JUST three miles outside Newport lies the ancestral home of the late Princess Grace of Monaco. It over- looks the tranquil "Leg of Mutton" Lake on a 35 acre holding.
From this holding, Princess Grace's grandfather, John B. Kelly emigrated to the U.S.A. where he later became a millionaire.
In 1961, the Princess and her husband, Prince Rainier visited the cottage once owned by her grandfather John B. Kelly. At that time, it was owned by Mrs. Ellen Mulchrone.
It was there on the same stone floor where John B. Kelly decided to emigrate, that Princess Grace pledged to buy the ancestral holding which her grandfather had sadly forsaken in the 19th century.
Princess Grace returned on a private visit in 1975 to purchase the lands. It only took £7,800, a modest sum for her, to buy the 35 acre site overlooking the "Leg of Mutton" Lake.
At that stage it was her wish to build a holiday home beside the Ancestral Cottage. The house would have been used as a holiday home for the royal family.
But the ancestral home with a panoramic view of Croagh Patrick and Clew Bay never became a reality due to the unexpected death of the Princess in 1982 as a result of a car crash.
Princess Grace was 52 at the time of the accident. Her untimely death caused widespread shock among the local community.
Today, tourists flock to see the area and in particular to see the ruins of the cottage. Her family have a keen interest in the property and have visited there on several occasions.
The Princess's wish to build a holiday home beside the ancestral home never became a reality
