Aileen Sibell Mary Plunket (née Guinness; 1904–1999) was an Anglo-Irish society hostess. She was one of the "Guinness Golden Girls" who were icons in the 1920s, along with her sisters

Maureen Maureen is a female given name. In Gaelic, it is Máirín, a pet form of ''Máire'' (the Irish cognate of Mary), which is derived from the Hebrew Miriam. The name has sometimes been regarded as corresponding to the male given name Maurice. Some ...

and

Oonagh Oona is a feminine given name. It is an Anglicisation of the Irish-language name ''Úna''. Apart from in Ireland, it is also a popular name in Finland. People with the name Oona *Oona Brown (born 2004), American ice dancer *Oona Chaplin (born 198 ...

.Derek Wilson, ‘Plunket , Aileen Sibell Mary (1904–1999)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 201
accessed 9 Oct 2017
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Life

Plunket was one of three daughters of

Ernest Guinness Arthur Ernest Guinness (2 November 1876 – 22 March 1949) was an Irish engineer and a senior member of the Guinness family. He usually went by the name of Ernest. Family Ernest was the second son of brewing magnate Edward Guinness, 1st Earl o ...

and Marie Clothilde Russell (1880–1953). She was part of the rich and well-connected Guinness family. As a girl she lived at Glenmaroon in

Chapelizod Chapelizod () is a village preserved within the city of Dublin, Ireland. It lies in the wooded valley of the River Liffey, near the Strawberry Beds and the Phoenix Park. The village is associated with Iseult of Ireland and the location of Iseult ...

near Dublin. Her father lavished money on his daughters but his primary interest was in his business. The Belem ship whilst owned by the Duke of westminster so before 1921

The Belem ship whilst owned by the Duke of westminster so before 1921

In 1923, she and her sisters were sent on a world tour in her father's high masted yacht, '' Fantome II''. All three of the girls married well. Her sisters went to live at the mansions of Clandeboye and Luggalla. When she married Brinsley Sheridan Plunket, her father bought her

Luttrellstown Castle Luttrellstown Castle Luttrellstown Castle, dating from the early 15th century (c. 1420), is located in Clonsilla on the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland. It has been owned variously by the eponymous and notorious Luttrell family, by the bookseller ...

near Dublin. Over the next 50 years, Plunket redesigned the interiors of Luttrellstown Castle using the service of Felix Harbord. The castle and particularly the dining room still reflect their changes. Plunket held large parties including an extensive bar. MacCarthy, Fiona. ''Last Curtsey: The End of the Debutantes'', Faber & Faber, 2011
Her husband was killed during the war just after they had divorced in 1940. In 1956, she married the interior designer Valerian Stux-Rybar but this marriage lasted only until 1965. He was extravagant and Plunket's lifestyle had to be trimmed after her father died and death duties had to be paid. She sold the castle in 1983 and retired to residences at

Elveden Hall Elveden Hall is a large stately home on the Elveden Estate in Elveden, Suffolk, England. The seat of the Earls of Iveagh, it is a Grade II* listed building. It is located centrally to the village and is close to the A11 and the Parish Church. Curre ...

and London. She died on 31 March 1999.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Plunket, Aileen 1904 births 1999 deaths Irish socialites Guinness family