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LAST UPDATE | 19 Jun 2025
LORD HENRY MOUNT Charles, best known for staging huge concerts at his home at Slane Castle in Meath, has died at the age of 74.
His family announced today that he died peacefully late on Wednesday evening. He had been diagnosed with cancer more than ten years ago.
President Michael D Higgins has led the tributes, saying he had felt “great sadness” about the death of Mount Charles.
“Lord Henry’s contribution was quite unique and a very important turning point in live music in Ireland when he decided to begin using the natural amphitheatre at Slane Castle as a venue,” the president said in a statement.
He praised Mount Charles for his ‘deep interest in promotion of music including new and young talent.’
Taoiseach Micheál Martin added his voice to the many tributes, hailing Mount Charles’ “immense” contribution to the musical and cultural scene in Ireland.
“Lord Henry’s vision for Slane Castle resulted in one of Ireland’s best music venues, hosting many of the biggest and best concerts this country has ever seen,” he said.
Tánaiste Simon Harris has commended the “warmth and generosity” of Mount Charles in a statement released today, honouring his “unrivalled wit” and his “ability to light up a room”.
“For so many, Lord Henry will be remembered as the man who brought rock-and-roll to the iconic music venue that is Slane Castle,” Harris said.
“I want to pay tribute to him for the incredible contribution he made to arts, culture and of course his beloved county Meath.
“My deepest sympathies are today with his family and friends.”
Fellow Meath man and Minster of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne said the county “has lost one of its finest gentlemen”, praising his “innate decency and good humour”.
Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council, Wayne Harding, posted a statement to X where he paid tribute to Mount Charles’ ”extraordinary legacy” in having “transformed his family home into one of the world’s most iconic rock concert venues”.
Slane has become a byword for iconic concerts over the past four decades, beginning with Thin Lizzy and U2 in 1981. Many of the biggest names in music have played there, including The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Queen, David Bowie, Neil Young, REM, Madonna, Metallica and Oasis.
Henry Mount Charles had taken over the running of Slane from his father at the age of just 25.
“A beloved husband, father, grandfather and custodian of Slane Castle, Lord Henry’s course and unwavering spirit inspired all who knew him,” his family said in a statement.
“His visionary leadership and generosity touched countless lives, while his warmth, humour and resilience endeared him to friends, colleagues and admirers across generations.”
They paid tribute to the staff at St James’s Hospital in Dublin and all the caregivers who had looked after him over the last decade.
“Lord Henry’s light will continue to shine through the lives he enriched and the enduring contributions he made to Ireland’s cultural landscape,” the family said. “He will be profoundly missed, but never forgotten.”
Mount Charles opened up in 2021 about his battle with alcoholism which followed a devastating fire at his home of Slane Castle in 1991 that destroyed much of the interior of the building, including the famous ballroom ceiling.
“After the fire, I used alcohol as a crutch to deal with a very wounded spirit, and I used spirits to cover over that wound,” he told the Irish Independent.
“Even after we managed to restore the castle and get the show back on the road, I found I was drinking too much — and it all caught up with me.”
He maintained that U2 bassist Adam Clayton, with whom he became close friends in 1984, was “hugely helpful” in getting him past these woes.
Adding to the challenges he faced throughout his life, Mount Charles was once told by doctors that he had lung cancer and that treatment was going to do nothing to help.
“The journey I’ve been on was very rough. I was told at one stage that I was going to die, and that they were withdrawing treatment,” he said.
“I was very lucky to walk out of hospital alive, and the care I got in St James’s Hospital was great. It’s changed my perspective on life, because now when I wake up in the morning, I don’t care if the sun is shining or it’s raining.”
He is survived by his wife, Iona, and four children. His funeral arrangements will remain private and his family has requested privacy to grieve.
- Contains reporting by Keith Kelly.
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