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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.
Before the housing estates were built.
Aerial view from E, looking W.
Original owned by Wendy Reynolds. Undated. Nothing written on back.
Note this was taken from this site and posted here without credit.
Today, Leicester House is gone, the buildings at the roadside are gone, and the barn to the top W is gone.
The buildings to the centre W, set back from the road, are the stables. These were built later than the 1887 to 1913 map. These survive, converted into houses.
See full size.

Before Flanagan

Leicester House is plot 1 in Crumlin on [Griffiths Valuation, 1850]. 81 acres plus a mid-sized house, occupied by William Graham.
Can't see Leicester House under Crumlin in [Thom's, 1850, pp.840-841]. Might have had different name.
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].

Michael Cavanagh, farmer, is listed at "Leinster house" under Crumlin, in [Thom's, 1859, p.1186].
This must be same family as Cavanagh of Drimnagh Castle just to the W of here.
Michael Cavanagh is listed at "Leinster house" under Crumlin, in [Thom's, 1860, p.407].
Maybe "Leinster house" really was the original name, rather than a typo.
Michael Cavanagh is listed at "Leicester house" under Crumlin in [Thom's, 1868, p.1559].

Flanagan

Alderman Michael Flanagan acquired Leicester House.
Michael Flanagan, market gardener, is listed at Leicester House, Crumlin, in [Thom's, 1882].
[Deed, 1885] shows an estate of 84 acres.

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.

After Flanagan

[Watchorn, 1985, p.85] has a map of c.1937 which shows a small housing estate now built on the Leicester House grounds, to the W and N side. Though still fields all around that.
T. Noonan is listed at Leicester House, Drimnagh Rd, Crumlin in [Thom's, 1945].

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 is listed at Leicester House, Crumlin road, in [Thom's, 1951].
Peter Mulligan is listed at Leicester House, Drimnagh Rd, in [Thom's, 1973].
Leicester House still there in 1974.
In [Thom's, 1975-76] to [Thom's, 1981-82] the Leicester House name is gone. The site is 18a Drimnagh Rd, which is "Laundrette (Mrs. Mulligan)".
This is in fact Leicester House, because: (1) We know Leicester House still exists at this time. (2) Mulligan was listed at Leicester House in 1973. (3) Comments here recall the laundrette being in Leicester House.
Finola Flanagan remembers the house painted blue-grey in later years.

Leicester House demolished

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 14-18 Drimnagh Rd, Sphere's health club. Leicester House is gone.

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.

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

Close-up of above aerial photo.
See full size.

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, 1952-1954.
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, 1952-1954.
View from NE.
During the period when the Children's Hospital was being built (1949-1956).
Page 91 of Crumlin Heritage Audit Report thinks this photo is 1952.
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. Norman Ashe photos are 1952-1954.
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