Sligo Welcomes Bram Stoker’s Great-Great-Granddaughter

A local Sligo group has welcomed Bram Stoker’s great-great-granddaughter, Mimi MacCaw, to Sligo, strengthening the Sligo Stoker connection and showcasing the various landmarks associated with Bram Stoker’s mother, Charlotte Thornley.

The tour hosted by Sligo Walking Tours and Seannachi Tours incorporated stops at Queen Maeves Square, Charlotte Thornley’s homeplace on Teeling Street, Sligo Abbey, St John’s Cathedral and Sligo Town Hall.

Visitors of the tour included Sarah O’Donnell Ryan and Brian Cleary of The Rotunda Foundation. While spending time researching the archives of the National Library of Ireland, Cleary discovered Gibbet Hill, a forgotten piece by Bram Stoker, in a 1890 Christmas supplement of the Daily Express Dublin Edition.

Gibbet Hill was subsequently published in 2024, with all proceeds from the sale of the book going directly to the Charlotte Stoker fund, which prevents hearing loss in young babies.

Through Sligo company Buy the Book, who sell Gibbet Hill online, a direct connection back to the Stoker family was made, and Mimi MacCaw was invited to Sligo, the homeplace of Charlotte. She said her visit to Sligo began as she searched online to purchase a copy of Gibbet Hill:

“Brian Cleary’s serendipitous discovery of Gibbet Hill led me to buy my own copy from Rachel at Sligo-based Buy the Book, and from there the seed was sown that I must travel to Sligo to learn more about my ancestors.

As one of the two formidable women in Bram’s life, Charlotte has long fascinated me. I wanted to see with my own eyes the place where she grew up and learn more about the horrific cholera epidemic that she and her family survived when she was just a teenage girl.

I have been fascinated to discover how Charlotte’s own experiences, and the stories she told Bram when he was a young child, helped shape his imagination and, undoubtedly, influenced his later writings, including Dracula.”

Mimi will continue her visit of Ireland as she travels to Dublin to attend the Bram Stoker Festival this weekend.

Special thanks to Sligo Walking Tours, Seannachi Tours, The Rotunda Foundation, Buy the Book, The Radisson Sligo, Sligo Tourist Office and The Mayor of Sligo for making this a special visit for all involved.

Visit www.bramstokerestate.com or follow @bramstokerestate for more information.

Gibbet Hill can be purchased online at buythebook.ie