Deciphering Johnstown Castle with Peter Henry

Johnstown Castle is covered with symbols – birds, beasts, soldiers, crosses, patterns and more – helping us to learn more about the Grogans and their descendants. The apostles in the entrance hall, the devil’s head at the walled garden, the coats of arms inside and outside the castle itself and much more will all be discussed and identified by Peter Henry in this fascinating talk.

After a refresher on the origins of heraldry, Peter will reveal and explore armorial items relating to Johnstown Castle’s owners discovered since the publication in 2019 of his book The Heraldry of Johnstown Castle: A Wexford Estate’s Armorial History. The book (available in the visitor centre shop) identifies and describes the castle owners’ coats of arms.

In this talk, the author will go further and explore why the different proprietors may have used the shields and crests that they did, looking at the motives behind the heraldic display at the castle and on documents and personal items. For visitors seeking a deeper understanding of the display of symbols at Johnstown, Deciphering the Castle promises to be a rewarding and thought-provoking talk.