'The Queen here': when Elizabeth II rang an Offaly hotel by mistake

WITH the world watching the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II today, many Offaly people will remember when she accidentally rang Dooly's Hotel in Birr.

It was New Year's Day, 1961 and the Queen wished to speak by phone to her sister Margaret who was on holiday in Birr Castle with her new husband Antony Armstrong-Jones, son of the Countess of Rosse.

Princess Margaret had married Jones, a photographer, in May 1960 and he was ennobled as earl of Snowdon in October 1961.

Their arrival in Birr on New Year's Eve 1960 for a 'private visit' caused a sensation and they were greeted by an estimated 2,000 people, including a massive influx of media personnel.

It was one of those journalists, Seamus Brady, a Dublin-based reporter for the Daily Express, who broke the story of the Queen's famous phone call.

He was in Dooly's Hotel on New Year's Day when a call came through and according to the international magazine Newsweek “a cultured English voice broke in over long distance: 'Sandringham here, May I speak to her Royal Highness?'’’

“And who did you say it is?” Brady asked.

“The Queen here.”

“No,” said Brady. “Wrong number lady. This is Birr 32 – Dooly’s Bar.”

The mix-up occurred because of the similarity in the phone numbers – Birr Castle's was Birr 23.

It is assumed that after hanging up the Queen was put through to the correct number.

The story did not end there for Dooly's Hotel however.

Its then owners, Messrs P. And H. Egan, Ltd, brought an action against the New York publication, Newsweek, for libel because of certain references made to the hotel in reporting the Royal phone call in their issue of January 16, 1961.

A settlement was reached in the High Court in Dublin, involving a sum of £1,500, plus costs and a statement of deep regret from Newsweek.

According to the Offaly History Blog, during her visit the Princess went to Communion Service on the morning of New Year's Day (a Sunday) at St Brendan’s Church in Birr, toured the town, and the following day took a 25-mile trip in the then Lord Oxmantown’s (now 7th Earl of Rosse) Fiat 1100 via Cloghan and back to Birr via Taylor’s Cross.

The present earl, Brendan Parsons, is the son of the late Michael, the 6th Earl and his wife Anne, mother of Anthony Armstrong-Jones from her first marriage.

The Parsons family have been in Birr Castle since 1620. The castle was previously the seat of the O'Carrolls.

Dooly's Hotel, Emmet Square, Birr dates from the 1740s and according to Cosney Molloy, writing in the Offaly History Blog, was once known as The Royal Arms.