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Lewis 1842: County Dublin chapelizod - lucan - palmerstown

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Chapelizod, Co. Dublin

CHAPELIZOD, a parish, in the barony of CASTLEKNOCK, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (W.) from Dublin; containing 2181 inhabitants, of which number 1632 are in the village. This place is supposed to have derived its name from La Belle Isode a daughter of one of the ancient Irish kings, who had a chapel here. The lands belonging to it were granted by Hugh de Lacy, in 1173, to Hugh Tyrrell, which grant was afterwards confimed by Hen. II. In 1176, they were given by the Tyrrells to the hospital of the Knights Templars of Kilmainham, and after the suppression of that order remained in possession of their successors, the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, till the dissolution of the monasteries, in the reign of Hen. VIII. They subsequently passed through various hands till 1665, when the Duke of Ormonde, by command of the king, purchased the entire manor, with the mansion, from Sir Maurice Eustace, for the purpose of enclosing the Phoenix park, and the old mansion-house became the occasional residence of the Lord-Lieutenant. In 1671, Col. Lawrence obtained a grant of several houses and about 15 acres of land adjacent to the village for 41 years, at an annual rent of £42, for the purpose of establishing the linen manufacture, under the auspices of the Duke of Ormonde, who, with a view to promote its success, invited over numberous families from Brabant, Rochelle, the Isle of Rhé, and other places, who were skilled in the art of manufacturing linens, diapers, tickens, sail-cloth, and cordage, and established those manufactures here in the greatest perfection. In 1690, Gen. Douglas, on his march to Athlone, encamped for one night in this place; and soon after, King William himself, subsequently to his expedition to the south, passed several days here in issuing barious orders and redresing grievances. In 1596, Lord Capel, Lord-Deputy of Ireland, died at the vice-regal residence here fter a long illness, during which several important meetings of the council took place; and though the house was repaired by Primate Boulter, when Lord-Justice of Ireland, in 1726, it has never since been occupied by the lord-lieutenants: a house near the village, called the King's, is said to be that occasionally used as the vice-regal lodge. The village, which is of considerable size, and extends into the parish of Palmerstown, in the barony of Newcastle, is situated on the sourth-western verge of the Phoenix park, and contains 200 houses, of thich 103 are in that part of it which is in the parish of Palmerstown. It is within the delivery of the Dublin twopenny opst, and is chiefly remarkable for the beautiful scenery in it vicinity, especially along the banks of the Liffey, towards Lucan, and for the extensive strawberry beds which are spread over the northern side of the vale. The woollen manufacture was formerly carried on very extensively, and continued to flourish till the commencement of the present century, when there was a large factory, two fulling-mills, and an extensive corn and wash nill, which have been succeeded by a flax-mill on a very large scale, erected by Messrs. Crosthwaite, the present proprietors, and affording constant employment to more than 600 persons. There are also a bleach-green and several mills. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Dublin, united at a period unknown to the rectories of Palmerstown and Ballyfermot, together forming the union of Chapelizod, in the patronage of the Archbishop: the tithes amount to £1. 19. 5½, and the gross amount for the whole benefice is £301. 19. 5½. The church is a small plain edifice, erected in the reign of Anne, and remarkable only for its tower covered with ivy, from the summit of which is an extensive and highly interesting prospect over the surrounding country. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Castleknock. There is a chapel in the village; and near it is a school-room, erected in 1834 for a school to be placed in connection with the National Board. A school is supported by subscription, in which about 18 boys and 54 girls are instructed; and there are also a pay school, in which are 60 boys and 40 girls, and two Sunday schools. A dispensary in the village is supported in the usual way. Col. Lawrence, the founder of the manufactures of this place, was the author of a well-known pamphlet, published in 1682, and entitled "The Interest of Ireland in its Trade and Wealth." The Hibernian school in the Phoenix park, described in the article on Dublin, is in this parish.

Lucan, Co. Dublin

LUCAN, a post-town and parish in the barony of NEWCASTLE, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 7 miles (W.) from Dublin, on the mail road to Galway and Sligo; containing 1755 inhabitants of which number, 1229 are in the town. After the English settlement, it appears to have been granted to Richard de Peche, one of the earliest English adventurers, and in 1220 was the property of Waryn de Peche, who founded the monastery of St. Catherine near Leixlip. In the reign of Rich. II. it was in the possession of the Rokeby family, and in the 16th century it belonged to the Sarsfield family, of whom William, one of the ablest generals in the service of Jas. II., was by that monarch, after his abdication, created Earl of Lucan, from whom it descended by marriage to the ancestor of Col G. Vesey, its late proprietor. The town is beautifully situated in a fertile vale on the easter bank of the river Liffey, over which is a handsome stone bridge of one arch, built in 1794, and ornamented with balustrades of cast iron from the Phoenix iron works, near Dublin. At the other side of the bridge, on the easter bank of the river, is the picturesqye glebe of the incumbent, the Rev. H. E. Prior. The total number of houses is 187, most of which are well built, and many of them are fitted up as lodging houses for the reception of visiters, who during the summer season resort to this place to drink the waters, which are found efficacious in scorbutic, bilious and rheumatic affections. A handsome Spa house has been erected, consisting of a centre and two wings in one of which is an assembly room, 62 feet long and 22 feet wide, in which concerts and balls are given; the house affords excellent accommodation for families. The mineral spring, from its having a higher temperature than others in the neighbourhood, is called the "Boiling Spring;" the water, on an analysis made in 1822, was found to countain, in two gallons, 70 grains of crystallised carbonate of soda, 20 of carboante of lime, 1½ of carbonate of magnesia, 2 of silex, 6½ of muriate of soda, and 14 of sulphur. The scenery of the neighbourhood is beautifully diversified, and its short distance from the metropolis renders the town a place of fashionable resort, and of pleasant occasional residence. A chief constabulary polic force is stationed in it, and petty sessions are held on Tuesdays. The parish, through a portion of which the Royal Canal passes, is in a high state of cultivation; the soil is fertile, and the crops are abundant. Lucan, the interesting residence of Mrs. Vesey, is a spacious mansion, situated in a heighly embellished demesne, comprising nearly 500 statute acres extending along the banks of the Liffey; within the grounds is a monument to one of the Sarsfield family, near which are an ancient oratory, dedicated to St. John, and thickly covered with ivy, and a holy well. Of the other seats the principal are St. Edmonsbury, that of T. R. Needham, Esq., a tasteful demesne beautifully situated and commanding some fine views; Weston Park, of J. Hamilton Reid, Esq., finely situated on the Liffey; Woodville, of Major Gen. Sir H. S. Scott, K.C.B.; Hermitage, of Sir John Kingsmill, Knt.; Finstown House, of J. Rorke, Esq.; Lucan Abbey or Canon Brook, of J. Gandon Esq.; Primrose Hill, of A. Heron Esq., M.D.; Glenwood, of J. Bingham, Esq.; Villa, of T. Smullen, Esq.; View Mount, of Major J. Wolfe; Lucan Lodge, of Capt. T. P. Poe; and Mount Pleasant, of E. Mac Farland, Esq. On the river Liffey, and within the grounds of Weston Park, is a salmon leap, from the latin name of which, "Saltus," the barony of Salt derives its name; it consists of a succession of rocky leges, too extensive to be cleared at one bound, and in passing over it the fish consequently sustain great injury; it forms a beautiful cascade, the picturesque effect of which is greatly increased by the richly wooded banks of the river and the tastefully embellished demesne of Leixlip castle. An inquest was taken in the reign of Edw. II. to ascertain to whom the right to the fish taken here belonged; and another to enquire into the erection of certain weirs, "Obstructions to the boats passing to our good city of Dublin with fish and timber." The latter is supposed to refer to a canal which at some very ermote period must have been carried along the bank of the Liffey. In excavating the foundation for a mill, recently constructed at the salmon leap by Messrs. Reid and Co., the masonry which formed part of the lock of a canal was discovered; the sill of the lock is still to be seen, and more masonry for the same purpose has been found further down the river. At a later period a canal appears to have been formed along this line, as for as Castletown, two miles above the salmon leap, by which, according to tradition, coal was conveyed from Dublin to that place, and of which some remains are still to be seen. The flour mills erected by Messrs. Reid and Co. are capable of producing from 700 to 800 barrels weekly, the water wheel is 28 feet in diameter, and in turning 5 pair of stones acts with a power equivalent to that of 60 or 70 horses. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Dublin, united to the vicarage of Leixlip, to the augmentation of which the rectorial tithes were appropriated by act of Wm. III.; the tithes are included in the amount given for Leixlip. A neat church with a tower and spire was erected in the town in 1822, towards which the late Board of First Fruits advanced £1100 on loan; and in the same year a perpetual curacy was instituted here, in the patronage of the Incumbent of Leixlip; the stipend of the curate has been augmented with £20 per ann. from Primate Boulter's fund. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Palmerstown, Clondalkin, and Lucan; the chapel, a very small edifice, is about to be rebuilt. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists, erected in 1832. About 250 children are taught in two public schools, of which the parochial school, with an infants school attached, was built and is supported by subscription. The other is a national school. There are three private schools, in which are about 70 children. A poor shop, with a lending library, and a loan fund have been established; and a dispensary is open to the poor of the neighbourhood. The vicinity affords some highly interesting specimens of irregular stratification of limestone, which occurs in parallel layers separated by seams of decomposed calpe, dipping uniformly at s small angle to the E. N. E. In a bank on the left side of the Liffey, a few yards only above the bridge, the strata become sinuous, formint curvatures of nearly two thirds of their repective circumferences; and single slabs take from the disturbed beds have an arched outline, conforming to the general curvature of the strata. At Canon Brook, for many years the residence of the late Mr. Gandon, architect, is a singular cave discovered by that gentleman; it consists of one principal apartment and two side cells of smaller dimensions, curiously secured all round with stone, to prevent the walls from salling in; many curious relics of antiquity were found, consisting of celts, pieces of bone curiously inscribed and sculptured, military weapons of copper or bronze, and various others of more recent date. The hill in which these apartments are excavated is about 300 feet above the level of the vale, and is called the Fort Hill, from its being crowned with a fortification, the works of which are still in good preservation. The monastery of St. Catherine, founded by Waryn de Peche in 1220, though its endowment was augmented by subsequent benefactors, was, on account of it poverty, assigned, in 1323, to the abbey of St. Thomas, Dublin; there are no remains. Opposite to the gate of Col. Vesey's demesne was a very ancient and splendid cross round the site of which it is still the custom at R. C. funerals to bear the corpse previous to interment. Above the modern bridge are some fragments of an older structure, said to have been built in the reign of John. Lucan gives the titles of baron and earl to the family of Bingham.

Palmerstown, Co. Dublin

PALMERSTOWN, a parish in the barony of NEWCASTLE, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (W.) from Dublin on the road to Lucan, and on the river Liffey; containing 1533 inhabitants. It comprises 1465 statute acres as applotted under the tithe act and valued at £3594 per annum. Near the village, which is irregularly built and in which the dwellings are of a humble character, there was an hospital for lepers, previously to the Reformation. At the commencement of the present century here were extensive printing works, large iron works, oil and dye-stuff mills, and was mills; lead and copper works have been established for 16 years; there are large cotton mills, employing about 120 persons, and a flour mill on the Liffery, which bounds the parish to the north. A fair for the sale of cattle and horses takes place on Aug. 21st. The city police have a station near Chapelizod bridge. Palmerstown House, erected by the late Rt. Hon. John Hely Hutchinson, Secretary of state for Ireland, and Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, now the seat of his grandson, the Earl of Donoughmore, is a spacious mansion on elevated ground, commanding most extensive and rich views; besides which there are several pleasing villas, including Riversdale, the seat of Gen. Dir Guy Campbell, Bart.; Brook Lawn, of M. Hackett, Esq.; Palmerstown, of Major Wilcox; and Bellgrove, of Major Watts. It is a rectory in the diocese of Dublin, forming part of the union of Chapelizod: the tithes amount to £170. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union of Lucan, Palmestown, and Clondalkin, and contains a chapel; the parish priest is rural dean over his own union and those of Maynooth, Celbridge, and Saggard. There are two schools, in which about 150 children are taught. On the townland of Irishtown are the remains of an old castle, clothed with ivy, near which coins and bullets have been found; and at Cruise river a battle is said to have been fough between the Danes and the Irish. This place gives the title of Viscount Palmerstown to the family of Temple.

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