In Reply to: Bartra Island posted by PJ on May 22, 2012 at 01:39:32:

Hi PJ, I had a look at the history of Bartra Island and the details are as follows: the celebrated actress, Joyce Redman purchased the Island around 1965 from her sister a Mrs. Varner, wife of Captain Mackenzie Verner. Joyce and her sister spent much of their youth visiting their Uncle Niall McCormack of Carramore-Lacken and fell in love with the place. McCormack was a former member of Mayo Co Council and managed the Island for his nieces for years. The Verner’s purchased the Island in 1946 from a Claude Kirkwood whose family owned the Island for generations (late 1700’s) Claude’s father and Grandfather both reached the rank of Captain in the Royal Artillery and Royal Navy respectively. He worked for a short period with the Bank of Ireland and later in America as an evangelical preacher. He moved back to the Island and lived a somewhat hermit like existence known to locals as the ‘Man of Bartra’.When he sold up, he moved to Dublin and died in 1953. Claude’s mother was one of the well known Knox family from Rappa, Ballina (which accounts for members of the Knox family been there in 1911).
The Island was sold in 1989 to a Mary Molloy whose relations came from nearby Ross. It consisted of 365 acres and was bought for over £100,000 sterling. The Molloy family had emigrated to Yorkshire in 1958 and Mary, a graduate from the University of Lancaster set up a biodynamic therapy treatment business. The 200 years old house was re-roofed and extensive renovations took place.
That’s all I have – unsure of the Nick Faldo part of the history.