Friarsland
NAME Friars Land/Friarsland/Fryarsland Hall/Friarsland Hall/Glenard
AREA LOCATION Goatstown Road at the Roebuck Road junction.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Friarsland
and it is annotated as Friarsland on both.
GENERAL Friarsland was for sale on 24 plantation acres in 1789. In 1826 it was for sale
described as a substantial property with 2 sitting rooms, 6 bed chambers, with stabling for 6 horses,
a walled garden and a water tank capable of holding 700 gallons of water. By 1856 a new house had
been recently built on the site in the 'Italian Style'. The site had a gardeners cottage, gatelodge and a
vinery. One of the main selling features was the polished plate glass windows. There was a fire at
the house in 1941 and the back stairs and a wall were damaged. By the 1950's there are a number of
business' being run from the site including a nursery and a poultry/egg farm. The site was reduced
by a Corporation CPO in 1956 during a road widening scheme. Donegal Design Ltd moved to the site
circa 1958. Circa 1987 a gym and bathroom showroom moved to the site. The house was purchased
by Opus Dei in 1964 and the name changed to Glenard. The former Friarsland gym and bathroom
showroom site which was just over .5 acre was put up for sale for €1 million in 2012 and Friarsland
Crescent built.
A house was built on the site circa 1800 called Roebuck Grove (one of three Roebuck Groves in the
area). This house was demolished and is now the site of 'The Grove'.
YEAR BUILT 1789
VALUATION The valuation in 1921 was £132
Number of
Rooms In the 1901 census it is noted as having 14 rooms.
ARCHITECT New house and gate lodge erected on the site circa 1856 possibly the work
of J S Mulvany. Gate lodge no longer extant.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, NAI Census & Wills
Griffith's Valuation, RCB Library and OSI Maps.
OCCUPANTS
1619 St Mary's Chantry, Church of St Nicholas Within (Dublin)
Lease from John Hyde, chaplain of the chantry of St Nicholas' Church to
William Wolferstone, Stillorgan, Co Dublin of Friarsland, Co Dublin on
15 Jul 1619.
1780 - 1789 John Scott, Lord Earlsfort, the Viscount Clonmel
1820 James Lafanell
1822 - 1826 Thomas Wilson, solicitor
1826 - 1829 For Sale
1834 - 1842 Charles Copland
1843 - 1844 The Misses Johnson
1847 - 1858 William Stowell Henry Curran
1858 - 1863 Colonel Augustus de Butts
1863 Lease for Sale
1864 - 1866 Mr M'Geogh
1866 - 1877 John Richard Somers
1877 - 1878 For Sale
1879 - 1885 Hugh Michael Macken
1886 - 1914 Richard Davoren
1917 - 1928 Reginald Stratford Phillips
1929 - 1932 Thomas Smalley
1932 - 1942 Mrs Smalley
1943 - 1950 William J Clarkson
1951 - 1961 Anthony Leo Clarkson
1964 - Todate Opus Dei - in use as a university residence
STAFF
1849 William Stewart - Gatekeeper
1901 Teresa Kelly - Cook
Mary Sweeny - Kitchenmaid
Anne Holloway - Nurse
Catherine Fleming - Nurse
1901 - 1911 Catherine Cullen - Parlourmaid
1911 Anne Somers - Housemaid
Julia Cooney - Kitchenmaid
Hanna Flynn - Cook
1911 Michael Callaghan - Coachman (living at gate lodge)
1901 - 1911 Daniel Flynn - Gardener (living on site)
CURRENT
STATUS Extant
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE April 2020
AREA LOCATION Goatstown Road at the Roebuck Road junction.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Friarsland
and it is annotated as Friarsland on both.
GENERAL Friarsland was for sale on 24 plantation acres in 1789. In 1826 it was for sale
described as a substantial property with 2 sitting rooms, 6 bed chambers, with stabling for 6 horses,
a walled garden and a water tank capable of holding 700 gallons of water. By 1856 a new house had
been recently built on the site in the 'Italian Style'. The site had a gardeners cottage, gatelodge and a
vinery. One of the main selling features was the polished plate glass windows. There was a fire at
the house in 1941 and the back stairs and a wall were damaged. By the 1950's there are a number of
business' being run from the site including a nursery and a poultry/egg farm. The site was reduced
by a Corporation CPO in 1956 during a road widening scheme. Donegal Design Ltd moved to the site
circa 1958. Circa 1987 a gym and bathroom showroom moved to the site. The house was purchased
by Opus Dei in 1964 and the name changed to Glenard. The former Friarsland gym and bathroom
showroom site which was just over .5 acre was put up for sale for €1 million in 2012 and Friarsland
Crescent built.
A house was built on the site circa 1800 called Roebuck Grove (one of three Roebuck Groves in the
area). This house was demolished and is now the site of 'The Grove'.
YEAR BUILT 1789
VALUATION The valuation in 1921 was £132
Number of
Rooms In the 1901 census it is noted as having 14 rooms.
ARCHITECT New house and gate lodge erected on the site circa 1856 possibly the work
of J S Mulvany. Gate lodge no longer extant.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, NAI Census & Wills
Griffith's Valuation, RCB Library and OSI Maps.
OCCUPANTS
1619 St Mary's Chantry, Church of St Nicholas Within (Dublin)
Lease from John Hyde, chaplain of the chantry of St Nicholas' Church to
William Wolferstone, Stillorgan, Co Dublin of Friarsland, Co Dublin on
15 Jul 1619.
1780 - 1789 John Scott, Lord Earlsfort, the Viscount Clonmel
1820 James Lafanell
1822 - 1826 Thomas Wilson, solicitor
1826 - 1829 For Sale
1834 - 1842 Charles Copland
1843 - 1844 The Misses Johnson
1847 - 1858 William Stowell Henry Curran
1858 - 1863 Colonel Augustus de Butts
1863 Lease for Sale
1864 - 1866 Mr M'Geogh
1866 - 1877 John Richard Somers
1877 - 1878 For Sale
1879 - 1885 Hugh Michael Macken
1886 - 1914 Richard Davoren
1917 - 1928 Reginald Stratford Phillips
1929 - 1932 Thomas Smalley
1932 - 1942 Mrs Smalley
1943 - 1950 William J Clarkson
1951 - 1961 Anthony Leo Clarkson
1964 - Todate Opus Dei - in use as a university residence
STAFF
1849 William Stewart - Gatekeeper
1901 Teresa Kelly - Cook
Mary Sweeny - Kitchenmaid
Anne Holloway - Nurse
Catherine Fleming - Nurse
1901 - 1911 Catherine Cullen - Parlourmaid
1911 Anne Somers - Housemaid
Julia Cooney - Kitchenmaid
Hanna Flynn - Cook
1911 Michael Callaghan - Coachman (living at gate lodge)
1901 - 1911 Daniel Flynn - Gardener (living on site)
CURRENT
STATUS Extant
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE April 2020