Acheson Moore and the Aughnacloy Thistle

In the 1750s, Acheson Moore, an eccentric Irish Jacobite planted his demesne in the shape of a thistle. You can still see the outline on Google Maps.

After reading (and writing) about Tullynally Castle and the Pakenham family that lives there, I bought Valerie Pakenham’s book  Big Houses of the Irish Countryside.

The book is beautifully illustrated and I love the format. It is almost entirely quotes or citations organized by topic and date. It offers a fresh way of looking at things I’ve read about for years.

This little piece is so mad I had to share.

An eccentric Irish Jacobite plants his park in the shape of a thistle, 1750s

Mr M__’ is Acheson Moore of Aughnacloy, Co. Tyrone. The outline of the thistle can still be seen in the fields from the air. Campbell also records that when he was in his eighties Moore became convinced that a young relative called Stuart was the rightful heir to the crown of England and changed his will to leave him his entire fortune, disinheriting his own children.

Born to a good estate, after receiving the best education this kingdom could give, Mr M__ made the tour of Europe; but Rome had such attractions, that it became his home for several years. There he engaged in such connections, as rendered him for ever estranged to his native country, and enthusiastically devoted to the house of Stuart, whose interest he not only maintained in conversation, but supported by his purse.

His ruling attachment marked his every action of this life. Instead of following nature, in ornamenting his demesne, he took up the whimsical thought of cutting it into the form of a thistle. I have it from a gentleman, who has often seen the park, that he cut a deep and wide trench, of a mile in circumference for the bulb of the flower, with double ramparts from thence, forming the petals, with clumps of trees representing the down; the avenue to his house was for the stalk, and the several fields branching from thence, and from each other, delineated the leaves. This indeed was madness, but you must allow there was method in it.

-Thomas Campbell, A Philosophical Survey of South of Ireland

So I looked for it on Google Maps.  What I at first thought was it on the little map on my phone couldn’t have been, because the description says that is a mile in circumference and what I saw was too small. I zoomed out and there it is, lableled The Thistle RAVELLEA

This is what it looks like from Ravella Rd. Nice that there aren’t the hedges and walls that usually obscure the views. The featured image is from Google Maps.

Acheson Moore and the Aughnacloy Thistle

I tried to find out more. Wikipedia has a half paragraph.

“Much of the town was built in the 18th Century by Acheson Moore, the local landlord. Because he backed the Jacobite cause, he planted his estate in the shape of a thistle and planned out the town on the edge of it.”
Aughnacloy, County Tyrone

And that’s about it. Everything I found says pretty much the same thing.

The Aughnacloy Community Pages section on History has a map and this.

The Aughnacloy Heritage Trail

Development and growth of Aughnacloy is largely due to the influence of the Moore family. A member of this family, Acheson Moore, returned from the Grand Tour of Europe in 1722 and this personal experience had a great impact on the design of both his estate and the town. The main street. focusing on the parish church, which he had built in 1736, was named Moore Street and adjoining streets were named after his three wives. His first wife, Sydney Wingfield, has given her name to Sydney street. Truagh Lane now named Ravella Road, was called Henrietta street. after his second wife and Lettice Street was named after his third wife. Lettice Simpson. also known as Back Street, Lettice street was once home to the Ball Alley, a landmark which was demolished, to make way for the recently built St Mary’s Primary School.

The Aughnacloy Thistle

When Acheson Moore returned from his grand tour of Europe in 1722, he laid out his desmesne, at Ravella, in the shape of a thistle. This was to show his sympathy to the Stuart cause. He cut a mile in circumference for the bulb of the flower, with double ramparts, from thence, forming the petals, with clumps of trees forming the down. The avenue to his house defined the stalk and several fields, branching off, delineated the leaves. This unique landmark has become a valued emblem of Aughnacloy’s history.

The Aughnacloy Heritage Trail

I’ve looked through all my books and none of them have Aughnacloy Thistle, Acheson Moore, Aughnacloy or even much at all listed for Co. Tyrone. There is just so much in Ireland, they can’t get to it all.

I really do recommend reading Big House in Ireland : An Illustrated Anthology by Valerie Pakenham. The writing is wonderful and there are a lot of illustrations. Keep in mind that most of these are not full color spreads. There are a lot of picture books of Ireland, but these old photos were never in color. If you want something you have not already read, this is a book for you.

Big House in Ireland by Valerie Pakenham on Amazon >
Big House in Ireland by Valerie Pakenham on eBay >