The owner of Slane Castle, Lord Henry Mount Charles, has died aged of 74.

"A beloved husband, father, grandfather, and custodian of Slane Castle, Lord Henry’s courage, and unwavering spirit inspired all who knew him," said a statement from his family on Wednesday night.

“Lord Henry (74) leaves behind an extraordinary legacy as a passionate steward of Ireland’s heritage, dedicating his life to preserving Slane Castle and transforming it into a beacon of culture, music, and community. His visionary leadership and generosity touched countless lives, while his warmth, humour, and resilience endeared him to friends, colleagues, and admirers across generations.”

Mount Charles had been suffering from cancer. The family added that they  “wish to express their heartfelt gratitude to the exceptional staff at St James’s Hospital, as well as the many caregivers who supported Lord Henry with compassion over the last decade."

"It is really sad to hear the news today that Henry Mount Charles has died,” Hot Press editor Niall Stokes says. "Henry was a great character – highly intelligent, enormously colourful and great company. He was a real pioneering figure in Irish music, opening up Slane Castle in the way he did, back in 1981, for the first ever Slane Festival with Thin Lizzy headlining. That may seem commonplace now, but it was genuinely ground-breaking at the time.

"Since then, over the intervening 44 years, Slane Castle has provided some of the greatest memories in Irish music history – from Bruce Springsteen’s epic Born In The USA tour in 1985, through U2’s two enormously emotional shows in 2001 to the Harry Styles invasion in 2023. Henry was pivotal to all of that – so we owe him, and his wife Iona, a huge debt of gratitude. His legacy is immense.”

Those sentiments are echoed by President Michael D. Higgins.

“It is with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of Lord Henry Mount Charles," he says. "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 at which public performances could be held by some of the most contemporary makers of music.

"It wasn’t just in relation to very well known events that Henry was involved, he had a deep interest in promotion of music including new and young talent.

"I have been saddened over recent years to hear of his struggles with cancer, about which he spoke personally and helpfully of his experiences.

"May I express my condolences to his wife, Lady Iona, to his children Alexander, Henrietta, Wolfe and Tamara, and to all of his family and friends.”

An attendee of Harrow and Harvard who was born into an aristocratic family of partial Ulster-Scots descent, Mount Charles took over the running of the Slane estate in 1976 aged 25, after returning home from London. He would go on to become known for hosting a number of massive gigs at his home from the 1980's onwards.

The first concert to take place at the venue was Thin Lizzy, supported by U2, in 1981. A slew of legends graced Slane throughout the '80s, including The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, David Bowie and Queen.

Slane returned in 1992 after a five-year hiatus, with the likes of R.E.M, Guns N' Roses, The Verve, Neil Young and Robbie Williams all playing to swathes of people at the landmark.

Headliners since the dawn of the millennium include U2, Bryan Adams, Stereophonics,  Madonna,  Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis, Kings of Leon, Bon Jovi, Eminem, Foo Fighters, Metallica and most recently Harry Styles, who played in 2023.

It was also the place where U2 recorded their 1984 LP Unforgettable Fire, before an actual fire almost destroyed the castle in 1991.

Henry Mount Charles is survived by his wife, Lady Iona, and his four adult children.

Lord Henry was a good friend to Hot Press and down through the years treated us to some blockbuster interviews, including this one in the run up to Metallica rocking Slane to its foundations in 2019: https://www.hotpress.com/lifestyle-sports/countdown-slane-lord-henry-mountcharles-talks-metallica-bruce-bowie-22774860

As well as fondly remembering David Bowie, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Robbie Williams, Thin Lizzy, Guns N’ Roses and The Rolling Stones’ visits to the family homestead, he talked to us about Oasis’ local links.

“Everyone knows about their connection to Mayo, but the Gallaghers’ roots are actually from up the road in Duleek,” he revealed. “A few days before Oasis came back and headlined Slane in 2009, we had an event in the castle nightclub, and every Gallagher in Ireland must have been there. I had to go out and when I returned there was a plastic bag hanging off the door, and inside it a bottle of whiskey and a note from one of the family saying, ‘Thank you!’ They were crawling out of the woodwork that night.

“I have to say that Noel is one of the good guys. He’s an absolute gentleman and very funny. I’ve bumped into him a few times in different situations and he really is a giggle a minute. And smart with it. Noel doesn’t miss a trick and has a great handle on life. Liam comes across as being thoroughly decent as well, but I’ve had less interaction with him. I suspect that either together or separately they’ll be back at Slane one day.”

The admiration society was a mutual one with Noel telling Hot Press: “The adrenaline rush when you walk out on that stage is fucking incredible. You’ve got this amphitheatre full of people going mental; a river behind you and a Downton Abbey stately home at the top of the hill. How can you not play your heart out when you’re confronted with that?”

Slane 1985 was also a very big deal for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band who'd never played an outdoor gig of that size before.

“It was the victory lap, if you like, for Born In The U.S.A., which had sold 25 million copies and produced hit single after hit single,” Henry told me recently. “Bruce had played to big crowds before, but none as massive as the 80,000 attending Slane and he was nervous. To alleviate those nerves somewhat, he rehearsed his entire set – it must have been heading towards thirty songs – in the dining-room to a small gang of us, which was every bit as extraordinary as it sounds!

“Rather touchingly, he came back a few years ago with his family to revisit what turned out to be the scene of his triumph. After Slane, it just got bigger and bigger for him.”

Bruce's manager Jon Landau also remembers that June night by the Boyne like it was yesterday.

“Slane was a great success and learning episode that’s etched in our minds but it was also a bit crazy!” he said talking last year to Hot Press. “We weren’t quite prepared for the liveliness of the crowd. It was a little shocking but a great way to begin our career playing outdoor shows. I remember thinking, ‘We better get ready for this because this is not the same thing as playing indoors.’ And, yeah, afterwards Bruce became a master of the large venue.”

Never one to let the grass grow under his feet, Lord Henry, Iona and son Alex in August 2017 launched Slane Whiskey in a series of estate outhouses. Needless to say, there were strong rock 'n' roll connections and reasons for doing it.

“You’ll probably think I’m crazy, but the original idea for the Slane Whiskey distillery came from that first Thin Lizzy show in 1981,” he explained. “I occasionally, in good spirits, DJ-ed in our nightclub and would end with the other National Anthem, ‘Whiskey In The Jar’. When I met my wife, Iona, she was working for Moët and Chandon in France, and knew the industry inside out. I asked, ‘Do you think this is a good idea?’ and she said, ‘Yes, it’s a winning one.’ So Slane Whiskey was literally born on a kitchen table. The final piece in the jigsaw was my son, Alexander, going to work in Australia for Jameson. With the knowledge and experience he gained, we were ready to go as a brand.”

Henry's was a life very well lived...

Here are some of the tributes that have been pouring in:

I am deeply saddened at the passing of Lord Henry Mount Charles.

Lord Henry will always be known for his unrivalled wit, his ability to light up a room, and his incredible sense of warmth and generosity. pic.twitter.com/qVAeVF1dCT

— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) June 19, 2025

Meath has lost one of its finest gentlemen today with the passing of Lord Henry Mount Charles.

I was very friendly with Henry and I deeply admired his sense of entrepreneurship, innate decency and good humour, even in challenging times.

Henry’s legacy in bringing some of the…

— Thomas Byrne (@ThomasByrneTD) June 19, 2025

Lord Henry – king of the castle who made Ireland rock via @RTENews https://t.co/zKV2xMreKb

— Miriam O'Callaghan (@MiriamOCal) June 19, 2025

Thank you Lord Henry Mount Charles! RIP🙏
A visionary! Extraordinary legacy!
Cared for Slane Castle & opened grounds to music lovers!
Been to 10 Slanes!
Saw 52 acts! Many MAGIC moments!
(REM95/Verve98/Robbie99/Moby00/U201X2/
Stereophonics02/Madonna04/RollingStones07/GunsNRoses17) pic.twitter.com/xVBLXYK0QB

— 1000GigGuy (@1000GigGuy) June 19, 2025