of , near Donegal Town in the south of County Donegal. Concurrently, the then head of the family, Charles Conyngham, renamed the village in his own honour as Mountcharles (pronounced locally in South Donegal as 'Mount-char-liss'). The family also controlled an extensive estate in West Donegal, especially in The Rosses district. The association between the Ulster-Scots Conynghams and the Slane Estate in County Meath dates back over 300 years, ever since the property was taken by the family following the Williamite Confiscations in 1701. Around that time, the family moved their main ancestral seat south from County Donegal in west Ulster to Slane. The present owner of the castle is Henry Conyngham, who styles himself as The 8th Marquess Conyngham. The eldest son of Lord Conyngham is Alex, Earl of Mount Charles. In 1984, Irish band U2 took up residence at the castle to write and record their album The Unforgettable Fire. In 1991, a fire in the castle caused extensive damage to the building and completely gutted the eastern section facing the River Boyne. The castle reopened in 2001 after the completion of a ten-year restoration programme. In 2003, a cannon associated with the castle was found in the nearby River Boyne Concerts at Slane Since 1981, the grounds of Slane Castle have been used to host rock concerts. The natural amphitheatre has an 80,000 person capacity. The concerts were launched by the then Earl of Mount Charles (popularly known for several decades as Henry Mount Charles or Henry Mountcharles; since March 2009, he has been known as The 8th Marquess Conyngham), the owner of the castle. Performers who have headlined Slane concerts since 1981 include The Rolling Stones, U2, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queen, David Bowie, Neil Young, Bryan Adams, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Robbie Williams, Madonna, R.E.M., Foo Fighters, Celtic Woman and Oasis. On 28 May 2011, Kings Of Leon headlined the 30th anniversary event at Slane Castle. Five support acts played, including Thin Lizzy, who in an earlier line-up headlined the first Slane Festival in 1981. Celtic Woman filmed their second DVD at Slane Castle, called Celtic Woman: A New Journey in August 2006, and in 2001 U2 filmed the DVD U2 Go Home: Live From Slane Castle, which was released in 2003. They also recorded their 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire, there while taking up residence for a time. Parts of