the morning were present for a short time at the divisional exercise, when the troops were paraded, and went through some drill.

This divisional parade takes place about two or three times in the week during the summer months and it is quite a usual matter of course affair at the Curragh. Yesterday it possessed no feature out of the common, but the early portion of the manoeuvres were a little concentrated, so as to give the Royal visitors an opportunity of seeing an interesting field parade.

In the afternoon their Royal Highnesses drove out, accompanies by Field Marshall Lord Roberts and Lady Roberts. The weather was most enjoyable, a cool breeze from the north-west tempering the heat of the sun. In moving through the Curragh they drove near Donnelly's Hollow, and the site of the famous fisticuff encounter was pointed out. The drive included a brief visit to Newbridge cavalry barracks, and led past French Furze and on towards the Liffey to a point from which a view was obtained of the Round Tower of Kilcullen and of the immense fortifications of Knockaulin, where the Kings of Leinster had their residence, and where a hundred years ago the insurgents were encamped and sustained the charge of the English troops. The drive of the Royal visitors was unexpected, and was not marked by any demonstration, their presence being in fact not known.

In the interval between the divisional field manoeuvres and the luncheon the Duke of Connaught resumed his inspection of the men's quarters at the Curragh Camp, and expressed himself pleased at the arrangements.

Today, the Royal visitors will return to England.

— Freeman's Journal, 05.07.1899.

(Credit to Dave Byrne, who trawled through the files of the old newspapers for reports about or around Kilcullen.)

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