▁a ▁grant ▁of ▁ 1 . 3 4 ▁million ▁Eu ros ▁for ▁rep airs ▁to ▁West port ▁House , ▁from ▁the ▁state ▁fund ed ▁Heritage ▁Council . ▁ ▁The ▁previous ▁own ers , ▁the ▁Brow ne ▁family , ▁are ▁direct ▁descend ants ▁of ▁wealth y ▁slave ▁plant ation ▁own ers ▁in ▁J ama ica , ▁How e ▁Peter ▁Brow ne ▁( 2 nd ▁Mar qu ess ▁of ▁S lig o ) ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Lady ▁S lig o ▁( H ester ▁Catherine ▁De ▁Burg h ), ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 6 th - century ▁pir ate , ▁Gr á in ne ▁N í ▁M há ille , ▁Queen ▁of ▁U ma ill . ▁ ▁An ▁exhibition ▁at ▁West port ▁House ▁styles ▁How e ▁Peter ▁Brow ne ▁as ▁' Ch ampion ▁of ▁the ▁S la ves ', ▁a ▁suggestion ▁that ▁one ▁historian ▁refers ▁to ▁as ▁' hyper bo le ', ▁pointing ▁out ▁that ▁" B row ne ▁benef ited ▁from ▁sla very ▁from ▁the ▁cr ad le ▁to ▁the ▁grave ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁free ▁his ▁slaves ▁until ▁the ▁institution ▁of ▁sla very ▁was ▁abol ished ▁by ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁parliament " ▁and ▁that ▁How e ▁Peter ▁Brow ne ▁also ▁claimed , ▁and ▁received , ▁substantial ▁compens ation ▁from ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁for ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁his ▁slaves . ▁ ▁The ▁original ▁house ▁was ▁built ▁by ▁Colonel ▁John ▁Brow ne , ▁a ▁Jacob ite , ▁who ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁L imer ick , ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Mau de ▁Bour ke