#luggala

This photograph, by Michael Cooper, is incorrectly labelled as 1967. It was taken at Luggala, the Guinness estate in Ireland, undoubtedly at Guinness heir Tara Browne's 21st birthday celebration on Saturday, April 23, 1966, seven weeks after his birthday.

One of the biggest social events of that year [1966] was Browne’s 21st birthday party, for which he chartered two private jets to fly 200 of his friends to Luggala for an evening of unadulterated debauchery. Guests included Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Michael McCartney, John Paul Getty and Robert Fraser. A pharmacy worth of mind-altering substances were laid out for all on sterling silver serving trays, befitting a man of Browne’s breeding. The Lovin’ Spoonful, then one of the hottest bands in the world, were flown in and paid 1,000 pounds for a private performance. From Rolling Stone, "Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’ at 50: The Doomed Socialite Behind ‘A Day in the Life’"

Sixties British Pop Royalty

  The shore of Lough Tay, County Wicklow into which the ashes of the Hon Garech Browne were committed yesterday in the company of family and friends. The devoted custodian of the Luggala estate for half a century, his generous cultural patronage, not least through the creation of Claddagh Records, were deservedly eulogised during the afternoon in words and music alike. While Garech has gone, he…