MICHAEL O'CALLAGHAN:GROUND-BREAKING hotelier Michael O'Callaghan, who has died at the age of 71, was one of the first people in Ireland to plant a vineyard, bottle his own house wine and also distil prize-winning apple brandy from his orchards.
In 1967, he decided, with the enthusiastic backing and culinary flair of his wife Jane, to turn their elegant Georgian home, Longueville House, into a country house hotel.
They made a great team, emphasising the importance of cooking home-grown produce and helping to influence a generation of people regarding the country house theme, now a critical part of what tourism in Ireland has become.
A listed heritage house, Longueville sits at the heart of a 500-acre wooded estate overlooking the river Blackwater in north Cork, about 5km west of Mallow. Michael liked to regale guests with a romantic story of family roots in the land going back centuries.
When his father, Senator William O’Callaghan, bought the farm in 1930, history had come full circle. The house, built by the Longfields in 1720 with money received for supporting the Act of Union, overlooks the ruins of Dromineen Castle, once the centre of power of the O’Callaghan clan who lost their lands in the Cromwellian confiscation.
On its broad acres, the Longfields, who had French connections, had planted a row of stately oak trees in the formation of the English and French battle lines at Waterloo.
Despite the climate, Michael embarked on an ambitious scheme to realise his interest in wine and wine-making by planting a vineyard with the aim of putting his own house wine on the table, alongside more classic vintages.
In kind years, when the sun shone, he bottled a light, refreshing white, Coisreal Longueville.
The vineyard was visited by leading wine-makers from around the world, including namesakes “Rocky” O’Callaghan from the Barossa Valley in Australia, and Sean O’Callaghan, a grower at the cutting edge of Chianti in Italy, who both became his friends.
Yet, harsh winters, chilling springs and wet summers convinced him to root out most of the vines, and he switched his attention to apples. Opting for a native species of fruit more suited to the climate, he planted 30 acres of cider apple trees, putting the Longueville orchards to work as a commercial enterprise.
The end-product is a fine apple brandy, appropriately named Eden – an Irish brand of Calvados. Vindicating this change, the brandy won a bronze medal at the prestigious International Wine and Spirit competition at the Guild Hall in London last November.
Educated at Blackrock College, on leaving school he returned to Longueville to farm when his father became ill, going on to breed prize-winning Shorthorn cattle and Suffolk sheep.
Though not a man to blow his own trumpet, he was proud of the self-sufficiency of the family enterprise, where his son William is now the chef. The beef and lamb comes from the farm, fruit and vegetables from the walled garden, apple juices, brandy, jams and chutney from the orchard, and wild salmon from the river Blackwater.
He was a member of the Heritage Council, a founder member of the Blue Book of Irish country houses, and he sat on the board of Clover Meats. In 2003, Longueville was the National Winner of the Irish Breakfast Awards.
A entrepreneurial farmer, he sold ice-cream locally from cream churned on the farm, grew blackcurrants for Ribena and peas for Éireann Foods, operated a commercial saw mill, and planted an oak wood.
Indeed, ancient oak from Longueville was used in the replica Jeanie Johnston sailing vessel, and also at Windsor Castle in restoring the library damaged by fire some years ago.
Politics ran in the family. His uncle, Archdeacon Diarmuid Ó Ceallacháin, broke ranks with fellow priests and received Roger Casement’s remains when they returned to Dublin. His brother Kevin became a senator, but Michael failed in his bid to win a Senate seat.
Underlining his pride in Longueville, he continued the family tradition of commissioning portraits of Ireland’s past presidents, which hang in the main dining room.
Inevitably, the upkeep of an 18th century stately home can be a financial burden, and in 2001 he secured a Heritage Council grant under the Buildings at Risk scheme towards renovating Longueville’s beautiful Turner conservatory. Despite a heart bypass four years ago, he had continued working.
A keen sportsman, he followed rugby, Gaelic football and hurling. He had captained a junior cup winning rugby team at Blackrock, and won a Munster medal with Sundays Well. He liked to read poetry and history.
He is survived by his wife Jane, sons William, Donough and Diarmuid, daughters Clíodhana and Elena, and sisters Irene Leader and Celeste O’Flynn.
Michael O’Callaghan: born February 10th, 1939; died March 18th, 2010