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Kellistown House
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Source of
image: Google Street View Maps
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Elizabeth
Pack-Beresford.
The house in
question was known as Kellistown Cottage or The
Glebe house. During the War of Independence the
house was set on fire by volunteers of the Irish
Republican Army after it was discovered that
Elizabeth had acted as informer to the Crown forces
regarding I.R.A. activity in the area.
Elizabeth and
her sister Annette were ordered out of the house and
warned to leave Ireland or both of them would be
shot, indeed Elizabeth was lucky to escape with her
life. An effort was made to burn Fenagh House but it
was unsuccessful, the days of "Hanging Gale
Beresford" were not forgotten!. de Valera was
against the burning of "The Big Houses" stating in
1922 - "Terroristic methods may silence those of our
opponents who are cowards, but many of them are very
far from being cowards, and attempts at terrorism
will only stiffen the bold men amongst them. I am
against such methods on principle, and believe we
will never win this war unless we attach the people
to our Government by contrast with theirs.
The
recent burnings were, in my opinion, puerile and
futile from a military or any other point of view.
We must on no account allow our contest to be
sullied by stupid and foolish action on the part of
individuals who may never look to the consequences,
not to speak of the morality or justice of what they
are doing."
It is believed that Erskine Childers
was a major influence on de Valera regarding his
policy on the "burnings" and in his dealings with
"The Gentry", this was confirmed to me some years
ago by Robert Browne-Clayton when he relayed a story
concerning Browne's Hill estate in Carlow.
Source: Michael
Purcell
