The Quakers of Ireland & The Leadbeater Papers

Griesebank House was a former school for Quakers. It was founded by Abraham Shackleton 1726, the forefather of the great polar explorer, Ernest Shackleton. Quakers came to Ireland from England in the mid-1600s after the Cromwellian Wars and are generally regarded as extremely industrious, well-educated, community-focused, and accepting of all religious beliefs and backgrounds. Griesebank catered to every denomination from all parts of the World. Famous former pupils include Edmund Burke (M.P), Paul Cullen (the first Irish Cardinal), and Napper Tandy (the Irish Revolutionary). This was also home to Mary Leadbeater between 1769 and 1778,  a local writer who published a number of famous books and diaries. These included ‘Extracts and Original Anecdotes for the Improvement of Youth’ and ‘Poems by Mary Leadbeater’. Her most famous accounts are from ‘the Leadbeater’s Papers’ in which her diary entries concerning the 1798 Rebellion are especially important for having an objective view of these events. Quaker meetings are still regularly held here in the meeting house.