Woodley Park House
Photograph by kind permission of Geraldine O'Sullivan
Photograph by kind permission of Geraldine O'Sullivan
NAME Woodley House/Woodley Park House/Woodley Villa /Woodley Dower House
AREA LOCATION STILLORGAN, Kilmacud Road Upper on the section that runs from Stillorgan
Heath to Drummartin link road.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Kilmacud East and
it is annotated as Woodley and Woodley/Kilmacud House respectively. On Taylors
map of 1816 is is noted as Woodley. Its gatelodge was in between Sweetbriar lane
and the shops on Drummartin Road. Land was owned by John Ladaveze Arabin in
the 1840's.
GENERAL This house has been added to, divided, added to again and split again. It had stables,
gatelodge, a farm and a walled garden.
YEAR BUILT c1760
VALUATION In 1921 the valuation was 44 pounds and in the census of 1901 it is noted as having 26
rooms occupied by family.
ARCHITECT Unknown but possibly Brassington of Brassington and Gale.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Registry of Deeds NAI Census &
Wills and OSI maps.
OCCUPANTS
1809 Henry Arabin leases 18 acres exclusive of an avenue to Peter Alexander Leslie
1809 - 1844 Peter Alexander Leslie
1844 - 1849 Charles Brassington – Solicitor
1851 Samuel Smylie
1863 - 1866 William Henry
1868-1890 Edward Chapman (merchant) land 30 acres
1890 Sale ordered by land judges see sale of Chapman estates
1890 - 1921 William Henry Foster Verschoyle (land now only 20 acres)
1912 Nicholas O’Dwyer
1926 Vacant
1930 - 1935 Charles Kennedy/Nicholas O’Dwyer
1931 (House divided into 2 residences) See Woodley Villa
1931-1939 Josephine MacNeill/Sir George Mahon
1940 Sir George Mahon/Mrs Phyllis Shaw
1940 - 1955 Mrs. Phyllis Shaw
1960 Colmans (related to Winters)
1960 Lands sold off to build Woodey Park to Mr Burrell
1968 Permission to demolish refused
1970 - 1973 Dr Michael F & Mrs. Lennon (Woodley Park House)
1973 Kevin G Boyle (Woodley House)
2011 Aida Lennon (Woodley Park House)
STAFF
1831 - 1844 John Dixon - Coachman went to work for P A Leslies son, Charles at
Dalkey on death of P A.. John died at Dalkey in April 1866
1849 John Downey - Gatekeeper
1872 Thomas Hughes - Coachman
1876 Hopton Lucas - Coachman/Gardener
1901 Alice Gordon - Nurse
George McDowell - Yardman
John McCann - Coachman
Anna Gough - Parlourmaid
Mary Gough - Husemaid
Anne Moore - Cooke
1911 Susan Jane Jenkinson - Housemaid
Mary Breen - Cook
Beatrice Carroll - Laundress
Bridget Farnan - Parlourmaid
CURRENT
STATUS Extant in 2017
CONTRIBUTORS © June Bow/Karen Poff
DATE November 2017
AREA LOCATION STILLORGAN, Kilmacud Road Upper on the section that runs from Stillorgan
Heath to Drummartin link road.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Kilmacud East and
it is annotated as Woodley and Woodley/Kilmacud House respectively. On Taylors
map of 1816 is is noted as Woodley. Its gatelodge was in between Sweetbriar lane
and the shops on Drummartin Road. Land was owned by John Ladaveze Arabin in
the 1840's.
GENERAL This house has been added to, divided, added to again and split again. It had stables,
gatelodge, a farm and a walled garden.
YEAR BUILT c1760
VALUATION In 1921 the valuation was 44 pounds and in the census of 1901 it is noted as having 26
rooms occupied by family.
ARCHITECT Unknown but possibly Brassington of Brassington and Gale.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Registry of Deeds NAI Census &
Wills and OSI maps.
OCCUPANTS
1809 Henry Arabin leases 18 acres exclusive of an avenue to Peter Alexander Leslie
1809 - 1844 Peter Alexander Leslie
1844 - 1849 Charles Brassington – Solicitor
1851 Samuel Smylie
1863 - 1866 William Henry
1868-1890 Edward Chapman (merchant) land 30 acres
1890 Sale ordered by land judges see sale of Chapman estates
1890 - 1921 William Henry Foster Verschoyle (land now only 20 acres)
1912 Nicholas O’Dwyer
1926 Vacant
1930 - 1935 Charles Kennedy/Nicholas O’Dwyer
1931 (House divided into 2 residences) See Woodley Villa
1931-1939 Josephine MacNeill/Sir George Mahon
1940 Sir George Mahon/Mrs Phyllis Shaw
1940 - 1955 Mrs. Phyllis Shaw
1960 Colmans (related to Winters)
1960 Lands sold off to build Woodey Park to Mr Burrell
1968 Permission to demolish refused
1970 - 1973 Dr Michael F & Mrs. Lennon (Woodley Park House)
1973 Kevin G Boyle (Woodley House)
2011 Aida Lennon (Woodley Park House)
STAFF
1831 - 1844 John Dixon - Coachman went to work for P A Leslies son, Charles at
Dalkey on death of P A.. John died at Dalkey in April 1866
1849 John Downey - Gatekeeper
1872 Thomas Hughes - Coachman
1876 Hopton Lucas - Coachman/Gardener
1901 Alice Gordon - Nurse
George McDowell - Yardman
John McCann - Coachman
Anna Gough - Parlourmaid
Mary Gough - Husemaid
Anne Moore - Cooke
1911 Susan Jane Jenkinson - Housemaid
Mary Breen - Cook
Beatrice Carroll - Laundress
Bridget Farnan - Parlourmaid
CURRENT
STATUS Extant in 2017
CONTRIBUTORS © June Bow/Karen Poff
DATE November 2017