India Club
Prince Ranjitsinhji, Maharajah of Nawanager, cricketing superstar, on July 17th 1924 became the first head of state to make an official visit to the newly-founded Irish Free State. Ranji as he was fondly known met with Ireland's first Taoiseach, W.T. Cosgrave in Dublin and travelled West on his private train carriage to Ballynahinch Castle as guests of the Berridge Family, who owned the estate at the time in pursuit of his passion for fly-fishing. Ranji fell in love with Ballynahinch & Connemara and felt so at home in the area he purchased the estate from the Berridge's and returned to Connemara every year until his death in 1932.
Ranji's purchase of Ballynahinch was a welcome boost to both the locality, with his employment of locals, and to the Irish State, with his promotion of Ireland as a holiday destination. Ranji was loved by the local community and each year they marked his arrival with great celebration, lighting bonfires and placing fire crackers on the railway line to announce his arrival. He was also a big supporter of the Connemara Pony Breeders Association and attended the Roundstone Pony Show each year.
It was Ranji who was responsible for the most of the landscaping of the gardens and woods, plus the erection of the fishing piers and huts along the river, all of which can still be seen today. Also on display in the hotel is his fishing register showing his "catch" for each summer he spent in Connemara.
To commemorate Ranji's promotion of Irish-Indian relations, an annual cricket, The Ranji Trophy Ireland is played between an Irish and Indian X1 each year in College Park, Trinity College. This years game took place on Sunday 7th August. The weather stayed good and as ever our Indian friends prevailed and won the day.
Picture shows Anne Chambers author of "Ranji Maharajah of Connemara" presenting the trophy to Sameer Dutt, captain of the Indian team.
We are delighted to continue our sponsorship of this game which brings the Indian community in Ireland together to celebrate with us Ballynahinch Castle's and Irelands connection with India & the great cricketer Ranji. To see more images of the game courtesy of Seamus Sullivan click here
Henry Kelly's Irishman's Diary in the Irish Times recently featured Ranji, to see the article click here