Jackson's Cork hideaway
"An incredibly loving father who clearly adored his children". That was how Patrick Nordstrom, the owner of Blackwater Castle in Castletownroche , described the late Michael Jackson. Speaking to The Corkman, Patrick recalled the time in 2006 when the pop icon spent almost a fortnight at the north Cork hideaway as he tried to shield his children from the prying eyes of the world's media.
"Michael had organised a trip to Disneyland Paris with his children. However, while he was there he found it impossible to escape form the constant media attention that a star of his stature inevitably attracted. They were virtually prisoners in their hotel room," said Patrick.
"He simply wanted to relax in peace with his children, like any father in his circumstances would want to. His management made enquiries about places in Europe where he could stay and be guaranteed some tranquillity," he added.
Those enquires led of the front door of Blackwater Castle in the heart of the north Cork countryside.
"We were given a few days notice that he would be coming to the castle. When he landed in Cork it was on a public flight, so it proved impossible to keep his arrival under wraps," said Patrick. However, he did manage to keep Jackson's destination a close secret, despite attempts by the media to track down the elusive superstar.
"Basically we shut the gates of the castle while he was here. Michael realised that it would be impossible for him to go out without being recognised, so he and the children did not go outside the grounds," he said.
At the time rumours abounded that Jackson was considering buying a home in the area. "His advisors did take a look around the area for potential properties, as they would have done wherever he stayed. I don't really know how serious they were about buying," said Patrick.
During their stay the Jackson children took lessons from their own private tutor in the morning, spending the rest of the day exploring the castle's expansive grounds, often accompanied by Patrick's own two children.
"Given the unusual circumstances they had to live under, the children were extremely well behaved and had impeccable manners. We learned to appreciate Michael as an incredibly loving father who clearly adored his children," said Patrick. "It was equally clear that they adored him."
During his stay Jackson even developed a taste for that most Irish of breakfast delicacies – porridge.
"My wife Sheila gave him some one morning and he loved it and insisted on having a bowl every morning. About a week after he left I was listening to the radio and heard on a programme how Michael had developed a love for Flahavan's Oats," laughed Patrick.
"I would say that in terms of a family unit there was very little difference between the Jackson's and the majority of families who stay here in that they were very happy. On a personal level we were delighted that we were able to offer them the kind of privacy they so clearly craved," he said."
