First Count Laval Nugent Road Trip in Croatia
News
05 June 2023
Mir Junaka -- Trsat Castle in the City of Rijeka
The first-ever Count Laval Nugent Road Trip took place on Thursday, 25 May 2023 when Ambassador Dowling led an enthusiastic group of Croatians and Irish living in Croatia on a trip from the coastal city of Rijeka to Ravna Gora, Bosiljevo and finally Karlovac in a celebration and education of the land ownings of Nugent. These four municipalities form the Embassy-proclaimed “Path of Nugent”, in honour of the 19th century Irishman who was so important in many ways to the development of Croatia. The four former homes on the “Path” are Trsat Castle (Rijeka), Stara Sušica (Ravna Gora), Bosiljevo and Dubovac (Karlovac). The authorities in these four cities/municipalities teamed with the Embassy to celebrate Nugent, most specifically his penchant for collecting castles in Croatia. The unofficial beginning of the Road Trip was from the Embassy in Zagreb early in the morning.
At each of his former properties, mayors and their representatives welcomed the Irish contingent of Nugent fans. Along with the local officials, the Chief Conservationist in the Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media, Mr. Davor Trupković, added to the Road Trippers' knowledge of each former home. The participants learned about the impact of Nugent on the actual home, its historical significance and the present-day situation with the property.
Count Nugent and his family played a significant role in Croatian history, including significant military, cultural, diplomatic and political contributions – including his role in the establishment of Josip Jelačić as the Croatian Viceroy in 1848. To those who are aware of his impact, Nugent is considered a national hero. On this Road Trip, however, the focus was on his land ownership in Croatia. Though he is still known by a small percentage of Croatian citizens, those that do know of him showed him great respect on the first Count Laval Nugent Road Trip. We look forward to the next one – as do the mayors of the four cities/municipalities.