Airfield
NAME Bessmount/Airfield
AREA LOCATION Upper Kilmacud Road
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of
Drummartin and it is annotated as Airfield on both maps. It is not noted on Duncan's
map of 1821. It is situated at the junction of the Upper Kilmacud Road and Birch's Lane.
GENERAL The name was changed from Bess Mount to Airfield circa 1836. It has
an Arts & Craft style gatelodge. Two storey, three bay with hood moulds. It has a heavily
castellated porch and the door has a gothic feel. Airfield is synonymous with the eccentric
Overend sisters who kept a 1927 Rolls Royce which they maintained themselves. They also
had an Austin 10 Tickford and a Peugeot Quadrilette. Apparantely when asked by her father
what she would like for her 21st birthday, Letitia replied, 'A Roll Royce, it will last me all my
life", and it did.
The house was also home to another strong woman - Margaret Jury nee Cotton. When her
husband of 18 years died in a tragic accident (he fell from his bedroom window while visiting
friends in Bristol), she was left the onerous task of running the Shelbourne Hotel.
Naomi and Letitia left the 34 acre Victorian farm in trust for 'Education and Public Use'. After
Naomi's death the contents of the house was sold which raised 1.3 Million, mainly due to the sale
of their James Hicks furniture. In a bid to keep the farm open to the public the trustees sold off
some land, including Dudley's field which caused public outcry and the land was rezoned as
residential use in 2003. The sister's hope that their Victorian farm would remain just that, was
probably too much to expect in a era of rampant commercialism but Airfield is still a working
farm open to the public with gardens and restaurant hosting weddings events and children's
activities.
YEAR BUILT circa 1830
VALUATION In 1912 the valuation was 97 pounds
NUMBER
OF ROOMS In the 1911 census it is noted as having 14 rooms
ARCHITECT Unknown.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Registry of Deeds,
NAI Census & Wills and OSI Maps
OCCUPANTS
1830 - 1851 Thomas Mackey Scully
1852 Court of encumbered estates
1852 - 1882 Thomas Cranfield
1862 - 1864 Francis Reynolds - Artist
1884 - 1894 Jury Family
1894 - 1993 Overend Family
1993 - Todate Dromartin Estates Company and Airfield Trust
STAFF
1849 Arthur Nolan - Gatekeeper
1864 John Larkin - Coachman, living at gatelodge
1860 - 1861 Mr Dunne - Gardener
1884 Alexander Bell
1900 - 1903 Sandys Wilkinson - Gardener, living at gatelodge.
1911 Ellen Dooley - Cook
Mary Gray - Parlourmaid
1929 Annie Victoria Bell
CURRENT
STATUS Extant and in use as a heritage centre.
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE September 2017
NAME Bessmount/Airfield
AREA LOCATION Upper Kilmacud Road
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of
Drummartin and it is annotated as Airfield on both maps. It is not noted on Duncan's
map of 1821. It is situated at the junction of the Upper Kilmacud Road and Birch's Lane.
GENERAL The name was changed from Bess Mount to Airfield circa 1836. It has
an Arts & Craft style gatelodge. Two storey, three bay with hood moulds. It has a heavily
castellated porch and the door has a gothic feel. Airfield is synonymous with the eccentric
Overend sisters who kept a 1927 Rolls Royce which they maintained themselves. They also
had an Austin 10 Tickford and a Peugeot Quadrilette. Apparantely when asked by her father
what she would like for her 21st birthday, Letitia replied, 'A Roll Royce, it will last me all my
life", and it did.
The house was also home to another strong woman - Margaret Jury nee Cotton. When her
husband of 18 years died in a tragic accident (he fell from his bedroom window while visiting
friends in Bristol), she was left the onerous task of running the Shelbourne Hotel.
Naomi and Letitia left the 34 acre Victorian farm in trust for 'Education and Public Use'. After
Naomi's death the contents of the house was sold which raised 1.3 Million, mainly due to the sale
of their James Hicks furniture. In a bid to keep the farm open to the public the trustees sold off
some land, including Dudley's field which caused public outcry and the land was rezoned as
residential use in 2003. The sister's hope that their Victorian farm would remain just that, was
probably too much to expect in a era of rampant commercialism but Airfield is still a working
farm open to the public with gardens and restaurant hosting weddings events and children's
activities.
YEAR BUILT circa 1830
VALUATION In 1912 the valuation was 97 pounds
NUMBER
OF ROOMS In the 1911 census it is noted as having 14 rooms
ARCHITECT Unknown.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Registry of Deeds,
NAI Census & Wills and OSI Maps
OCCUPANTS
1830 - 1851 Thomas Mackey Scully
1852 Court of encumbered estates
1852 - 1882 Thomas Cranfield
1862 - 1864 Francis Reynolds - Artist
1884 - 1894 Jury Family
1894 - 1993 Overend Family
1993 - Todate Dromartin Estates Company and Airfield Trust
STAFF
1849 Arthur Nolan - Gatekeeper
1864 John Larkin - Coachman, living at gatelodge
1860 - 1861 Mr Dunne - Gardener
1884 Alexander Bell
1900 - 1903 Sandys Wilkinson - Gardener, living at gatelodge.
1911 Ellen Dooley - Cook
Mary Gray - Parlourmaid
1929 Annie Victoria Bell
CURRENT
STATUS Extant and in use as a heritage centre.
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE September 2017