Browne, Valentine Charles Edward (1891–1943), Viscount Castlerosse , 6th earl of Kenmare , journalist and socialite, was born 29 May 1891 in Grosvenor Square, London, eldest son of Valentine Browne, 5th earl of Kenmare, and Elizabeth Browne (née Baring), eldest daughter of Lord Revelstoke. He was immediately sent to the family seat in Killarney where he spent his early childhood. His education began at St Anthony's, Eastbourne, where he was unhappy and performed poorly. His parents vainly sought a solution at the Royal Naval College, Osborne, and then at the Benedictine school in Downside, near Bath. In 1905 he went to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he concentrated more on golf than study but achieved a BA, subsequently spending time on the Continent improving his language and social skills.
He joined the Irish Guards in 1914, and was seriously injured and briefly taken prisoner during the retreat from Mons. While convalescing in Paris (1915) he met Max Aitken, the future Lord Beaverbrook, who was to provide him with employment and fund his excesses for much of the rest of his life. He saw out the war in various minor administrative positions before returning to London to embark on a brief career as a stockbroker at Rowe and Pittman, a position secured for him by Beaverbrook. Not surprisingly, this job did not suit a gambler. A year in New York was followed by a period with Beaverbrook's travelling entourage and being visited in Killarney by Millicent, wife of Randolph Hearst, with whom he was having an affair; her husband had begun his with Marion Davies.
Beaverbrook encouraged Castlerosse to try journalism, published some of his early articles, and in 1926 engaged him to write ‘Londoner's Log’, a move precipitated by a rival offer of full-time employment from Hearst. An appearance in the ‘Log’ was soon sought after by society, despite a style that was often caustic and sometimes embarrassingly frank. This brilliantly written and hugely popular society column ran till 1941, though it began to seem at odds with the times after the outbreak of war in 1939. Castlerosse became notorious, making appearances in the contemporary fiction of Michael Arlen and Arnold Bennett.
He married (1928) the leading socialite Doris Delavigne (d. 1942). Beaverbrook disapproved and a brief falling-out ensued. The speed with which their rift healed was almost matched by the rate at which reservations about the marriage were confirmed. Suspicions of affairs on both sides were frequent, including one that led to a public row between Castlerosse and Randolph Churchill. After a lengthy estrangement they finally divorced (1938) without having children. Castlerosse's overeating and drinking were taking a toll, and he fell ill in 1939. He spent an increasing amount of time in Killarney after this, working on his new project, the building of a magnificent golf course on the family estate (he succeeded his father as earl, 1941). He also became involved in promoting the town as a tourist destination. In 1943 he married the wealthy widow Enid (née Lindeman), Viscountess Furness. He died at home 20 September 1943 from a sudden heart attack.