Publications | Down Survey | 2001 Issue Contents

A Robe of the Order of St Patrick
Noreen Cunningham and Madeleine McAllister

The Robe of the Order of St Patrick is one of Newry Museum's most prized possessions and one of the few robes of its kind on permanent display in Ireland. In October 1999 it was noted that the weight of the breast star was pulling the fabric of the mantle downwards. Grant-aid was secured from the Northern Ireland Museums Council, and Madeleine McAllister subsequently carried out conservation work on the robe in February 2000.

The Robes of the Order of Saint Patrick

Established by George III in 1783, the Order of St Patrick was the State Order of Ireland. It was granted as a reward for services to the government in Ireland and was a prestigious feature of Anglo-Irish society. Membership of the Order was restricted to the Irish Peerage and at no time did the Order's Membership exceed 40 knights. Elevation to the Order was on the death of a Knight, and there was usually more than one candidate waiting to fill the post. With the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922 the Order went into a state of abeyance. The last knight was Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (Earl of Ulster) who died in 1974. Richard Needham donated the Robes to Newry Museum1 in 1989 in recognition of his family's longstanding connection with the Newry and Mourne area. He is the 6th Earl of Kilmorey, the seventeenth Viscount Kilmorey, and the fifth Viscount Newry and Mourne, although he does not use his peerage.2

The Needham association with Newry began with the death of Nicholas Bagenal in 1712. This marked the end of the Bagenal dynasty that for over one hundred and fifty years had ruled the town of Newry. The iirst Nicholas Bagenal, who became Marshall of the Army in Ireland by 1547, was granted 'The Newreye' in 1550 for a period of 21 years. In that year a document was drawn up granting him the lands formerly owned by Newry's Cistercian Abbey and all civil authority and rights previously exercised by the monks. By these means Nicholas Bagenal became Hereditary Abbot of the Exempt Jurisdiction of Newry and Mourne, a title that has passed down the centuries to the Needhams. Nicholas is credited with improving Newry as a town³, and in 1578 built St Patrick's Church, the first purpose-built Protestant church in Ireland. He died in 1590 and was buried in this church; contemporary accounts relate that his funeral was an impressive spectacle with between three and four thousand people present. The Bagenal plaque, with his name and coat of arms, is situated in the porch of St Patrick's Church.⁴

The last Nicholas Bagenal is credited with rebuilding Newry from the ruins of the 1689 fire. When he died in 1712 without male issue, his estates and wealth were willed jointly to Edward Bayley (or Baylie) and to Robert Nedham. Their exact relationship to him is uncertain5 but they were probably either cousins or son-in-laws or given the marriage customs of the time - possibly both.       The 3rd Earl of Kilmorey pictured wearing the Robes (photo courtesy Newry Museum)

Initially the property was jointly held, but in 1715 it was divided between the two heirs. Edward Bayley took the lands on the western side of Carlingford Lough, County Louth and Robert Nedham retained the rest, including the old lordships of Newry and Mourne, incorporating the town of Newry. Robert Nedham did much to make the town prosper, building quays and warehouses, and by the middle of the 18th century Newry was one of the busiest ports in Ireland. In 1806 William Nedham died leaving no immediate family, apart from a nephew who in some way had displeased him. In what some have called a 'whimsical' act he willed his estate to a distant cousin, Robert Needham, Viscount Kilmorey, of Shavington, in Shropshire. William Needham was the direct descendant of a younger brother of the first Viscount Robert (created Viscount Kilmorey in 1625) to whose direct descendant Robert the tenth Viscount, William, left his estates ⁶ The new Needhams lost no time in involving themselves in the political affairs of Newry. The Viscount's brother and heir, the Honourable Francis Needham, opposed Isaac Corry in the general elections of 1806, and emerged from the contest as the MP for the borough. When Parliament was dissolved the following year Needham retained his seat, and he served as MP until 1818. With the death of his brother in 1818, Francis inherited the Viscountcy and in 1822 he was created Viscount Newry and Mourne and Earl of Kilmorey (I). It is these Needhams from whom the last owner of the Robe of the Order of St Patrick descends.

Francis Charles Needham, 3rd Earl of Kilmorey, was born in London on 2 August 1842 to Francis Jack Needham and Anne Amelia. Educated at Eton and Harrow, his interests were 'many and varied'.⁷ As a young man he had fought on the Northern or Union side during the American Civil War, he had travelled widely in the 'Colonies', and his hobbies included hunting on his Irish estates, sport and drama.

He became High Sheriff for County Down in 1871, a Conservative MP for Newry from 1871 to 1874 and a representative peer for Ireland in 1881. The distinction of becoming a Knight of the Order of St Patrick was a much-coveted honour and the 3rd Earl was nominated for the Order on the 22 April 1890 and invested on the 24 May 1890.⁸ The Earl was strongly opposed to Gladstone's Home Rule Bill and with other members of his family was involved in the foundation of the South Down Ulster Volunteer Force in 1912.⁹ He died in London in 1915 and was buried at Kilkeel, County Down.

The Needhams re-entered Newry politics in September 1985 with the appointment of Richard Needham as Minister of the Environment at the Northern Ireland Office. As Minister he had a wide remit including Transport, Trade and Industry, Health and Social Security, and had direct responsibility for Newry and Mourne District Council.

No doubt this was a nostalgic return to an area where he had family ties and to which he has title. It was during this period that Mr Needham donated his greatgrandfather's Robes of Che Order of St Patrick, which he had recently inherited. That the Robes were deposited in Newry and Mourne Museum is in no small way due to the persuasive powers of the then Chairman of the Newry and Mourne District Council, Mr Eugene Markey.¹⁰

At the official presentation of the Regalia Mr Needham said that it would 'have been quite impossible to have the robes there were it not for the generosity of the Anleys and Goughs with whom he shared a great grandfather. They had allowed him to have the robes and to present them to the Museum.¹¹

The Regalia donated consisted of a silk mantle and cordon, a vestigial hood and a mantle star. The Order colours are 'sky-blue' and the star has the arms of the Order and is attached at breast level to the left-hand side of the mantle. The star has a red saltire on a white background; superimposed on this is a green shamrock with a crown on each of the three leaves, and encircled with a blue riband which has the lettering QUIS SEPARABIT (who shall separate) and the date of the Order MDCCLXXXIII. On the reverse of the star is a piece of paper with the Earl's name and maker's name Robinson and Steel of 11 Dawson Street, Dublin and the date May/2/1890. Included with the donation is a photograph of the 3rd Earl of Kilmorey wearing the regalia, also a tin box, which held the robes. A pair of blue velvet slippers, embroidered with a Viscount Coronet and the letters N&M (Newry & Mourne), personally owned by Richard Needham, were also donated.

The mantle and star, as the Knight purchased them, were his property. The Collar and badge of the Knight, as featured in the photograph, were purchased by the Treasury and were returned when a Knight died.

Noreen Cunningham

The conservation and display of the Mantle and Star of a Knight of
the Order of St Patrick

The mantle is made from pale blue-green grosgrain silk, fully lined with ivory silk. The trimmings are of the same materials. It measures 153.4 cm front neck to hem, and 170 cm back neck to hem, the excess length being formed into a train. The cordon is approximately 410 cm long and made of blue silk and gold thread, with large tassels of the same materials. The mantle star is 24.1 cm point to point. It is made of silverplated copper, with the central coat of arms in coloured enamels.

The mantle and star are generally in good condition. The colour of the mantle has faded slightly, notably on the shoulders and arms. The hood and its heavy trimmings had been incomectly attached at some time, placing strain on the right shoulder of the mantle and distorting the shape of the hood. The ribbon trim on the left shoulder had also become disarranged. The cordon with large tassels, used to close the mantle, was in good condition if somewhat worn. It was apparent that the weight of the silverplated star had caused some damage to the fabric of the mantle, probably while in use.

The silverplate on the star was slightly tarnished and worn in places, probably by over-enthusiastic cleaning in the past. There was a residue of powder type silver polish lodged in the decorative surfaces.

The main consideration in the conservation and display of the mantle and star was the prevention of any further damage to the mantle by the star. While it would have been possible to display them separately, it was felt that this would destroy their integrity, and that their display should conform as closely as possible to the accompanying photograph of the 3rd Earl of Kilmorey wearing the robes. In use, the star was attached to the robe by passing tape through small loops on the back of the four largest rays, then through eyelets let into the mantle and tying off inside the lining of the mantle. This meant that the full weight of the star was supported by the fabric on the left side of the mantle, considerably affecting the 'hang' of the fabric and causing wear and eventual tearing of the fabric.

It was intended to display the mantle on a male mannequin torso, and it was preferable that the weight of the star should be carried by this, rather than the mantle. This could most easily be done by suspending the star in situ from the shoulders and neck of the mannequin underneath the mantle with conservation grade cotton tape, using white cotton thread to attach the tape through the lining to the loops on the star. The hood was detached to remove the rusting pins which had previously been used, and reattached to the mantle with white cotton thread, using the photograph as a guide to its correct positioning. It was felt that the weight of the hood and its ornate trimmings could also cause problems, so they were supported by a similar arrangement to the insignia. The heavy cordon was also supported at the neck by attachment to cotton tape.

The silverplating on the star would have been damaged further by the use of polish or other cleaners, so polish residues were removed as much as possible with a Groomstick nonabrasive absorbtive cleaner. Tarnish was removed by buffing gently with a soft lintfree cloth. The enamel badge required no conservation.

The photograph showed that the mantle was intended to be worn over a uniform or other clothing. The mannequin was padded with polyester wadding to give it the necessary bulk, and to help the mantle to hang properly. The mannequin, with mantle and star, was placed in a suitable display case. The height of the mannequin was adjusted so that the front hem of the mantle did not touch the floor, and acid free tissue paper was put under the train to prevent direct contact with the floor. The folds of fabric were given a final adjustment to display the regalia to its best advantage. The levels of visible and ultra violet light, temperature and humidity were maintained to museum standards.

Madeleine McAllister

There are a number of items relating to the Order of St Patrick held in other museums and institutions in Ireland:

National Museum and Galleries of Northern Ireland Ulster Museum
In storage two Order of St Patrick mantles worn by
the Earl of Shaftesbury (invested 1911 ) and Lord Londonderry as Grand Master (1886-89).
Most of the following items relating to the Order are on display -
Two collars, one unofficial, silver gilt, the other the normal gold.
Two breast stars c 1820, and the other c 1870. A gold knight's badge
Knights' badge with agate cameo, c1860.
Grand Master's badge, worn by Earl Talbot, 1817. Two miniature Grand Master's badges, one late 19th century, the other 1921. Prelate's badge, 1817. Miniature Prelate's badge, 1834.
Badge of the Usher of the Black Rod, c1879.
There are also a number of associated items, including a print for the first installation dinner, statutes and medals for the installations of 1821 and 1863.

Genealogical Office, Dublin
Mantle and Star are on display, previously the property of the Earl of Donoughmore. There is also a sword exhibited with the regalia.
Two ivory handled swords crossed beneath a large carved representation of the Order insignium also on display.
In storage is another mantle in poor condition, owner unknown, and boxes believed to be those which held the more important pieces stolen in Sir Arthur Vicar's time. There is also a police poster offering a reward of £1,000 for information leading to their recovery.

National Gallery, Dublin
Diamond Star of the Order formerly owned by the sixth Earl of Milltown.

National Museum of Ireland, Dublin
Robes of Luke Gerald Dillon, 4th Baron Clonbrock created the 122nd Knight of the Order on 29 August 1900.

The mantle, hood and cord were in their original tin box with the name 'Robinson & Steele, Military Tailors to His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, 11 Dawson St, Dublin'.

St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
Stall Plates and banners.

Noreen Cunningham is Curator of Newry and Mourne Museum and Madeleine McAllister is Assistant Keeper of Collections at Down County Museum.

1.	Regalia donated 21/2/89, accession number NMM: 1989.
2.	Personal Communication from Richard Needham to Tony Canavan dated llth January 1990. See J F Small, Newriensis, 7177, for summary of Nicholas Bagenal's proposed plans for the town of Newry.
3.	See J F Small Newriensis, 71-77 for summary of Nicholas Bagenal's proposed plans for the town of Newry.
4.	Nicholas Bagenal's residence in Newry, a tower house, also survives in the former McCann's Bakery premises on Castle Street.
5.	See the Family Tree contained in ~cissitudes of Anglo-Irish Family, 1530-1800 by Philip H Bagenal (1926).
6.	Personal Communication from Mr Richard Needham to Tony Canavan, 11 January 1990.
7.	Times obituary notice, a section of which is enclosed in H A Doubleday and H de Walden, The Complete Peerage, 264.
8.	A list of the Knights Companions of the Order is contained in Appendix 3 of Peter Galloway's The most Illustrious Order - The Order of St. Patrick and its Knights.
9.	Personal Communication from Richard Needham to Tony Canavan dated 11 January 1990.
10.	See R Needham, Battling for Peace 239.
11.	Newry Reporter 6th April 1989.

	T Canavan, Frontier Town, An Illustrated History of Newry (1989). H A Doubleday and H de Walden, (ed), The Complete Peerage, vol VII (1929).
	P Galloway, The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick 1783-1983 ( 1983).
	P Galloway, The Most Illustrious Order, The Order of St Patrick and its Knights (1999).
	C Kidd, and D Williamson, (Ed), Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990).
	R Needham, 8attling For Peace, Richard Needham, Northern Ireland's Longest-serving British Minister (1998). Newry Museum, Notes of various dates.
	J F Small, Newriensis, Historical Sketch of Newry (1875).