Dunsany, Edward Plunkett

The Irish author Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany, was a major celebrity in the first half of the 20th century. He belonged to one of the oldest dignities in the peerage of Ireland . The family seat, Dunsany Castle, County Meath , goes back to the 12t century and is known as the oldest still occupied building in Ireland. The 18th Baron was something of a Renaissance man. He possessed vast learning and versatility and he was a prominent and respected figure in a number of areas. He was at one time pistol-shooting champion of Ireland, he was a keen chess player (he once played against the grand master Capablanca), he was a proponent of animal rights, a big game hunter, cricketer, active in the scout movement and amateur dramatics, an expert on the history of Ireland and a politician.