During the plantations of Laois and Offaly, Queen Elizabeth I took possession of the Franciscan religious house in Stradbally, which she then gave to Francis Cosby[3] as a reward for his role in the Tudor conquest.
[4] Encountering financial difficulties, the family left Ireland for the city of Bristol, England in the early eighteenth century.
[4] At her death, The Irish Times remembered her as "a strikingly beautiful figure" whilst attending the Laois Hunt Ball at the Hall dressed in emeralds owned by the family.
[4] During World War II, Maj Errold Ashworth Sidney Cosby rejoined his regiment and, being fluent in the Russian language, performed the role of interpreter in the Persian Gulf.
[4] The British Prime Minister Edward Heath was invited to address a conference of young members of his country's Conservative Party at Stradbally Hall on one occasion.