Abbotstown

Abbotstown is a townland in the civil parish of Castleknock in Fingal, Ireland^[1]. It is also the name of an historical demesne and country estate that is close to Blanchardstown. Historically the estate belonged to a number of aristocratic families. ^[2] Despite a significant level of suburban development in the wider Dublin 15 area from the 1980s onwards, Abbotstown Demense remained largely undeveloped, as it was held by several State bodies. Today the majority of the demense remains unspoilt and is now used for National Sports Campus Ireland.

History

Barons of Castleknock

Abbotstown Demense in the barony of Castleknock remained in the ownership of the Tyrell family up to about 1400 when Thomas Sergent and his wife Joan Tyrell, sister to the last Tyrell Baron of Castleknock, took up residence.

Clements family

By the 17th century the estate had passed to Sir John Dungan who owned one thatched house, several cottages and an old church at Abbotstown.^[3] Later, the lands at Abbotstown were owned by the Clements family, ancestors to the Earls of Leitrim and famous for the fact that one of their number was Nathaniel Clements, Chief Ranger in the Phoenix Park where his residence later became the official residence of the President of Ireland, Áras an Uachtaráin.^[3]

Baronets of Abbotstown

The most famous family to live on the lands at Abbotstown were the Falkiner family who became Baronets of Abbotstown in 1812. The Falkiners married into the Hamilton family who lived on the neighbouring estate of Sheephill and in 1832 both estates were amalgamated by the Hamiltons and a new residence, Abbotstown House, was built as the family seat.

Abbotstown House, Castleknock, 19th century

Barons HolmPatrick of Abbotstown and State ownership

Ion Trant Hamilton was the Lord Lieutenant of County Dublin and Member of Parliament for County Dublin. He was ennobled in 1897 by Queen Victoria as Baron HolmPatrick^[4] and Abbotstown House remained the principal seat in Castleknock until 1947 when James Hans Hamilton, 3rd Baron HolmPatrick (1928–1991), lost part of his lands under a Compulsory Purchase Order to allow for the building of James Connolly Memorial Hospital.

Lord HolmPatrick sold Abbotstown to the Marine Institute of Ireland, who were located at Abbotstown House until 2005. Much of the demesne was used by the Department of Agriculture for agricultural research including cattle and other breeding programs.

In 2005, the house was acquired by the Government of Ireland for Sports Campus Ireland.^[5] In the late 1990s half of the original lands acquired from Lord HolmPatrick by the health board were sold for the construction of Waterville, a privately owned housing development.^[6]

The Barons HolmPatrick of Abbotstown continued to be associated with Castleknock until quite recently and are buried in the graveyard at St. Brigid's Church (Anglican) in Castleknock however the current baron, the Hon. Hans James David Hamilton, resides in Cornwall, England.^[7]

References