Cousin Simeon Perry sent me this note about his recent visit to our mutual McCausland cousins on their estate at Limavady near Londonderry in the north of Ireland.

“I have been visiting North of Ireland since my student days. I shared a house with a number of Irish girls and have been visiting them and their families since. Portrush, where one family live I visited often, is not far from Limavady. 

Drenagh had formed some mythology in our family. Mum (Bridget Perry, née Gibbs) had spoken about Marcus being shot dead by the IRA in 1972 (the first RUC officer to be killed).  She also spoken about holidays as a child there. I also recall Mark Thompson-McCausland talking about Drenagh, on the many times I visited him.

I recall watching a 2022 TV documentary on how Conolly was restoring the garden (after decades of neglect and bankruptcy): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0d8nvdz. Debbie (my wife) is very keen on gardening, so I knew she would have an interest in the gardens.

So, if not before time, I took the plunge, and contacted Conolly for a short visit en route back from a holiday in Donegal to Belfast.

Conolly and Gill were most welcoming. Conolly gave us a tour of the walled garden and estate. Unfortunately, due to weddings occurring in the house, we could not go in there. Another visit needed. It was lovely engaging with Conolly and Gill.  They have developed a v good café in the Orangery, gift shop and the house is outsourced as a Wedding venue.

A history of the house and gardens is here: https://drenagh.com/history-of-the-gardens/ – I would strongly recommend a visit.

Conolly and Gill also offer cottage based accommodation if required. https://drenagh.com/accommodation/ … “

Our great-grandfather, Reginald Gibbs, married Lucia McCausland at Drenagh in 1899. I have brought this old photo of their wedding to life with a bit of AI magic, taken on the steps at the font of the house.

This family tree shows our web of links. Simeon’s father, John Perry is also descended from Laura St John’s father, so his parents are 3rd cousins of each other, both connected to the McCauslands. Conolly Robert McCausland married Margaret Edgcumbe, a sister of Hilaria Gibbs (our great Aunt Laire) who was married to our grandfather Rev. Michael McCausland Gibbs’s brother Lieut. Colonel Denis Gibbs.