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Leopardstown Park House
NAME Leopardstown Park House/Leopardstown Hospital
AREA LOCATION STILLORGAN, Leopardstown roundabout, entrance through Leopardstown
Racecourse and Westwood on Leopardstown Road.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Carmanhall
& Leopardstown respectively. Part of the lands of Leopardstown or
Carmenhall consisting of 103A 2R 3P was sold by the Sheriff by Public Cant in
1756. The land had been leased by Edward McCarthy from Robert Percy for
a term of 31 years from 1750.
GENERAL Robert Burton of Burton Hall was paid 2,000 in 1776 by Charles Henry Coote
of Lepperstown for the lands of Carman Hall in the Parish of Tullow being 56 acres, 3 roods and
9 perches. 'Bounded on the east and north by the Grange and Tipperstown and on the south by
the lands of Lepperstown and on the west by the road which divides the said premises from the
lands formerly demised by the said Robert Burton to Mr Pat Burke and now in the possession of
Edward Ellis.' The house was for sale in 1828 and again from 1838 to 1843. He was described as
being built of white granite when it for sale on 100 acres in 1877.
A Victorian five bay, two storey over basement with a Portland stone balustraded portico. At roof
level it has a cut-granite cornice and balustrade. The elegant stable block which James Talbot
Power commissioned is also still extant and is in use as a gardeners workshop and store.
The war was to change this house dramatically. South County Dublin had its fair share of auxiliary
hospitals; Monkstown, Linden Convalescent Home in Stillorgan, and Temple Hill in Blackrock.
Then the War Office converted the Meath Industrial School, on Carysfort Avenue, into the Blackrock
Military Orthopaedic Hospital in 1917. This was the same year as Gertrude Dunning offered the house
to the British Ministry of Pensions. This was by way of a gift, so as other houses reverted to private
ownership after the war, this was entrusted to the Ministry of Pensions, to facilitate the treatment of
wounded ex-servicemen, for however long it was needed. Here were treated the shell-shocked soldier
in this peaceful sanctuary in the foothills of the Dublin mountains. The house was converted and in
March 1918, the first of 32 shell-shocked men arrived. Only 32 beds for the 30,000 men in Ireland
suffering some form of disability. By 1921 the waiting list for admission was over 700 men. Bed
capacity needed to be increased and facilities needed to be upgraded. The fundraising to get this
done was spearheaded by Lady Ethel, Countess Kingston. Over the next 40 years the hospital
limped along due to a shortage of funding. In 1950 they were given a grant of 78K by the British
Government to upgrade the wards and nurses home. In 1971, it wasn't PC to have a British run
hospital in the Republic and by 1979 the control of the hospital was transferred to the Irish Minister
of Health after intense and prolonged negotiations.
YEAR BUILT circa 1795
VALUATION In 1900 the valuation was 365 Stg and in the 1901 census it is noted as having
rooms 17 rooms occupied by the family.
ARCHITECT Unknown but reconstruction of house and alterations to stables by John Skipton
Mulvany in 1861 for Charlotte Malcomson.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, NAI Census and Wills, Registry
of Deeds & OSI Maps.
OCCUPANTS
1775 - 1796 Rev Charles Coote, Dean of Kilfenora
1796 - 1823 Charles Henry Coote
1823 - 1827 Eyre Coote (Son of Rev Charles Coote)
1827 - 1829 Eyre Coote (Nephew of Charles Henry Coote)
1830 - 1837 Hort Family
1844 Division of Property- Leopardstown House and Leopardstown Farm (Agricultural College)
1844 - 1854 Captain Villiers Francis Hatton
1855 - 1859 Hon George Francis Colley
1861 - 1877 Charlotte Malcomson
1871 - 1877 Arthur & Mary Ussher
1877 - 1916 James Talbot Power
1917 Sanatorium for Invalided soldiers (Hayes Home)
1979 Taken over by the State and run as a Nursing Home
1980 Some land sold to Abbey Properties
1980 Land sold by Abbey to the IDA
STAFF
1814 Alexander Clarke - Gardener
1830 - 1837 Mr Daly - Steward & Gardener
1855 - 1866 Mr Nolan - Land Steward
1862 Mr Donohue - Gardener
1865 - 1867 John Sweeny - Gardener & Agricultural Steward
1878 George Frazer - Gardener
1901 Anne Howlin - Laundress
Thomas Ryan - Coachman
Daniel Murphy - Butler
Mary Connors - Housemaid
Kate Butler - Housemaid
Julia McCormick - Kitchen Maid
Eliza Phelan - Cook
Ellen Sheils - House Keeper
Michael Coppinger - Footman
1901 - 1912 James Cleary - 2nd Coachman
1904 Florence Annie Glasby
1904 - 1916 George Gilbert - Gardener
1904 Mark Gilbert - Gamekeeper
1911 Rose Mullan - Cook
Kate Butler - Housemaid
Minnie Dunne - Housemaid
Nellie Byrne - Housemaid
Daniel Murphy - Butler
Thomas Ryan - Coachman
John McNamara - Footman
1955 Alexander Michael Bower - Gardener
CURRENT
STATUS Extant and in use as Hospital/Nursing Home.
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE May 2017
NAME Leopardstown Park House/Leopardstown Hospital
AREA LOCATION STILLORGAN, Leopardstown roundabout, entrance through Leopardstown
Racecourse and Westwood on Leopardstown Road.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Carmanhall
& Leopardstown respectively. Part of the lands of Leopardstown or
Carmenhall consisting of 103A 2R 3P was sold by the Sheriff by Public Cant in
1756. The land had been leased by Edward McCarthy from Robert Percy for
a term of 31 years from 1750.
GENERAL Robert Burton of Burton Hall was paid 2,000 in 1776 by Charles Henry Coote
of Lepperstown for the lands of Carman Hall in the Parish of Tullow being 56 acres, 3 roods and
9 perches. 'Bounded on the east and north by the Grange and Tipperstown and on the south by
the lands of Lepperstown and on the west by the road which divides the said premises from the
lands formerly demised by the said Robert Burton to Mr Pat Burke and now in the possession of
Edward Ellis.' The house was for sale in 1828 and again from 1838 to 1843. He was described as
being built of white granite when it for sale on 100 acres in 1877.
A Victorian five bay, two storey over basement with a Portland stone balustraded portico. At roof
level it has a cut-granite cornice and balustrade. The elegant stable block which James Talbot
Power commissioned is also still extant and is in use as a gardeners workshop and store.
The war was to change this house dramatically. South County Dublin had its fair share of auxiliary
hospitals; Monkstown, Linden Convalescent Home in Stillorgan, and Temple Hill in Blackrock.
Then the War Office converted the Meath Industrial School, on Carysfort Avenue, into the Blackrock
Military Orthopaedic Hospital in 1917. This was the same year as Gertrude Dunning offered the house
to the British Ministry of Pensions. This was by way of a gift, so as other houses reverted to private
ownership after the war, this was entrusted to the Ministry of Pensions, to facilitate the treatment of
wounded ex-servicemen, for however long it was needed. Here were treated the shell-shocked soldier
in this peaceful sanctuary in the foothills of the Dublin mountains. The house was converted and in
March 1918, the first of 32 shell-shocked men arrived. Only 32 beds for the 30,000 men in Ireland
suffering some form of disability. By 1921 the waiting list for admission was over 700 men. Bed
capacity needed to be increased and facilities needed to be upgraded. The fundraising to get this
done was spearheaded by Lady Ethel, Countess Kingston. Over the next 40 years the hospital
limped along due to a shortage of funding. In 1950 they were given a grant of 78K by the British
Government to upgrade the wards and nurses home. In 1971, it wasn't PC to have a British run
hospital in the Republic and by 1979 the control of the hospital was transferred to the Irish Minister
of Health after intense and prolonged negotiations.
YEAR BUILT circa 1795
VALUATION In 1900 the valuation was 365 Stg and in the 1901 census it is noted as having
rooms 17 rooms occupied by the family.
ARCHITECT Unknown but reconstruction of house and alterations to stables by John Skipton
Mulvany in 1861 for Charlotte Malcomson.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, NAI Census and Wills, Registry
of Deeds & OSI Maps.
OCCUPANTS
1775 - 1796 Rev Charles Coote, Dean of Kilfenora
1796 - 1823 Charles Henry Coote
1823 - 1827 Eyre Coote (Son of Rev Charles Coote)
1827 - 1829 Eyre Coote (Nephew of Charles Henry Coote)
1830 - 1837 Hort Family
1844 Division of Property- Leopardstown House and Leopardstown Farm (Agricultural College)
1844 - 1854 Captain Villiers Francis Hatton
1855 - 1859 Hon George Francis Colley
1861 - 1877 Charlotte Malcomson
1871 - 1877 Arthur & Mary Ussher
1877 - 1916 James Talbot Power
1917 Sanatorium for Invalided soldiers (Hayes Home)
1979 Taken over by the State and run as a Nursing Home
1980 Some land sold to Abbey Properties
1980 Land sold by Abbey to the IDA
STAFF
1814 Alexander Clarke - Gardener
1830 - 1837 Mr Daly - Steward & Gardener
1855 - 1866 Mr Nolan - Land Steward
1862 Mr Donohue - Gardener
1865 - 1867 John Sweeny - Gardener & Agricultural Steward
1878 George Frazer - Gardener
1901 Anne Howlin - Laundress
Thomas Ryan - Coachman
Daniel Murphy - Butler
Mary Connors - Housemaid
Kate Butler - Housemaid
Julia McCormick - Kitchen Maid
Eliza Phelan - Cook
Ellen Sheils - House Keeper
Michael Coppinger - Footman
1901 - 1912 James Cleary - 2nd Coachman
1904 Florence Annie Glasby
1904 - 1916 George Gilbert - Gardener
1904 Mark Gilbert - Gamekeeper
1911 Rose Mullan - Cook
Kate Butler - Housemaid
Minnie Dunne - Housemaid
Nellie Byrne - Housemaid
Daniel Murphy - Butler
Thomas Ryan - Coachman
John McNamara - Footman
1955 Alexander Michael Bower - Gardener
CURRENT
STATUS Extant and in use as Hospital/Nursing Home.
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE May 2017