The Mermaid’s Tale
Local legend tells of a wine-loving mermaid who inhabited the tranquil waters of Killone Lake, slipping through an underground passage to indulge in the wine of the O’Brien cellars. Confronted, she fled wounded to the depths — but not without a curse upon the family: “As the mermaid moves on the sea, so shall the O’Briens fade away from this land until Killone is overgrown with wild weeds.” They say that every seven years the lake’s waters turn red in remembrance.
The O’Briens have long since passed from Killone — yet the tale endures as a cherished piece of folklore, weaving an air of mystique around lake and house alike. Beside the water stand a 12th-century abbey and the Holy Well of St John the Baptist, where pilgrims still gather each June; and at Newhall, the mermaid is honoured on the very arms of Clan Ó Comáin, its custodians today.
Killone Abbey & the Holy Well
Killone Abbey
Founded by Donal Mór O’Brien, King of Thomond, as a sanctuary for Augustinian nuns beside the lake.
A royal grant
Henry VIII grants Killone and Newhall to Murrough O’Brien, 1st Earl of Thomond.
Newhall House begins
The back section and stables are built, the estate then held by the Viscount Clare.
The Georgian front
Charles MacDonnell adds the Queen Anne façade, attributed to Francis Bindon.
The Joyce years
The Joyce family Chiefs of their Name make Newhall their seat — a hub of balls and fox hunts.
Clan Ó Comáin
The Commane family become custodians of Newhall and begin its meticulous restoration.
A cherished home
Restored as a cherished home and estate, held in trust for the next hundred years.
