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Drummartin Castle - Photograph by Kevin Harrington, The Way to Dundrum.
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Drummartin Castle
NAME Drummartin Castle/Dromartin Castle
AREA LOCATION STILLORGAN, Kilmacud Road Upper, the site of Silver Birches opposite Airfield.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Drummartin
and it is annotated as Drummartin Castle on both.
GENERAL Georgian house with two gatelodge, its main entrance and gatelodge on Taney
Road. The land was originally leased to Patrick Darcy to 'burn bricks' in 1781 and this may be
one of the many properties he built in Drommartin. It was built on what became known as Birch's
Lane, adjacent to Campfield. The name Birch has nothing to do with trees, instead it refers to one of
the occupants, Henry Birch who leased the house from Emily Dawson, hence the name given to the
site today of Silver Birches is a complete misnomer.
The house had a castellated front with blank buttresses at each corner, Wyatt windows and a
beautiful fanlight over the front door. The house was divided in the 1950's and the front part was
renamed Drummartin Park House which was lived in until 1976 by F D Bedson.
The Castle was advertised by the Bank of Ireland Trustee Department for auction on 13 Jun 1979.
'This old three storey residence in need of repair, contains about ten rooms together with a fire
damaged mews dwelling containing 3 rooms and bath room, front garden with frontage of circa 80
feet, the property is conveniently situated close to the junction with Birches Lane, vacant
possession available of house and mews. The sale includes leasehold profit. Ground rent nett
£301 pa in four collections out of numbers 27 to 53 (odd numbers) Taney Road.,1 to 17 Silver
Birches and houses and a plot of ground on Kilmacud Road.'
YEAR BUILT circa 1781 on Woodbine Hill
VALUATION In 1912 the valuation was 76 pounds and in the 1911 census it is noted as
having 15 rooms occupied by family.
ARCHITECT Unknown
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Registry of Deeds, NAI
Census & Wills and OSI Maps.
OCCUPANTS
1791 - 1819 John Giffard
1820 - 1833 Henry Dawson
1833 - 1837 Mrs Dawson
1837 - 1844 John Walsh
1844 - 1879 Henry Birch
1879 - 1893 John Joseph Lalor
1896 - 1897 Vacant
1898 - 1901 Samuel English Stronge
1909 For Rent
1910 To Let on 8.5 acres
1911 - 1913 Captain Richard Arthur Bright
1914 Vacant
1924 Vacant
1925 - 1978 Quinn Family
1979 For Auction via BOI (10 rooms)
1981 Sold for 161K
1984 Demolished
STAFF
1849 Robert Oakley - Coachman
1901 Mary Byrne - Housemaid
Johanna Power - Cook
1911 Bridget Mary Sheridan
Annie Louisa West
Mary Martha Ann Bradley
1920 - 1923 Philip Tanham - Gardener
1936 Patrick Nugent - Dromartin Castle Lodge, Dundrum
CURRENT
STATUS No longer extant
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE July 2018
AREA LOCATION STILLORGAN, Kilmacud Road Upper, the site of Silver Birches opposite Airfield.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Drummartin
and it is annotated as Drummartin Castle on both.
GENERAL Georgian house with two gatelodge, its main entrance and gatelodge on Taney
Road. The land was originally leased to Patrick Darcy to 'burn bricks' in 1781 and this may be
one of the many properties he built in Drommartin. It was built on what became known as Birch's
Lane, adjacent to Campfield. The name Birch has nothing to do with trees, instead it refers to one of
the occupants, Henry Birch who leased the house from Emily Dawson, hence the name given to the
site today of Silver Birches is a complete misnomer.
The house had a castellated front with blank buttresses at each corner, Wyatt windows and a
beautiful fanlight over the front door. The house was divided in the 1950's and the front part was
renamed Drummartin Park House which was lived in until 1976 by F D Bedson.
The Castle was advertised by the Bank of Ireland Trustee Department for auction on 13 Jun 1979.
'This old three storey residence in need of repair, contains about ten rooms together with a fire
damaged mews dwelling containing 3 rooms and bath room, front garden with frontage of circa 80
feet, the property is conveniently situated close to the junction with Birches Lane, vacant
possession available of house and mews. The sale includes leasehold profit. Ground rent nett
£301 pa in four collections out of numbers 27 to 53 (odd numbers) Taney Road.,1 to 17 Silver
Birches and houses and a plot of ground on Kilmacud Road.'
YEAR BUILT circa 1781 on Woodbine Hill
VALUATION In 1912 the valuation was 76 pounds and in the 1911 census it is noted as
having 15 rooms occupied by family.
ARCHITECT Unknown
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Registry of Deeds, NAI
Census & Wills and OSI Maps.
OCCUPANTS
1791 - 1819 John Giffard
1820 - 1833 Henry Dawson
1833 - 1837 Mrs Dawson
1837 - 1844 John Walsh
1844 - 1879 Henry Birch
1879 - 1893 John Joseph Lalor
1896 - 1897 Vacant
1898 - 1901 Samuel English Stronge
1909 For Rent
1910 To Let on 8.5 acres
1911 - 1913 Captain Richard Arthur Bright
1914 Vacant
1924 Vacant
1925 - 1978 Quinn Family
1979 For Auction via BOI (10 rooms)
1981 Sold for 161K
1984 Demolished
STAFF
1849 Robert Oakley - Coachman
1901 Mary Byrne - Housemaid
Johanna Power - Cook
1911 Bridget Mary Sheridan
Annie Louisa West
Mary Martha Ann Bradley
1920 - 1923 Philip Tanham - Gardener
1936 Patrick Nugent - Dromartin Castle Lodge, Dundrum
CURRENT
STATUS No longer extant
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE July 2018