Why we have a monument to the Duke of Wellington in Tipperary

Irish Examiner

28-07-2025

At the highest point of the Grange Crag Loop in County Tipperary, walkers may be surprised to discover an odd-to-behold structure whose purpose appears to defy rational explanation. To uncover the story of why it was constructed, we must transport ourselves back to the end of the 18th century and a turbulent time in Irish history.
Having survived centuries of rebellion and conflict, the Protestant Ascendancy were, at this time, feeling somewhat secure. Having enjoyed 80 years of relative peace, they now felt comfortable enough to assert themselves. Surfing a huge wave of popular enthusiasm and supported by the threat of violence if his demands were not met, Henry Grattan, leader of the Irish Patriot Party, secured an Independent Irish parliament in 1782.
Kilcooley House
One of his strongest supporters was William Barker of Kilcooley House, County Tipperary. A Whig (Liberal) MP, he also favoured the emancipation of Catholics from penal laws and some easements were immediately granted by the new legislature. This led to fears in Britain that allowing full voting rights for Catholics would create a hostile parliament in Ireland.
Then came the French Revolution and the abolition of the hereditary aristocracy in France, with many of its members executed or forced to flee. Drawing upon the egalitarian ideas of revolutionary France, the radical United Irishmen soon espoused a similar idea: a republic where there would be no inherited privilege. The subsequent 1798 rebellion, which was supported by a French invasion of Ireland and had atrocities committed by both sides, shook the Irish aristocracy to its core.
With an understandable human desire to keep their heads attached to their bodies, the ascendancy classes were now looking to Britain for safety. If this meant reestablishing a parliamentary union with Britain, it seemed a small price to pay. Forced to flee to England during the 1798 Rebellion, it is perhaps unsurprising that Sir William Barker changed his mind and voted for the perceived security afforded by an Act of Union with Britain.
The Wellington Monument in Phoenix Park
The fear remained, however, that Napoleon would invade Ireland and create a Catholic state for a Catholic people. Doubtless, a sigh of relief was emitted by the Protestant Ascendancy when 'The Little General' was defeated by the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo. Monuments to the Duke were built by the much-relieved Irish aristocracy in Dublin's Phoenix Park; in Trim, County Meath; and by Sir William Barker at Grange, County Tipperary.
The Wellington Monument, Grange. Picture: John G O'Dwyer
To access this Tipperary monument, start from the carpark at the entrance to the Grange Crag Loop, located about six kilometres south of Urlingford. Follow the woodland tracks to reach an incongruous-looking building that once served as the deep freeze for Kilcooley House. Blocks of ice were cut from frozen ponds and transported to what was known as the icehouse, where they were stacked between layers of straw to create a microclimate where food would be preserved.
Next, continue to a three-way junction where the arrows lead right. Ascend to another junction, where a sharp left joins a forestry road that ascends for about a kilometre to an intersection where the way is right.
View of magnificently carved doorway in south transept at Kilcooly Abbey, County Tipperary. /taken from Ancient Ireland: Exploring Irish Historic Monuments by Tarquin Blake and Fiona Reilly, published by The Collins Press, 2013
Soon after, a track on the left takes you steeply uphill to reach the aforementioned Wellington Monument. Such edifices are generally referred to as follies, but mostly they served a purpose. Not only does this monument commemorate the Duke of Wellington, it also provides a focal point to draw people to a high point where they would be impressed by fine views of the Kilcooley Estate and the nearby Cistercian monastery. A daughter house of Holycross Abbey, it was built on land granted by Donal Mór O'Brien, the last king of Munster but was later dissolved following the English Reformation. Its extensive estates then passed to the Earls of Ormonde until purchased later by the Barker family.
Nearby, but almost obscured among woodlands, the great house at Kilcooley was first built in the late 18th century. Now in a sad state of decay, the present-day Palladian mansion dates from 1843 and was constructed after a great fire in 1839 destroyed the original structure. This conflagration began when a butler, who had been dismissed from his employment by the then-owner of Kilcooley, William Barker Ponsonby, set one of the chimneys alight — so the old saying "always keep the butler onside" seems appropriate here.
Walkers on Grange Crag Loop. Picture: John G O'Dwyer
Soon, the views are obscured when you enter mature broadleaf woodland and swing right to descend by a stream and exit onto a track. Continue (left) following green and purple arrows along the woodland track for almost one kilometre. Follow the walking arrows sharply right and then take the next left, which allows you re-join your outward route after an outing of about two hours.
Afterwards, as an added treat, quench your thirst in the old-world charm of Hogan's pub, Grange village.