My ancestors - Humphrys - Contents

Kingswood

The Humphreys house, "Ard Soluis", Brownsbarn townland, Saggart par, Co.Dublin.
On the old Dublin-Limerick road.
The house was on the SW (Limerick) side of Kingswood village.
Kingswood village is partly in Brownsbarn townland, Saggart par, and partly in the neighbouring townland, Kingswood townland, Clondalkin par.

"Ard Soluis", Kingswood, was designed and built by Dick Humphreys 1934-1935.
Spelt "Ard Soluis" or "Ardsoluis" by the family. See Dick's memoir and his mass card and his grave.
"Ard Solus" is seen in [Thoms, 1936]. "Ardsolus" on [OSI] map.
Tommy O'Brien said that Dick got a Mr. Olin, a plumber, on Pearse St (near Dick's business at 36 Pearse St) to build it.
Patrick Eugene Olin, plumbing and heating contractor, is listed with a business at 49 Pearse St, and a residence in Harold's Cross, in [Thoms, 1935], pp.1440 and 1561 and 1984. See his grave.
The fireplace (which has since been removed and survives) has date "1934".
The family moved in c.Feb 1935.
Richard Humphreys (born 1937) grew up there.

Dick died 1968.
His widow Eithne continued to live at Kingswood for many years.

Citywest Business Campus was established to the S of the house in 1990.
Eithne died 1995.
SAP, Europe's largest software company, opened their Irish headquarters just S of the house in 2001 (NOT 1997). Address: 1012-1014 Kingswood Ave, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24.
The Humphreys family left Ard Soluis in 2001.
The family sold Ard Soluis to the adjoining Citywest, think 2001.
The house and site were sold for development.
See Kingswood after Humphreys.

Location

Location of Ard Soluis, Kingswood.
View from E.
Ard Soluis is "The Site".
Old Naas Rd is front RHS. New Naas Rd is back RHS.
SAP building under construction to LHS.
See larger and full size.

The site before Ard Soluis existed, on 1888 to 1913 map.
Ard Soluis was built in the N part of the "24.797" plot, near the road.
This narrow road, hard to believe, was then the main Dublin - Limerick road.

Kingswood from an airplane, from the SW, shortly after it was built, c.1935.
Note the Dublin - Limerick road (the old Naas Road).

"Ardsolus" on a 20th century [OSI] map.
This is after the new Naas Road has been built (to the NW side here) but before SAP building built (to the S).
Entrance to the house is off the old Naas Road.

Screen shot of Ard Soluis on Google Maps, before the house was demolished and the site cleared.
The 3-pronged building is SAP building. Ard Soluis is just N of it.
On the current Google Maps, the house is vanished and replaced with a housing estate.

Photos

Kingswood under construction, 1934. From the front (S side).

Kingswood under construction, 1934. From the back (N side).

Early photo of Kingswood from the road (from the N, back of house visible, avenue curves round to the far side of the building to the front door).

Kingswood, under construction, 1934-35. The W facing porch.
Thomond no.4 visible.
Eoige running.

Humphreys listed at "Ard Solus" under Clondalkin on p.1555 of [Thoms, 1936].
Humphreys was not listed in Clondalkin in [Thoms, 1935].

The garden wall to the SW side, c.1937.

Kingswood (front of house), 1942.
Note no lawn laid out yet.
See full size.

Laying out the lawn at the front (S side) of the house.

Kingswood. The W facing porch.

Dick and Eithne, front door of Kingswood, about 1965.
See larger and full size.

The interior

The hall.
Photo probably around late 1990s.
See larger and full size.
See dining room.

The fireplace

The only bit of Kingswood that survives is the fireplace, dated "1934".
Richard Humphreys saved it.
He installed it in his house, 34 Sycamore Rd, Mount Merrion.
(This will confuse people because Sycamore Road was not built until 1936.)

The fireplace, saved and installed in 34 Sycamore Rd, Mount Merrion.
34 Sycamore Rd actually dates from 1936.
Photo 2018. See full size. See other shot.