Mayo Letter of the Week: Admiral Brown was born in Foxford, not Castlebar

Sir,

I REFER and wish to respond to an article that was included in a recent edition of your paper, dated Tuesday, November 29, under the title 'Admiral Brown was born in Castlebar – not Foxford' by Tom Gillespie.

This article stems from a previous article that appeared in your paper on September 20, 1913.

The article states that 'there is authentic proof that he was born at Rahins'.

However, no proof has been offered to substantiate this claim, in either article.

It is true that Rahins was the seat of a Brown family but there is no documented evidence to associate this family with that of Admiral William Brown.

I would like to avail of this opportunity to clarify and share a few facts with your readership.

In September 1855, Admiral Brown presented his memoirs to General Bartholome Mitre, who later became President of Argentina.

They chiefly outlined his naval career and achievements in various naval battles.

However, he did state that he was born in Foxford on June 22, 1777.

It was also documented that he visited his native Foxford in 1847 in the company of his daughter at the height of the Great Hunger and stayed with his brother, who still resided there.

During a visit to Buenos Aires in 2019, I visited 'Casa Amarilla', a replica of Admiral Brown's house.

It serves as the headquarters of the Browniano Nacional Instituto, including a museum dedicated to the memory of Admiral Brown.

Among the many artefacts, I was delighted to view a black walking cane, with carved shamrocks along is length, which was presented to him during his visit to Foxford in 1847.

In his book entitled The Last Invasion of Ireland – When Connacht Rose, author Richard Hayes stated that Fr. James Brown was Parish Priest in Foxford during the insurrection of 1798 and was jailed for complicity.

He later escaped and sought refuge in the picturesque village of Glanduff, a few miles to the east of Foxford.

It is believed that Fr. Brown was an uncle to Admiral William Brown and was very influential in his formative childhood years growing up in the town.

Finally, Admiral Brown's mausoleum commands a prominent place in the famous Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires and clearly states that he was born in Foxford.

In conclusion, and in view of the facts as outlined above, I contend that the greatest proof must lie in the testimony of the honourable Admiral's assertion that he was indeed born in Foxford, Co. Mayo.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Murphy,

Irish Delegate,

Browniano Nacional Institute, Buenos Aires,

Foxford, Co. Mayo.