Glenveagh Castle caretaker Mary Nelis retires after 49 years of service

Mary Nelis has retired after 49 years of working at Glenveagh Castle, one of Donegal’s most iconic landmarks.

Nel​is first arrived at the estate on 10 May 1977, aged 17, when the castle was still the private home of its last owner, Henry McIlhenny, an American art collector who bought the property in 1937. She began in the castle kitchen, later moving “upstairs” to tend rooms for distinguished guests, and was appointed caretaker in 1983 when McIlhenny left the estate.

During her tenure Nel​is also served as a visitor guide, sharing Glenveagh’s history with tourists. She walked the roughly four kilometres from her home to the castle each morning and returned in the evening, living on‑site with her husband Michael and their three children – Declan, Claire and a son who was a year and a half old when they moved in.

The castle staff in Nel​is’s early years numbered about a dozen, supplemented by a chauffeur, gardeners, a painter and farm workers. Notable visitors included Greek actor Theo Roubanis, Lady Sarah Consuelo Spencer‑Churchill, members of the Dunsany and Guinness families, artist Derek Hill and, according to staff, Greta Garbo the year before Nel​is joined.

Nel​is said she loved her work and felt a great pride in it, describing each morning at Glenveagh as “home, sweet home.”

Source: Donegal Daily. Photo: Dave Rino / Pexels.