Rosemary Brooke
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Rosemary Hilda Brooke, Viscountess Brookeborough (1926 - 30 January 2007 was the wife of John Brooke, 2nd Viscount Brookeborough. After her husband's death she was styled The Dowager Viscountess Brookeborough.
[edit] Early life
Lady Brookeborough was born Rosemary Chichester, daughter of Lt.-Col. Arthur O'Neill Cubitt Chichester, OBE MC, of Galgorm Castle, Ballymena, County Antrim and Hilda Grace Young (who was descended from the Macnaghten Baronets. It was through the Chichester connection that Lady Brookeborough was related to Captain Terence O'Neill who was Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from 1963-69 and to the Chichester-Clark family.
She married The Hon. John Warden Brooke (as he then was) on 4 March 1949, he was the son of the first Lord Brookeborough. In 1973 her father in law died and her husband succeeded as Viscount Brookeborough, thus she became known as the Viscountess Brookeborough.
[edit] Interests
She was an accomplished horsewoman, a determined business woman, a mother and a great raconteur. Renowned for her love of practical jokes and sense of fun, Lady Brookeborough also drew beautiful cartoons and loved to knit and cook.
His son Christopher recalled that the times of his mother's youth were full of paradox. "While her grandfather was running guns into Larne for the unionists, her great aunt Rose Young was a renowned scholarly Gaelic speaker. She published one of the first collections of Gaelic poetry," he said. "Rose Young was always welcome at Galgorm."
Lady Brookeborough spoke out in favour of women joining the police as full-time reserves during the Troubles. It was a move that later inspired her own daughter Juliana to join the RUC full-time reserve in Lisburn.
Lady Brookeborough built Ashbrooke Riding School at her home, and it gained international recognition. She was devoted to training riders.
Lady Brookeborough, who died (aged 80) at Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast, was pre-deceased by her husband John, and is survived by children Alan Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough, Christopher, Juliana, Melinda and Susanna.
