Henry Vivien Pierpont Conyngham, 8th Marquess Conyngham (born 25 May 1951), styled Viscount Slane until 1974 then Earl of Mount Charles from 1974 until 2009 and predominantly known as Lord Mount Charles, is an Anglo-Irish aristocrat who is best known for the rock concerts that he organises at his stately home Slane Castle, and for his column in the Irish Daily Mirror under the byline "Lord Henry". [1]
Henry Conyngham was born into an aristocratic family of partial Ulster-Scots descent, the eldest son of the 7th Marquess Conyngham (1924–2009) by his first wife, Eileen Wren Newsom. [2] The Conyngham dynasty historically belonged to what was known as the "Protestant Ascendancy", composed of Anglo-Irish aristocrats and gentry.
He attended Harrow School before studying at Harvard University. He became known as the Earl of Mount Charles, a courtesy title, in 1974. He succeeded his father in the marquessate of Conyngham and other hereditary peerages in March 2009 but, notably in Ireland, he is still frequently referred to as "Lord Mount Charles", his former courtesy title. He also inherited the title Baron Minster, of Minster Abbey in the County of Kent, created in 1821 in the Peerage of the United Kingdom for his ancestor, the 1st Marquess Conyngham (which gave the Marquesses Conyngham the automatic right to sit in the British House of Lords, until 1999).
Lord Conyngham and his wife, born Iona Grimston, divide their time between Beauparc House [3] [4] and Slane Castle in County Meath; the latter was the family's principal ancestral seat until it was badly damaged by fire in 1991, but has since been restored.
The then Lord Mount Charles unsuccessfully contested the Louth constituency for Fine Gael at the 1992 general election. [5]
In 1997, the then Lord Mount Charles stood for election to Seanad Éireann for the Dublin University constituency, again without success. [5] At the 2004 European Parliament election, he was approached by Fine Gael to enter the contest for selection as its candidate for the East constituency. [6] However, when the television presenter and agricultural journalist Maireád McGuinness emerged as a potential candidate, Mount Charles withdrew from the race. [6]
The Marquess Conyngham enjoys a high profile in Ireland as the author of a weekly column in the Irish Daily Mirror . [7] He has been dubbed the rock and roll aristocrat or the rock and roll peer , owing to the very successful series of rock concerts he hosted starting in 1981, [8] held in the natural amphitheatre adjacent to Slane Castle. [9] These concerts have included performances by The Rolling Stones, Thin Lizzy, Queen, U2, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Oasis and Madonna. Mountcharles received the Industry Award at the 2010 Meteor Awards. [10]
He has written an autobiography Public Space–Private Life: A Decade at Slane Castle, in which he described his business career and the challenges of being an Anglo-Irish peer in modern Ireland, and how being Anglo-Irish has gradually become more accepted in the Republic of Ireland.
In 2015, Lord Conyngham opened an Irish whiskey distillery in the former stableyard within the demesne of Slane Castle, and launched the "Slane Irish Whiskey" brand. [11]
In 1971, Conyngham married Juliet Ann Kitson, [12] daughter of Major Robert Richard Buller Kitson (Grenadier Guards) and English interior decorator and J. Paul Getty's lover [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] Penelope de László (née Steele, later Baroness Keith of Castleacre). They have three children, a daughter and two sons, and were divorced in 1985:
In 1985, Conyngham married Lady Iona Charlotte Grimston (born 1953), the youngest daughter of the 6th Earl of Verulam. They have a daughter:
Thomas Patrick John Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield, was an English photographer from the Anson family. He inherited the Earldom of Lichfield in 1960 from his paternal grandfather. In his professional practice he was known as Patrick Lichfield.
Earl of Lichfield is a title that has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (1831). The third creation is extant and is held by a member of the Anson family.
Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, styled Lord Paget between 1784 and 1812 and known as the Earl of Uxbridge between 1812 and 1815, was a British Army officer and politician. After serving as a member of parliament for Carnarvon and then for Milborne Port, he took part in the Flanders Campaign and then commanded the cavalry for Sir John Moore's army in Spain during the Peninsular War; his cavalry showed distinct superiority over their French counterparts at the Battle of Sahagún and at the Battle of Benavente, where he defeated the elite chasseurs of the French Imperial Guard. During the Hundred Days he led the charge of the heavy cavalry against Comte d'Erlon's column at the Battle of Waterloo. At the end of the battle, he lost part of one leg to a cannonball. In later life, he served twice as Master-General of the Ordnance and twice as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
Marquess Conyngham, of the County of Donegal, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1816 for Henry Conyngham, 1st Earl Conyngham. He was the great-nephew of another Henry Conyngham, 1st Earl Conyngham, a member of a family of Scottish descent which had settled during the Plantation of Ulster in County Donegal in Ireland in the early 17th century. The 'founder' of the dynasty in Ireland was The Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Cunningham, Dean of Raphoe. The earlier Henry was a member of both the Irish House of Commons and the British House of Commons and served as Vice-Admiral of Ulster and as Governor of the counties of Donegal and Londonderry. In 1753 he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Conyngham, of Mount Charles in the County of Donegal, and in 1756 he was created Viscount Conyngham, in Ireland, also in the Peerage of Ireland. In 1781 he was made Baron Conyngham, of Mount Charles in the County of Donegal, with remainder to his nephew Francis Burton, and Earl Conyngham, of Mount Charles in the County of Donegal, which like the creations of 1753 and 1756 was created with normal remainder to the heirs male of his body. The latter titles were also in the Peerage of Ireland. Lord Conyngham was childless and on his death in 1781 the barony of 1753, the viscountcy and earldom became extinct while he was succeeded in the barony of 1781 according to the special remainder by his aforementioned nephew Francis. He was the eldest son of Mary, sister of the first Earl Conyngham, by her husband Francis Burton. The new 2nd Baron Conyngham, who had earlier represented Killybegs and County Clare in the Irish House of Commons, assumed by Royal licence the surname and arms of Conyngham on succeeding to the titles.
Slane Castle is located in the village of Slane, within the Boyne Valley of County Meath, Ireland. The castle has been the family seat of the Conyngham family since it was built in the late 18th century, on land first purchased in 1703 by Brig.-Gen. Henry Conyngham.
Henry Burton Conyngham, 1st Marquess Conyngham,, known as The Lord Conyngham between 1787 and 1789, as The Viscount Conyngham between 1789 and 1797 and as The Earl Conyngham between 1797 and 1815, was an Ulster Scots people courtier and politician of the Regency period. He served as Lord Steward between 1821 and 1830.
The Slane Festival is a recurring concert held most years since 1981 on the grounds of Slane Castle on the outskirts of Slane in County Meath, Ireland. The castle is owned by The 8th Marquess Conyngham, who was known by the courtesy title the Earl of Mount Charles from 1974 until 2009. Slane lies between Navan and Drogheda, about 45 km northwest of Dublin. Concerts typically occur on a Saturday in August, from 12:00 to 22:00. The sloping grounds of Slane Castle form a natural amphitheatre which is ideal for concerts. As many as 70,000–110,000 people usually attend. One of the venue boundaries is the River Boyne. Two people died while trying to swim the river to gain free access to R.E.M.'s concert in 1995. The minimum age of admission to the Slane Festival was reduced in 2006 from 18 to 16 because of complaints.
Henry Bayly-Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge, known as Henry Bayly until 1769 and as Lord Paget between 1769 and 1784, was a British peer.
Francis Nathaniel Conyngham, 2nd Marquess Conyngham, KP, GCH, PC, styled Lord Francis Conyngham between 1816 and 1824 and Earl of Mount Charles between 1824 and 1832, was an Anglo-Irish soldier, courtier, politician and absentee landlord.
Mountcharles is a village and townland in the south of County Donegal, Ireland. It lies 6 km from Donegal Town on the Killybegs road (N56). It is situated in the civil parish of Inver and the historic barony of Banagh. The village's name is usually pronounced locally as 'Mount-char-liss'.
Charles Gordon, 10th Marquess of Huntly, styled Lord Strathavon from 1794 to 1836 and Earl of Aboyne from 1836 to 1853, was a Scottish peer, politician, courtier, and cricketer. He was a Member of Parliament, first as a Tory (1818–1830) and then a Whig.
George Horatio Cholmondeley, 2nd Marquess of Cholmondeley, PC, styled Viscount Malpas until 1815 and Earl of Rocksavage between 1815 and 1827, was a British peer and Lord Great Chamberlain of England between 1830 and 1838. Before being called to the House of Lords, he was a Tory Member of Parliament from 1817 through 1821.
John Grimston, 6th Earl of Verulam, styled the Honourable John Grimston until 1960, was an aristocratic Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) later becoming a member of the House of Lords.
Elizabeth Conyngham, Marchioness Conyngham, was an English courtier and noblewoman. She is thought to be the last mistress of George IV of the United Kingdom.
Henry Joseph Conyngham, Earl of Mount Charles, was an Ulster Scots Tory politician. He was heir to the Marquessate of Conyngham but died before his father.
Henry Conyngham, 1st Earl Conyngham PC was an Anglo-Irish nobleman and politician.
Francis Conyngham, 2nd Baron Conyngham was an Irish peer and politician.
Frederick William Henry Francis Conyngham, 7th Marquess Conyngham, known among friends and family as Mount, was an Anglo-Irish nobleman, landowner and British Army officer, who was styled Earl of Mount Charles until 1974.
George Henry Conyngham, 3rd Marquess Conyngham, styled Earl of Mount Charles from 1832 to 1876, was a British peer and soldier.
The Anson family is a British aristocratic family. Over time, several members of the Anson family were made knights, baronets and peers. Hereditary titles held by the Anson family include the earldom of Lichfield and the Anson baronetcy. Over time, several members of the family have risen to prominence, including Admiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson, PC, FRS (1697–1762) and the society photographer Patrick Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield (1939–2005).
