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By DEIRDRE KELLY ELABORATE plans to open a theme centre on the life of Princess Grace of Monaco, whose ancestors hail from Newport, are at a final stage. The heritage centre, to be located in the Carey - Walsh building in Newport is due to open for next year's summer tourism season. The Connaught Telegraph has learned that the centre housed beside the town's tourist information office will focus on the life of the Princess and her associations with Newport. At present a comprehensive collection of memorabilia relating to her life and visits to the Kelly ancestral home in Drimurla is being put together. These will chart her local roots, rise as a Hollywood star and Grace Kelly's marriage in to the Gramaldi royal family in Monaco up to her death in a car smash in 1982. A firm of consultants are undertaking this unique heritage project in conjunction with Newport District Development Company. It will provide a major boost in attracting visitors to the area and will a valuable source for visitors and locals wishing to discover the relationship between the people of Newport and the Gramaldi family. Princess Grace's grandfather, John Bernard Kelly, was born in a two-roomed cottage overlooking the "Leg of Mutton" lake at Drimurla where he eked out a living before emigrating to the US. In 1976 the Princess purchased the tumbledown cottage and the surrounding 35-acres of land for £7,800. During a visit in that year she spoke of plans to build "a simple little cottage" on the ruins which are located on the main Castlebar - Newport road. However a car accident in 1982 put an end to these plans when the Princess was tragically killed. She was aged 54 years. Princess Grace had previously visited the cottage with her husband, Prince Rainier, in 1961. At the time it was owned by Mrs. Ellen Mulchrone who subsequently sold it to the princess. In 1995 plans to restore the cottage and develop a memorial park at the location were given the thumbs up by the Gramaldi family. The cottage was to contain photographs and memorabilia of the Princess. However when plans for the Kelly ancestral site became unstuck it was decided to develop a suitable memorial building in Newport two miles away. |
