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These pictures are of particular interest to those living in the modern estate of Laraghcon.
The Coffee House was a wooden sylvan type building was situated across the bridge at the entrance to the modern estate.
Built by Hills and Shackletons in the late 1800s, it was hoped it would serve as an alternative to the pubs of Lucan.
It seems not to have worked, but the building became a sort of ‘community centre’ – long before the term was ever invented.
Christopher Ledwidge, who was born in Lucan in 1901, referred to it as the ‘Band House’ – where the local Fife and Drum band had their practices and was often used for dances in his day. He also recalled bread being handed out from here during the great ‘Lock Out’ of 1913.
Lucan’s first Vocational School had its beginnings here before moving to The Forge at Dodsboro, and to the building on Esker Hill in 1953. This was the pre-runner to Lucan Community College.
For a time in the 1950s, it was home to the Gannon family, and later housed Trade Union Offices. Eventually it yielded to scavenges of time and fell in to disrepair being demolished in 1984.
The picture above was taken shortly after the Coffee House was demolished, and long before we even dreamed of houses in Laraghcon.
Mary Mulhall
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