Mirror image

Interesting and spooky three-way-crack in an 18th Century mirror at Castletown House. Many variations of a story of a fight with the devil exist. They run traditional lines, such as after the mysterious guest eating with them, the mysterious guest takes off his shoes to relax, and the host of the house just happens to glance under the table and notice - gasp - a cloven hoof! This is the least embellished version (below) although I prefer our tour guide's version wherein house owner (and lawyer) Tom Connolly stays up all night with a decanter of whiskey and has a fight with the devil and throws the book at him, but misses and hits the mirror. Drunk? Moi? Not guilty, m'lud. Extra picture to show the colour and that the distressed effect on the glass is not a photo effect but the result of real wear and tear (and who knows how much whiskey...)

"...three elaborate pier glasses are original to the Dining Room. The frames are carved fruiting vines, symbols of Bacchus and festivity. These are probably the work of the Dublin carver Richard Cranfield (1713-1809) who, with the firm of Thomas Jackson of Essex Bridge, Dublin, was paid large sums for carving and gilding throughout the house. The centre glass is cracked and it is said that at the end of a day’s hunting, Tom Conolly brought home a stranger to supper who turned out to be the devil. A priest was called who threw a prayer book at the devil, this rebounded off the mirror and cracked it. The devil disappeared in a puff of smoke through the hearthstone which is also cracked...."
http://archiseek.com/2011/1770s-castletown-house-celbridge-co-kildare/