Lough Muckno Peace Park in Castleblayney was originally part of the estate of the Blayney family from whom the town of Castleblayney takes its name. The twelfth Lord Blayney, the last to hold the title, sold the estate in 1853 to Henry Thomas Hope, after whom Hope Castle is named.
Hope gave his name to the internationally known Hope Diamond, which had been cut from the Tavernier, the largest blue diamond in the world. The diamond had formed part of the French Crown Jewels but was stolen during the French Revolution. It later turned up at an auction in London and was bought by Henry Thomas. It was reputed to be unlucky however and Henry Thomas disposed of it in 1867.
The Hope family had fallen on lean times by 1916 and sold out to return to England. Hope Castle up until recently housed a restaurant and lounge. It is currently closed and undergoing extensive refurbishment. The grounds of the estate now form the wonderfully scenic Lough Muckno Peace Park.
The cache is a micro container hidden on the shores of the lake close to the given carpark coordinates. Please replace exactly as found.
The cache is place in line with the Leave no Trace principles. This is the only cache in the series not in the forest walks. As with all caches placesd near our waterways please exercise caution especially with younger cachers