The Power Family

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The Power family are of Norman origin, the name being originally le Poer, meaning poor. They were prominent among the early Norman settlers and had large estates in Wicklow and Waterford. The family is among the top 50 most common names in Ireland and is very much associated with Waterford county. The family obtained the title Marquess of Waterford from the English court and their family seat, Curraghmore House, is still maintained. One of the Waterford family was William Grattan Tyrone Power, who was a leading actor on the English stage. His grandson, Tyrone Power, continued the tradition in the American film industry. Another of William's grandsons was Tyrone Guthrie who was a famous London theater and television producer and director of Sadler's Wells and the Old Vic theaters. Tyrone Guthrie's house was donated to the state and is now a center at which artists can stay while working on creative projects. It is jointly funded by the Arts Councils of Northern and Southern Ireland. Perhaps the Power with the widest household recognition was James Power who founded Power's Distillery in Dublin in 1791. The firm is now part of Irish Distillers but Power's whiskey is still marketed as a separate brand. One of the famous innovations of the firm was the "Baby Power", a miniature bottle of whiskey which is still sold.

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