WHILE most Irish travellers at the moment seem to be bound far Barbados, Jeremy Browne, the Marquess of Sligo, and his wife Jennifer are about to head off instead for Jamaica. Think of this as a working holiday, because they are planning to explore the island's connections with one of his ancestors, the second marquess, who was governor of Jamaica during the 1830s.
During his governorship, he was the first landowner to free slaves on his own plantation - inherited through a Kelly grandmother. As a result, the family is still remembered on the island, which has a town called Sligoville.
This month's visit has been arranged by Jamaican businessman Maurice Facey and his historian wife Valerie. "We've been meaning to take up their invitation for the past few years but there just hasn't, been the time until now," says Lord Sligo, still better known as the Earl of Altamont although he succeeded to his father's title back in 1991 - "I just went on with the old name because everyone knows me better as that."
Also on the trip are writer Anne Chambers (who is due to lecture the Jamaican Historical Society in Kingston), and her husband Tony Ryan; having already written a biography of 16th century adventurer Grace O'Malley (another of Jeremy Browne's ancestors), Ms Chambers is now researching material for a life of the second marquess.
In addition to meeting the Faceys, the party will also be received by Jamaica's governor general Sir Howard Cooke and its prime minister, the Rt Hon P.J. Patterson.
Another Irish Jamaican connection the visitors may wish to is with record producer turned hotelier Chris Blackwell. The former owner of Island records, whose maternal family, the Lindos, is one of Jamaica's oldest land owning families, now owns the former homes of both Noel Coward (Firefly) and Ian Fleming (Goldeneye) on the island.
Mr Blackwell's late father, Major Joe O'Malley Blackwell, who died two years ago, lived in Newport, Cob Mayo, just a short distance away from Lord Sligo's own home in Westport.