Pain still raw but seeing dad in my dreams helps, says Lord Henry son left ‘blown away' by love for Slane Castle icon
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Lord Henry Mount Charles was the owner of Slane Castle
Credit: PA:Press Association
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The son of Lord Henry has vowed to continue the legacy of his late father
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Alex, who buried his famous father in June following a long battle with
'But what's been nice is that I've been seeing Dad in my dreams. We talk and some of it is daily chats.
'In these dreams we walk in the woods together chatting about nature, because my dad planted so many trees here in Slane.'
Henry's son said the family were 'genuinely touched' by reaction to
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Alex told how they were moved by the tributes — including an Irish Sun front page with the headline: 'SLANE GO FOILL, HENRY,' with a pic of Henry with his arms outstretched on gig day.
Alex told us: 'We expected some coverage of
'It was an amazing experience to go through. It made me realise how lucky I was to have my father as a dad and as a friend.'
Alex revealed he is only now getting to read the vast postbag of letters and cards his family have received since Henry's death — each one telling a story about how he touched or helped people.
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MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN
He said: 'A man called Philip wrote to us. He said that back in the Eighties he had a small Irish company that made cakes. They were trying to win a contract with a big retailer in
'Philip found out that the UK cake buyer was a massive Bruce Springsteen fan but didn't have a ticket for Slane.
'So Philip wrote to dad and explained he already had a ticket but could he buy a ticket for this UK buyer.
DAD'S LEGACY
'Dad wrote back and said, 'No problem', and told Philip to call into the castle after the concert.
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'So the guy did that, bringing the UK buyer with him.
'Dad had never met Philip but when he showed up after the gig, Dad threw his arms around him and said, 'Philip great to see you old pal'.
'The buyer was blown away — his Irish cake firm got the contract to supply this huge UK retailer and never looked back.'
Alex added: 'I learned all this from a letter I got last week from Philip.'
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While the cake man had been invited to a post-show bash, over the years Henry had to contend with many gatecrashers at Slane Castle.
Alex continued: 'There's a moat around the castle and a massive drop.
'But one year this lunatic was so desperate to get to the afterparty, he jumped across the moat and landed on a window ledge. He could have killed himself but he was hanging there on a ledge on the side of the castle.
'FAIR PLAY'
'Now the obvious thing would have been to call security and get him booted out. But myself and Dad turned to each other and said, 'Fair play, we have to give this guy a beer'.
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'So we got him down and invited him into the party, said, 'Please don't ever do that again', and told him to stay for a few drinks. That was Dad all over.'
Henry also loved picking up random hitchhikers on the road. Alex told The Irish Sun: 'Dad was always doing that because he loved being thrown into different situations and meeting people from a completely different background to himself.
'He felt you could learn so much from other people and it was a learning curve.
'I would often do the same.'
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Although born an Anglo-Irish peer, son Alex believes his dad's kind and caring attitude broke down barriers by opening up Slane and putting on concerts.
He said: 'My dad changed the perception of the big house. For everyone in that situation, he did them a service.
'I think he showed there is a different way of doing things.
'Ireland has evolved and places like Slane Castle can still be relevant if you have the right approach and attitude as to how they operate — not just a role for the family, but for everyone.'
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Alex Conyngham with his father Henry Mount Charles at Slane Castle
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