SNIPPET: Hillsborough, Co. Down, is the setting for a love story which crossed class barriers, was inextricably linked to a world-famous song and marked by a bizarre coincidence. The area's early contact was with the war drums of the EARL OF ESSEX who had been sent by QUEEN ELIZABETH I to curb the doings of the boisterous O'NEILL clan. In 1573, ESSEX was joined by one Moyses HILL whose family had owned large tracts of land in Devon. General HILL was knighted in 1603 and given some of Ireland's most productive land. Thus commenced the plantation of the HILLs, and by a series of arranged, advantageous marriages, it is estimated that by 1845, the HILLs owned some 120,000 acres in estates in Down, Kilkenny, Wicklow, Kildare and Antrim. The HILL family's seat was Hillsborough Castle, some 75,000 acres in the parish of Kilwarlin. Many grand houses in Ireland were sited in large wooded estates far from the centres of population, but Hillsborough Castle, which was built in th! e 1790s, is almost on the main street and, as such, as a statement of the HILL family's aim to identify with people among whom they lived. Moyses HILL married the sister of Sorley Boye MacDONNELL, while his son married Sorley Boye's daughter, although there were "anti-fraternisation laws" of the time. Successive generations spent much of their money on improving the lot of their tenants. The family is still held in high esteem in the area although they no longer live there. At the height of the Great Famine of the 1840s, the HILLs spent 20,000 pounds alleviating the misery of the local people, and the Marquis said, "I will stand by the people and attend to their wants, even should I be obliged to mortgage my last acre for that purpose." While the HILLs bridged class barriers they objected to the romance between Miss Annie Fortescue HARRISON (1870), the talented, accomplished musician daughter of a Sussex MP, who came to Hillsborough Castle. Lord Arthur HILL and Miss HARRISON(1851-1944) fell in love but the family objected to their second son marrying a penniless, landless commoner. Annie was popular in the village, played the organ in the parish church and ministered to the needs of the poorer people in the parish. Lord Arthur was intent on marrying her but Annie did not want to be the cause of a rift in the family and fled to England. Arthur searched, was unable to find her and married another Annie - Annie Nisida Denham COOKES, but just a year after their wedding she died (1874) and is commemorated in a stained-glass window in the Wakehurst chapel of Ardingley parish church in Sussex. Some time later at a London concert Arthur HILL heard for the first time the plaintive song of parted lovers, "In the Gloaming" - found it had been composed by his lost love! The two were reunited and the HILL family finally gave the couple their blessing and Lord and Lady HILL took up residence in Hillsborough Castle, their marriage lasted 50 years until Lord Arthur's death in 1931. Lady HILL survived him by 14 years. She wrote operettas and her small C. P. ENGLAND organ, dating from 1795, was presented to the parish church of St. Malachi when the HILLs left the area in 1924 and is still played during church services. The church dates from 1636, and the east window with its depiction of angels with wings under their chins is the design of Sir Joshua REYNOLDS. Hillsborough Castle was purchased by the state in 1924 and the castle and grounds are open to the public on Saturdays. IN THE GLOAMING In the gloaming, oh my darling When the lights are soft and low And the quiet shadows, falling, Softly come and softly go When the trees are sobbing faintly With a gentle unknown woe Will you think of me and love me, As you did once, long ago In the gloaming, oh my darling Think not bitterly of me Though I passed away in silence Left you lonely, set you free For my heart was tossed with longing What had been could never be It was best to leave you thus, dear, Best for you, and best for me In the gloaming, oh my darling When the lights are soft and low Will you think of me, and love me As you did once long ago.