Invasion of Ireland: The Redmonds, Templar & Masonic ties at Ireland’s Most Haunted House
INVASION OF IRELAND: THE REDMONDS, TEMPLAR & MASONIC TIES AT IRELAND’S MOST HAUNTED HOUSE
Read the original post and view the photos on Facebook here
With Henry II of England's backing, Dermot MacMurrough petitioned the Anglo-Norman lords for assistance in invading Ireland. It was at this time that the Earl of Pembroke, Richard de Clare, later known as 'Strongbow', agreed to lead an army to Ireland.
Raymond (or Redmond) Fitz William FitzGerald (died 1185–1198), nicknamed Le Gros ("the Large"), was a Cambro-Norman commander (descended from Vikings), during the Norman invasion of Ireland. He led the French (Norman) invasion of Southern Ireland on the 23rd of August, 1170, and later Dublin, being among the first of a small band of Norman knights who landed on the South coast of Ireland Hook Peninsula, Co. Wexford) before being reinforced by a larger force led by Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. He was active consolidating Norman rule over Ireland before he retired to his estates in Waterford where he died in the late 12th century.
Raymond Le Gros ties in with my book on Loftus Hall, Ireland’s most haunted house on lands that were given to the Knights Templar in 1172, following the Norman invasion. Although there was never an official invasion by the Knights Templar, he would have come along with other families who were known already then to be Templar families such as De Lacy, which contradicts what has been written about Templar history in Ireland, as we are told that the first records of a Templar in Ireland are of “Matthew the Templar”, dating back to 1177. Together with other notable Templar families, as I’ll be sharing in upcoming lectures and books, the De Lacy family came to Ireland as early as 1168-69 and would hold many Templar properties in Ireland, including the Knights Templar Preceptory at Clontarf Castle where I’ll be shortly, built already in 1172.
But going back to Raymond Le Gros and the first Redmonds, a castle was built in 1180 as a fist residence near where I lived for over 4 years in the Hook Peninsula, about a mile or so away from Redmond Hall (as Loftus Hall was known). When the castle fell into disrepair, his descendants built a second castle to be known as Redmond Hall. They would reside there from 1350 until 1660’s when it was confiscated by Cromwell and later given to the Loftus family in 1666 (who were Freemasons and relatives of Duke Philip Wharton, Dublin Rathfarnham branch of the Loftus Family, founder of the Hellfire Club in Dublin and various masonic lodges in Europe including the Madrid lodge. The Redmonds had their ancestral home taken from them “by plunder and disloyalty” and never forgot it, as can be seen from the photo taken of the note I discovered in one of the original property surveys by Fritzell dating back to 1771; a note that was left by John Redmond MP on the 13th April, 1900 clearly showing that the depth of this old wound “Loftus Hall it was and Redmond Hall it is, taken by plunder and disloyalty”. Redmond was a Freemason and was famous for his achievement of delivering Home Rule to Ireland. He was buried in the Redmond Mausoleum in downtown Wexford, in St. John’s graveyard. This extensive graveyard occupies the site of the medieval Church and Hospital of Saint John, founded in the early 13th century by William Marshall, the builder of Tintern Abbey, Co Wexford, and Hook lighthouse (the Greatest Knight that ever lived). It was given to the Knights of Saint John by his son, the younger William Marshall. To this day, I would agree with the above statement about “Redmond Hall” and I stand with the Redmonds and have shared this with a few local Redmond descendants who have become friends.
After I published my book on Ireland’s most haunted house, Loftus Hall, and shared the Templar story of those lands and connection to Freemasonry through the families and the Hall’s architecture, ignored for centuries (and which aligned to ley lines and the milky way, illustrating the hermetic principle “as above, so below”) I was asked by some locals about Le Gros’ final resting place. It wasn’t known that he was buried locally where other Redmonds could be found, and there were conflicting opinions, but as always, the Templars always seemed to find me. By chance, following the pandemic and those years that paralysed the world, including my own life, when I came back to it, it wasn’t long before I was drawn to the South of Ireland and deciding to take some time off for a weekend, I stumbled the day before on what I thought could be his last resting place. In addition, some possible Templar properties and a site that had been subject to a lot of debate, Rin Crew.
According to tradition he was buried in Molana Abbey, which is in Co. Waterford bordering Co. Cork and which I visited in early 2023 (see photos). On doing some research, I found a site on a promontory that had been subject to a lot of debate as to whether or not it was Templar and also the Knights Templar Preceptory of TempleMichael, next to the romantic ruins of Molana Abbey, where I found a plaque commemorating Raymond Le Gros, stating that this was his last resting place. On further research and after visiting, and closely inspecting these sites, perhaps a little closer than I like; to the horror of a local historian and farmer as well as a friend who was filming, I actually “tumble-weeded” all the way down the hill at Rin Crew, just weeks after I was out of a cast following a double leg fracture. I was fine, just a little dirty and covered in mud, but my son knows that’s the usual when I go out to play and “research”. I will de describing these sites in detail in my upcoming books on the Knights Templar, but see the photos attached. The three sites mentioned were given to the Knights Templar already back in 1172 by Raymond Le Gros for the purpose of establishing a preceptory (Rin Crew) and this can be found in various historical sources as pointed to me by a Trinity College professor and in various reliable sources including archaeological research shared with me and book by Michael John Carroll “The Knights Templar and Ireland”. Also, if one looks beyond the borders of Ireland, it is easy to see how Rin Crew is almost identical to UNESCO world heritage site of the ruins of the Knights Templar Commandery of Choirokoitia in Cyprus (see photo). The later built TempleMichael Preceptory and church, next to Rin Crew was bought by Sir Walter Raleigh who established a Mysticism/Initiation College there and as for Molana Abbey, which was also on Templar lands, it would make sense that the first Redmond to ever arrive to Ireland would be buried on Templar land as the Redmonds were Templar.
From Wikipedia, Raymond Le Gros is described by Giraldus Cambrensis as:
"very stout, and a little above the middle height; his hair was yellow and curly, and he had large, grey round eyes. His nose was rather prominent, his countenance high-coloured, cheerful, and pleasant; and, although he was somewhat corpulent, he was so lively and active that the incumbrance was not a blemish or inconvenience. Such was his care of his troops that he passed whole nights without sleep, going the rounds of the guards himself, and challenging the sentinels to keep them on the alert. . . He was prudent and temperate, not effeminate in either his food or his dress. He was a liberal, kind, and circumspect man; and although a daring soldier and consummate general, even in military affairs prudence was his highest quality."
Raymond is considered the soldier, whereas Strongbow was the statesman, of the conquest. He is also remembered in song. The song contains a detailed hymn, and stylized him a hero:
Dirrai vus de un Chevaler,
Reymund le Gros l'oï nomer.
Barun esteit icIL vaillant,
Vassal hardi e conquerant.
Asez ert riches Manant e
E le plus puissant de ses pers.
Conestable est Reymun
De la Leynestere regïun.
Chevalers retint e bone gent
par le commandement Cunte.
Chevalers tint e souders,
Archers, serjanz e poigners,
Pur mettre a hunte ea Bellei
De Yrlande les enemis le rei.
Translated: I will tell you of a knight named Raymond le Gros. He was a brave Baron, a brave and victorious follower. He was very rich and powerful, counting the mightiest to his peers. Raymond Constable is the region of Leinster. He holds the knights and good men under the command of Count. He recruited soldiers and knights, archers, infantry, and mercenaries to hunt the king's enemies in Ireland and to shame.
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Taking a moment to thank the Redmonds always for their wisdom and guidance from beyond the grave. As soon as the land is once again covered in a blanket of green and the sun shines, Chevalier Raymonde je reviendrai vous rendre visite…