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Leicester House, Crumlin

Leicester House, Crumlin, Co.Dublin.
This was on the main East-West Drimnagh Rd / Crumlin Rd.
The location is now at the junction of Errigal Rd (see map).
Leicester House was end-ways to the road.

Leicester House, Crumlin.
Aerial view from E, looking W.
Maybe 1920s.
Original owned by Wendy Reynolds. See full size.
Today, Leicester House is gone, the buildings at the roadside at both sides are gone, and the barn to the top RHS is gone.
The buildings to the centre LHS, set back from the road, are the stables. These were built later than the 1887 to 1913 OS map. These survive, converted into houses.

Origins

A house in the location of Leicester House seems to exist (not named) on Taylor's map of 1816.
A house in the location of Leicester House appears (not named) on 1829 to 1842 map.

Leicester House is identifiable as plot 1 in Crumlin in Griffiths Valuation, 1850. 81 acres plus a mid-sized house. Occupied by William Graham, renting from "Reps. of J. Smith".
The map linked to Griffiths Valuation, 1850, is marked "Leicester House". Assuming this map is around 1850, then "Leinster house" in Thom's 1858 to 1860 must be just a mistake. (Since it is "Leicester House" before and after.)

Can't see Leicester House under Crumlin in [Thom's, 1850, pp.840-841].
Can't see Leicester House under Crumlin in [Thom's, 1851, p.909].
Can't see Leicester House under Crumlin in [Thom's, 1852, pp.911-912].
Can't see Leicester House under Crumlin in [Thom's, 1856, pp.1094-1095].
[Thom's, 1857] has no Dublin directory.

Cavanagh

Michael Cavanagh, farmer, is listed at "Leinster house", Crumlin, in [Thom's] 1858 to 1860.
As discussed above, we think "Leinster house" is a mistake by Thom's, that was soon corrected.
Michael Cavanagh must be same family as Cavanagh of Drimnagh Castle just to the W of here.
See him listed (spelled Kavanagh) at "Leinster house" under Crumlin, in [Thom's, 1858, p.369].
See him listed (spelled Cavanagh from now on) at "Leinster house" under Crumlin, in [Thom's, 1859, p.1186].
See him listed at "Leinster house" under Crumlin, in [Thom's, 1860, p.407].

Michael Cavanagh is listed at "Leicester house" under Crumlin in [Thom's] 1861 to 1881.
See him listed under Crumlin in [Thom's, 1868, p.1559].
See him listed under Crumlin in [Thom's, 1877, p.1503].
Cavanagh still there in [Thom's, 1881].

Flanagan

Alderman Michael Flanagan acquired Leicester House.
Michael Flanagan, market gardener, is listed at Leicester House, Crumlin, in [Thom's, 1882].
The Alderman rented it out for a time.
W. H. Maize is listed there in [Thom's] 1883 to 1884.
[Deed, 28 May 1885] is a lease to Michael Flanagan of Leicester House, with an estate of 84 acres. (Must be a new agreement since Flanagan is already at Leicester House for a few years.)
Thomas Curtis is listed there in [Thom's, 1886]. Would be renting from the Alderman.

The Alderman then installed his son in it.
Larry Flanagan is listed at Leicester House in [Thom's] from 1896 to 1926.
Larry is listed in 1901 census at Leicester House. He is "farmer". He owns the land on which he lives. Leicester House has 6 rooms, 10 windows in front of house. There are 5 out-buildings (consisting of 1 stable, 1 coach house, 1 harness room, 1 cow house and 1 piggery).
Larry is listed in 1911 census at Leicester House. He is "market gardener". He owns the land on which he lives. Leicester House has 11 rooms, 10 windows in front of house. There are a total of 21 out-offices and farm buildings (consisting of 14 stables, 1 coach house, 1 harness room, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 barn, 1 potato house and 1 shed).
Larry died there in 1925.

Michael Flanagan is listed at Leicester House in [Thom's] from 1927 to 1932.
Leicester House was auctioned early 1931 (when the Alderman was still alive).
Liam Cosgrave thinks Larry possibly did not own Leicester House - that the Alderman stayed the owner of it.

Noonan

Joseph Noonan is listed at Leicester House in [Thom's, 1934]. He lived there until his death in 1948.
He was a builder, who built and owned a large number of properties.
Joseph Noonan is listed at Leicester House, Crumlin road, in [Thom's, 1935, p.1623 and p.1969].
A housing estate was built on the Leicester House grounds, to the W and N side.
The housing estate is shown in a map of c.1937 in [Watchorn, 1985, pp.84-85].
Joseph's son, Joseph Noonan the younger, was living at Leicester House when he got married on 28 June 1943. He moved out with his wife. The father stayed in Leicester House.
Joseph Noonan is listed at Leicester House, 14-20 Drimnagh Rd, Crumlin in [Thom's, 1945, p.1303 and p.1723].
Joseph Noonan died at Leicester House on 29 Aug 1948. He is widower, age 65.
His son Joseph Noonan the younger inherited the house, but did not live there.

Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, was built to the E of Leicester House in 1949-1956:

According to Dictionary of Irish Architects, work on a boundary wall for this hospital took place in 1942-1944. The hospital itself was built in 1949-1956. Opened 1956.
The hospital was built on former Flanagan land to the E side of Leicester House. These fields were not originally part of the Flanagan estate, but became part of the Flanagan estate later, before 1931.
It was said that the hospital was built on land owned by The Bird's widow, Esther Stafford. Finola Flanagan heard that story. But it seems wrong. Esther inherited nothing after The Bird died in 1925. And it seems the whole Leicester House estate was sold back in 1931.
Other sources say the hospital was built on land given by the Archbishop of Dublin. This seems likely. That it was Flanagan land, then bought by the church after 1931.
Page 42 of Crumlin Heritage Audit Report thinks Flanagan "donated" the land to the church. But 1931 sale suggests it was just sold.

Joseph Noonan (the younger) is listed at Leicester House, 14-18 Drimnagh road, in [Thom's, 1951, p.1330 and p.1821].
"J. Noonan" is listed at Leicester House, 14-18 Drimnagh road, in [Thom's, 1953, p. 1342].
Joseph moved to 117 Cromwellsfort Road, Walkinstown. He called his house there "Leicester House".

Mulligan

Mulligan is listed at Leicester House, 14-18 Drimnagh road, in [Thom's, 1958]. The listing is P. Mulligan (on p.562) or J. Mulligan (on p.984).
Peter Mulligan, and a Laundrette, are listed at Leicester House, 14-18 Drimnagh Rd, in [Thom's, 1973, p.254].
"Laundrette (Mrs. Mulligan)" is listed at 18a Drimnagh Rd in [Thom's, 1975-76] to [Thom's, 1981-82]. The Leicester House name is gone.
We know this is Leicester House, because: (1) We know from photos that Leicester House still exists. (2) Mulligan's Laundrette was listed at Leicester House, 14-18 Drimnagh road, just before this time. (3) Comments here recall the laundrette being in Leicester House.
Finola Flanagan remembers the house painted blue-grey in later years.

Leicester House demolished

Photos show Leicester House was still standing in 1982.
It was demolished in 1982-1985. Probably around 1983.
In [Thom's, 1984] the location is vanished.
[Watchorn, 1985] describes it as "recently demolished".
The location re-appears in [Thom's, 1986] as Sphere's health club, 14-18 Drimnagh Rd. Leicester House is gone.

Crumlin on Taylor's map of 1816.
There are two houses on the main road to the lower right of "Drumnagh".
The left one of these two is in the location of Leicester House.
The right one has vanished entirely by the first OS map.
So it looks like Leicester House existed in 1816.

Leicester House, Crumlin, on 1829 to 1842 map.

Leicester House, Crumlin (plot 1) on Griffiths Valuation map at askaboutireland.ie.
Note Drimnagh Castle to W and Collins property to SE.
See also [VO] Griffiths Valuation maps, Dublin county, map 18.

Leicester House, Crumlin.
Close-up of above.
Note Collins property across the road to the S.

Leicester House, Crumlin.
From here and here in Maps of the Shaw estate, 1879. Based on Ordnance Survey maps of 1866.
Note Collins property across the road to the S.

Leicester House, Crumlin, on 1887 to 1913 map.
Note the stables are not yet built.

The estate of Leicester House, on 1887 to 1913 map.
According to [Hannan].
[Deed, 1885] and the sale notice of 1931 both show 84 acres attached to the house.
The sale notice of 1931 says these are in 8 fields (which matches the above).
See also other Flanagan lands across the road to the south.

Wider shot of above aerial view from E, looking W.
This photo is clearly before the housing estate was built on these fields. The housing estate is shown in the map of c.1937 in [Watchorn, 1985, pp.84-85].
So this is maybe 1920s.
Original owned by Wendy Reynolds. See full size. Undated. Nothing written on back.
Note this photo was posted to a Crumlin group without credit.

Leicester House for sale, Irish Times, January 31, 1931, p.16.

Joseph Noonan the younger, at Leicester House.
This is the front LHS corner.
Would be 1930s.
See full size. Photo courtesy of Neil Noonan.

Aerial photo of Crumlin, 1940s.
There has been considerable housing development.
Leicester House is visible at the junction of Drimnagh Road and Errigal Road. To W side of site of future Children's Hospital.
Building of the hospital started 1949 so this photo is before 1949.
From p.33 of Crumlin Heritage Audit Report.
See full size.

Leicester House.
Front side. Looking W.
After some housing development.
The road to the bottom is Errigal Rd. The road to LHS is the Drimnagh Road.
Note the barn and the stables and the buildings at roadside.
Courtesy of Crumlin & Walkinstown History Group.
See full size and original.
See modern 3D view.

Leicester House.
Rear side. Looking E.
After some housing development.
The road to the top is Errigal Rd. The road to RHS is the Drimnagh Road.
Note the barn and the stables and the buildings at roadside.
Courtesy of Crumlin & Walkinstown History Group.
See full size and original.
See modern 3D view.

Leicester House, 1952.
View from S.
During the period when the Children's Hospital was being built (1949-1956).
Note the barn and the stables and the buildings at roadside.
From The Old Drone: Norman Ashe Aerial Photographic Collection. Norman Ashe photos are 1952-1954.
Also posted on Flickr by "snapshotcass".
See full size.

Aerial photo of Crumlin, 1952.
View from E.
Leicester House is at the junction in centre.
Note the barn and the stables and the buildings at roadside.
From The Old Drone: Norman Ashe Aerial Photographic Collection.
See full size.

Aerial photo of Crumlin, 1952.
View from NE.
Leicester House is at the junction in centre.
Note the barn and the stables and the buildings at roadside.
From The Old Drone: Norman Ashe Aerial Photographic Collection.
See full size.

Leicester House, front.
Not long before demolition.
(The Toyota Carina diesel dates this picture after 1982.)
Courtesy of Crumlin & Walkinstown History Group.
See full size.

Leicester House, rear.
Not long before demolition.
Courtesy of Crumlin & Walkinstown History Group.
See full size.

Leicester House - The site today

References

Property of Joseph Noonan (deceased). Dated 12 Oct 1949.
- See cover and p.1 and p.2 and p.3 and p.4 and p.5.
- See Leicester House on p.2.