19 April 2015

Finding an old family home in
a decaying castle near Bray

Shanganagh Castle, near Bray … I recently learned that the castle was owned in the mid-20th century by the Crowley family (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2015)

Patrick Comerford

Full working weekends are exhilarating but demanding, and I thought I might never get out for a walk on a beach this weekend.

I was quite accepting of this however. After all, I had met up with some old school friends from the 1960s at the Gormanston reunion in Bewley’s Hotel, Ballsbirdge, on Friday night, and over the three days between Friday and today [19 April 2015] I had a number of walks along the banks of the River Dodder in Rathfarnham on my way to and from work.

I was surprised on Friday night to meet another Gormanston “old boy” who was a regular reader of this blog and who lives next door to the house on Rathfarnham Road which had been one of my childhood homes.

No 104 Rathfarnham Road, one of my childhood homes, in the afternoon sunshine today (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2015)

I passed the house again this afternoon as I was walking home in the afternoon sunshine, and thought I might watch either the Aston Villa semi-final fixture against Liverpool or the Leinster rugby clincher.

But then, against all expectations, I ended up having a late lunch at Carpe Diem in Bray, and then going for a short walk along the Promenade and by the beach.

Walking along the Promenade in Bray late this afternoon (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2015)

Immediately after their marriage, my parents lived briefly in Bray, although I never lived in that house. My mother also had a cousin who once owned an hotel in Bray, although I have yet to find out which hotel.

I know the stories of my Comerford and Lynders family roots on my father’s side of the family, but have yet to learn about the stories of my mother’s Murphy and Crowley ancestors. However, I recently learned my mother’s uncle, my grandmother’s brother, once lived for a short time in Shanganagh Castle, on the northern fringes of Bray.

Cornelius (‘Con’) Denis Crowley (1879-1972), originally from Millstreet, Co Cork, lived at Finnstown House, Lucan, Co Dublin, and was a director of the Roscrea Meat Company with Robert Briscoe, TD, his brother Jeremiah D. Crowley, and G Fasenfeld. The Crowley family, who made their fortune through canning meat in the 1930s and the 1940s, and continue to farm near Finnstown House. But they sold Finnstown House and the immediate grounds and it is now Finnstown Castle Hotel.

A cousin recently told me how the Crowley family had also owned Shanganagh Castle for a brief period in the mid-20th century, and so I stopped on the way home this evening to have a look at this house and to photograph it, although it is now a building site as Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council works on its restoration.

Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Council acquired Shanganagh Castle in a land swap with developers about 18 months ago [September 2013], along with a number of buildings on the site and about 6.35 acres of land around the castle.

Shanganagh Castle in the early 20th century

Shanganagh Castle is close to Shanganagh Cemetery, Saint James’s Church, Crinken, and Woodbrook Golf Club.

When the council acquired the castle, it was in a very poor condition, and the current restoration plan is budgeted at €500,000. It involves emergency work to stop further water damage and the deterioration of the building, and the demolition of a 1950s dormitory block beside the castle.

The plans are part of a larger vision for the completion of Shanganagh Regional Park.

Shanganagh Castle is a two-storey over basement castellated house, with some small third-storey rooms in the roof and in the turrets. It stands on the site of an earlier castle built in 1408 by the Lawless family.

The castle continued in the Lawless family until 1683, when it was leased to Sir Thomas Domvile. But it returned to the Lawless family again some 30 years later. In 1763 a fire left the castle in ruins, and the first phase of the present castle was probably built in the 1760s. The second phase was designed by the neo-classical architect, Richard Morrison, in 1805-1818 for Major-General Sir George Cockburn (1763-1847), the most notable owner of the castle.

As a general, Cockburn had travelled throughout Europe during the Napoleonic Wars. While he was in Italy he acquired many treasures, including marble sculptures, architectural fragments, pictures and statues. He supported political reform, advocated greater democracy, sought to curb the political influence for the aristocracy, and called for greater civil rights for Catholics.

After buying Shanganagh Castle, Cockburn commissioned Sir Richard Morrison (1767–1849) to remodel the house externally as a romantic castellated house in the neo-Gothic style. He also added a top-lit picture gallery to the north, which survives in altered form behind the modern dormitory block. The internal plasterwork was the work of the stuccodore James Talbot who worked on many of Morrison’s buildings.

Morrison and his son, William Vitruvius Morrison (1794-1838), were two of the most prominent architects in early 19th century Ireland. Richard Morrison developed the neo-Gothic style of James Wyatt, and his work includes the Anatomy House at Trinity College Dublin, Sir Patrick Dun’s Hospital, Dublin, Lyons House, Co Kildare, and the spire of Cashel Cathedral (1807). With his son, he also designed Ballyfin House, Co Laois, Kilruddery House, Co Wicklow, Fota House, Co Cork, and Baron’s Court, Co Tyrone.

On the other hand, a sad account of the later career of James Talbot of Stephen Street was given by his fellow-tradesmen in March 1834. He had been “the best workman in the Trade,” they recalled, enjoying an “extensive” business and employing 12 men. But by about 1816 his business had begun to decline and it had collapsed by 1818. He had died in the North Dublin workhouse.

In 1818 Cockburn wrote a letter, intended for posterity, which he concealed in a bottle in one of the newly built turrets of the house. This bottle was found during refurbishment work in 1954. In the letter Cockburn describes the alterations he is making to the house, discusses the history of the area, the politics of the day, religion and the military exploits of Napoleon.

After the Crowley family had been owners of Shanganagh Castle in the mid-20th century, it was extended in the 1950s for use as a Church of Ireland College of Education. From 1969, it was used as an open prison for juveniles until it was closed in 2003.

Shanganagh Castle has been vacant ever since, and is now fenced off from the public as restoration work is carried on. Hopefully the castle will soon be open to the public and I have the opportunity to see inside and learn more about the Crowley family’s connections with Shanganagh Castle.

Shanganagh Castle is fenced off as restoration work gets under way (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2015)

16 comments:

Sheila Robinson said...

Hi I found your blog quite by accident when looking up information on Shanganagh Castle. My interest in the castle is that it was in our family for a short while. My great-grandparents Wentworth and Anna Suzanna Allen purchased the castle in 1919 with all its contents from a descendant of the Cockburn's. My grandmother was married from there in 1929. It was then sold on in 1936 after Wentworth Allen died. It was once again sold with all it's contents and this time the contents included some paintings by the artist Richard Thomas Moynan RHA who was Anna Suzanna's brother.
Another point of interest is I found a copy of that letter that was found in the bottle in my grandmother writing case.
Just though you might be interested, I know I was fascinated by the connection.

Geraldine Comiskey said...

It really is a beautiful castle and it would be shame if its grounds were to be turned into a housing estate. I too came across this blog by chance when I was looking for information and photos. My mother and I have received a strangely visceral reaction to a letter (below) which we posted on the Shankill Open Forum (on Facebook) today, having previously sent it to SCAN (Shankill Community Association Newsletter) - who refused to publish it and basically told us we could only air our views on the subject to local councillors!
Here's the letter we posted:

Dear Editor,

We were dismayed to read that a group of “local representatives” got together and came up with a plan to destroy one of Shankill's most charming and beautiful amenities: the grounds of Shanganagh Castle. Surely they are not representing the people of Shankill with their proposal to allow developers to build 340 houses in the grounds of the castle?

While they have cunningly appealed to groups who might object (eg, promising that the allotments would remain, and that there would be sports facilities, and that 200 of the houses would be “social houses”), they are ignoring the wishes of the silent majority who are not part of any particular group and just like to enjoy the simple pleasure of going for a walk in the tranquil setting of the castle grounds, with no housing estate to disturb the peace or spoil the view – just the picturesque castle as a backdrop.

This silent majority (who won't raise the matter at residents' association meetings for fear of antagonising the very vocal sports lobby and unsympathetic councillors), includes elderly people, families with toddlers who are too small for the playground in the park, and women who like to walk alone in safety. These are the people who avoid the vast park next door because parts of it are just fields (who in their right mind would go for a walk alone there?) and the rest of it is given over to boisterous sports activities, skateboarders, cyclists and people letting their dogs off the leash – and there are no wardens on duty to make it safe.

Not only does our castle look like something out of a fairytale (as little children for generations have observed) - Shankill is clearly the “Cinderella” of the Southside. Imagine the outrage if houses were built in the grounds of Cabinteely House or Marley Grange? Our castle is far more beautiful than those two buildings.

The cynical attempt to exploit the homelessness crisis does not wash, given the fact that most of these houses will be two-storeys, none will be higher than three-storeys and at least 140 of them will be private homes sold at exorbitant prices. If we really wanted to solve the homelessness crisis, we'd build high-rise apartment complexes suitable for families, such as the ones found in every major European city, closer to Dublin city centre – not out here in what was supposed to be a green belt.

It does no favours for the environment either (again, high-rise in urban areas is the solution, not more suburban sprawl which was acceptable in the 60s and 70s but not now in these more enlightened times).

Property values will also plummet if Shankill gets any more built-up. The reason people buy houses here is because it is a charming little village with a rural appearance – complete with a castle in its own grounds.

Why not come up with a more creative plan for the Castle and its grounds? How about running arts and cultural activities in the grounds, such as our very own version of the Electric Picnic or a farmer's market? This would draw visitors to the area, who would spend money in our local shops, pubs and cafes? Shankill deserves better than to become a sprawling dormitory suburb.

Sincerely,


Nancy and Geraldine Comiskey.

Anonymous said...

From a brief acquaintance with this area, visiting a sick relative in the nearby hospital, I would argue that healthcare in parts of co. Dublin are to be approached with caution. In other words, you need to do your research well before hazarding a stay, especially an elderly relative’s in such a place. People have to have homes, and high rise homes didn’t work in the past for parts of co. Dublin. Whilst a not in my backyard approach may work well for those in the privileged position of living in unspoilt parts where there are architectural relics of the past, it doesn’t work for the have nots. In 2018 it is incredible that such attitudes prevent the real truth about patchy healthcare provision and affordable housing being realised. A sort of cultural apartheid.

RodintheWorld said...

@ Sheila Robinson above............

My aunt Jennifer Allen (by marriage) and her sisters, Lorna and Barbara grew up in the castle in the 1920s and 30s. I assume Anna and Wentworth were the grandparents but I am not sure. I met their mother in the 1960s, she was a grand dowager type who lived in Ballybrack. Lorna was writing a book on the castle, she had many photographs etc but she died in 1999 before it's completion.

Unknown said...

Yes, Sheila is correct. Wentworth and Anna Allen were Jennifer and her sisters' grandparents. Their father was also named Wentworth Allen and their mother was Norah.
(Their father,Wentworth II, was well known as a great cricket player. He played for Dublin University when studying there and on seven occasions for Ireland.)

My mother was an Allen. Daughter of Frank Allen born in Ireland. Frank Allen was the oldest son of my great-grandfather, Thomas Buckley Allen, born in Wicklow Co.

Wentworth Allen, who bought Shanganagh Castle in 1919 was the brother of my great-grandfather, Thomas Buckley Allen. He was my great-great uncle. The family refers to him as "Uncle Went". Shanganagh was owned by the Allens until they sold it in 1936. My aunt and great uncle visited as house quests from the United States in the early 1920's.

My great-grandfather, Thomas Buckley Allen, founded T. B.Allen Lumber and Hardwood Company in Memphis, TN, but moved it in 1905 to the port of Galveston, TX. My Great-grandfather was President until he died in 1914 and then my grandfather Frank Allen became President.

My great-grandfather's brother, Wentworth Allen, was in charge of the Dublin branch office of T.B. Allen Lumber Co. The company made wood staves for barrels. And Guinness was one of their main customers.

Sheila said she was kin to the Allens by marriage. I
would love to know who her parents were.

It was such fun to find these postings! Thankyou.

Estelle Hood

Unknown said...

I am related to Wentworth Allen who bought Shanganagh Castle in 1919. It was owned by the Allens until sold in 1936, when he died.
Yes Sheila, Wentworth and Anna were Jennifer's grandparents.Her parents were Wentworth Allen II and Norah.(He was a well noted cricket player in Ireland.)
Wentworth Allen, who bought Shanganagh, was my great-grandfather, Thoamas Buckley Allen's brother. "Uncle Went" was my great-great uncle.

Thomas Buckley Allen founded T.B. Allen Lumber and Hardwood Company in Memphis, TN and moved the company to the port of Galveston Texas in 1905. He was President of T.B. Allen Co. and his brother Wentworth was in charge of the Dublin branch office. The company made wood staves for barrels. Guinness was a major customer.

Thomas and Wentworth were both born in Wicklow Co. Thomas' oldest child was my grandfather. Also born in Ireland.

It is such fun to discover these postings. Sheila said she was kin to the Allens by marriage. I would love to know who her parents were.

Thank you,
Estelle

sive said...

the shanganagh castle youre talking about here is a separate building to the shanganagh castle built by the lawless family in 1408, they are not on the same site or the same building and are not related in any way but name. the older castle that was damaged by a fire and its ruins are a private residence located on the other side of shankill bordering killiney that is now under another name. they are commonly confused.

Anonymous said...

The former prison has been commonly referred to in Shankill for at least 45 years as Shanganagh Castle. I reckon the fairytale-castle-style building was named after the old castle, which sadly has been in ruins for many years. All are part of our heritage in Shankill.

Unknown said...

I believe one of the Allen daughters resided st Arisaig on the Dublin Road in Shankill, neighbouring Rathmichael School. Arisaig and its equally fine Edwardian neighbour were demolished and the combined sites redeveloped over the past few years. Shankill seems doomed to lose its grander buildings which appear to be afforded very little protection. Alan O'Brien

Geraldine Comiskey said...

Yes, I was sad to see Arisaig and its neighbouring houses demolished. They looked as if they belonged in the 1930s,certainly graced the village with a lot of charm and elegance. That site is so ugly now with featureless modern apartments.

Geraldine Comiskey said...

There were also some lovely old trees in the grounds of those houses beside Rathmichael school.

Geraldine Comiskey said...

Edwardian buildings, of course, as you have pointed out, but that kind of house would be familiar to anyone who watches TV dramas set in the 30s.

Anonymous said...

I was a resident of shanganagh residential block in 1984,for 3 months that were looking back a good period of my life, and mede me a better person

Geraldine Comiskey said...

It's lovely to see a comment like that. It was well worth having Shanganagh Castle in the justice system when it could change lives. It must have been an interesting place to live too. Best of luck and God bless

Geraldine Comiskey said...

The houses should have been built in the large park beside the Castle grounds. We could have enjoyed the Castle and its grounds as a cultural centre, with boutique music festivals, art exhibitions, etc. And it's a scandal that the land itself, nurtured so well by the young residents of the castle, will no longer produce vegetables.

Anonymous said...

A wish.. A wash wonder..