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Walkinstown House, Walkinstown, Co.Dublin

The main house of Walkinstown, Co.Dublin.
Formerly spelt "Wilkinstown" (and sometimes seen as "Walking-town"). Now always spelt Walkinstown.
Wilkinstown townland (old spelling), Crumlin civil parish, Barony of Uppercross, Co.Dublin.
Walkinstown House was on E side of Walkinstown Rd. A bit S of Drimnagh Castle.

References:
- Deeds, Charles Donagh of Walkinstown to William Flanagan:
  - Two deeds, both dated 16 Apr 1870, registered 19 Apr 1870. [LR] 1870 vol.12 nos.68-69. Lands of Crumlin. Barns and stables at Walkinstown House, and right of way to them.
- Deeds, Charles Donagh of Walkinstown to Michael Flanagan:
  - Deed, 3 Apr 1871, registered 3 Apr 1871. [LR] 1871 vol.11 no.57. Lands of Crumlin. Walkinstown House.
  - Deed, registered 10 Feb 1873. [LR] 1873 vol.5 no.270. Money owed to Flanagan by judgement. Refers to Walkinstown House and lands.
  - Deed, 5 Apr 1873, registered 7 Apr 1873. [LR] 1873 vol.13 no.21. New lease of Walkinstown House and outbuildings and lands.
Sources yet to be consulted:
- Deed, Michael Crooke to Michael Flanagan, 1868. House and garden of Walkinstown. 17 acres.
- Wilkinstown Compulsory Purchase Order, 1950. Dublin Corporation archives.

Walkinstown House. The front.
Photo late 1960s from the Mansfield-O'Flynn family.
See full size.

Donagh

The entry for "Wilkinstown" in [Griffiths Valuation, 1847] shows the Donagh family then in occupation, one big house, a number of smaller houses.
The entry for "Wilkinstown" in [Griffiths Valuation, 1850] shows Donagh in occupation, one big house, a number of smaller houses.
Maps of the period show one big house called "Buttercup Lodge". This may be Walkinstown House.

Mrs. Jane Donagh is listed at "Walkinstown" (thus spelt) under Crumlin in [Thom's, 1850, pp.840-841].
Same listing under Crumlin in [Thom's, 1851, p.909].
Same listing under Crumlin in [Thom's, 1852, pp.911-912].
Same listing under Crumlin in [Thom's, 1859, p.1186].
Same listing under Crumlin in [Thom's, 1860, p.407].
James Donagh is listed at "Walkinstown house" under Crumlin in [Thom's, 1868, p.1559].
Same listing in [Thom's, 1871].
Charles Donagh transferred Walkinstown House to Flanagan in 1868 to 1873.

Flanagan

Alderman Michael Flanagan and his brother William Flanagan, junior are party to a number of deeds obtaining property in and around Walkinstown from Charles Donagh in 1868 to 1873, including Walkinstown House.
The first Flanagan lease of Walkinstown House appears to be [Deed, 1871].
John Graves is listed at Walkinstown House in [Thom's, 1874].
William Flanagan, junior lived at Walkinstown House.
"W. Flanagan, Walkinstown" is listed in Irish Times, July 9, 1873.
William Flanagan is listed at Walkinstown House in [Thom's, 1875] and later.
He was living there at time of death 1886.
His widow Anne Murtagh lived there after him.
[Thom's, 1895] lists "Mrs. Flanagan, Walkinstown House".

As at 1901 census the house is being rented by Thomas Curtis from the Alderman.
It may be coincidence but "T. Curtis" appears at Newtown House many years later.
Walkinstown House is listed as vacant, under Crumlin, in [Thom's, 1905].
Walkinstown House is listed as vacant, under Crumlin, in [Thom's, 1910].

"The Bird" Flanagan then lived there, there as at 1911.
The house was attacked by the Black and Tans during the Troubles 1919-21, presumably because of the family's Irish Party connections (despite the fact that Frank was a former British Army officer).
The house was not badly damaged. The porch was burnt.
The Bird died at Walkinstown House 1925.

Frank Flanagan then lived there, first listed there in [Thom's, 1933].
Dublin Corporation built extensive housing estates in Walkinstown 1953-55.
Frank finally sold Walkinstown House, 1959 or 1960.

Mansfield-O'Flynn

The Mansfield-O'Flynn family then lived there for a time, there as at [Thom's, 1965].
The area was massively developed with new housing, most of it built 1950s-70s.
See Views of Walkinstown House.
Mansfield-O'Flynn still listed at Walkinstown House in [Thom's, 1971].

Walkinstown House demolished

Walkinstown House was demolished around 1971.
The site became a Superquinn supermarket. Later re-branded as SuperValu.
Superquinn listed there in [Thom's, 1972] on.
House and out-buildings are now all gone.
All that has survived is some of the wall and the trees at the edges.
See Walkinstown House - The site today.

Site of Walkinstown House on 1829 to 1842 map.
This seems to show that the house and grounds were built on top of a vanished hamlet. (The original "Wilkinstown".)
It seems to show the main road formerly running through the grounds, which old road was then by-passed.
The red cross is exact site of Walkinstown House.
This would show that the original approach to the house was to the N (front) as we would expect, rather than the odd approach to the side of the house that was put in when the old road was removed.
Finola Flanagan recalls her father Frank saying the original entrance was to the N, up near the Halfway House.

Site of Walkinstown House on Griffiths Valuation map at askaboutireland.ie.
The hamlet seems to be mainly cleared by now, and there is one big holding (plot no.4), called "Buttercup Lodge".
Unfortunately, the numbering of [Griffiths Valuation] does not match the numbering of this map.
[Griffiths Valuation, 1847] shows one big house, plot no.6, occupied by James Donagh, and a number of smaller houses with various occupants. No Flanagans.
[Griffiths Valuation, 1850] shows one big house, plot no.5, occupied by Mrs. Jane Donagh, and a number of smaller houses with various occupants. No Flanagans.
Neither of these match this map, where the big house is plot 4.
Note that [VO] Griffiths Valuation maps, Dublin county, map 18 is damaged, and map 22 is too far south.

Part of the Shaw estate held by William Flanagan (died 1886) as at 1879.
From Walkinstown down to S part of Crumlin.
From here and here in Maps of the Shaw estate, 1879. Based on Ordnance Survey maps of 1866.
Shows "Buttercup Lodge" at site of Walkinstown House. Note the new entrance to the house from the NW (in yellow).
Note Collins property at Crumlin to the NE.

Walkinstown House on 1887 to 1913 map.
The hamlet is gone. The old main road is now dis-used.
There is a new approach to the house from the side.
There was a tiny stream down the E side of the old road, visible here (E side of "635").
The map shows the main block of the house surrounded by, to the W, S and E, the stables and outbuildings. Entrance to NW.
There was an archway between the house to the N and the stables to the S.

"St.Therese's" (Norton house)

The house to the SW of Walkinstown House, across the road (".388" on map above) is "St.Therese's" (not "St.Theresa's" or "St.Teresa's"), 78 Walkinstown Road, a farmhouse owned by Norton.
Norton are there in 1901 census.
Still there in [Thom's, 1945].
This is the family of James E. Norton, author of [Norton, 1991].
"St.Therese's" has been demolished and is entirely gone. It stood where the row of shops and their rear buildings now is. See street view.
Even the lane down to "St.Therese's" has been wiped out. All that survives is the line of the old lane represented by a diagonal back wall. See satellite view.
Ballyfermot and St Marks Photo Website by Ken Larkin
- Nortons Dairy Farm

Painting of "St.Therese's".
Courtesy of James E. Norton.
See full size.

Photo 1964 at the E wall of the Norton farm.
Looking across the road to the hay shed of Walkinstown House.
Courtesy of James E. Norton.
See full size.

Partial map of the Alderman's estate.
Lands held around Walkinstown House.
On 1887 to 1913 map. Adapted from [Hannan].
See full estate.

Walkinstown House on map dated 1936.
Section "765" to the NE was a small paddock where horses were kept. To keep the horses away from the house, across the front (S) of the paddock (where two trees are drawn here) was a hedge (with a fence inside it) and a gate in the hedge.
This section is exactly the same shape as the NE supermarket car park today.

Overlay of 1887 to 1913 map and modern map.
Site of the main house (red cross) is buried under the supermarket.
The shape of the paddock to the NE matches the shape of the NE supermarket car park.

SuperValu supermarket, E side of Walkinstown Rd (site of Walkinstown House).
Click to toggle map/satellite view. Click to zoom in/out. Drag to move.
From Google Maps.

Walkinstown House - Views

Walkinstown House - The site today

SuperValu Walkinstown
There was a plan to move the supermarket to a new store further up the Walkinstown Rd. But this plan appears to be scrapped.