This quaint cottage once graced the banks of the River Liffey, close to the weir in Lucan Demesne. Older Lucanians remember the pretty spot particularly in springtime with crocus, snowdrops and daffodils peeping up through the grass, while a conservatory at the back, housed tearooms, which quenched the thirst of many a visitor to the locale.
Folklore has it that Patrick Sarsfield built the house for a gypsy lady to whom he would pay a visit each evening, riding out on horseback from his home in the castle. One evening, the lady was gone and no more was ever heard of her. Although the building was always known locally as Sarsfield’s Cottage, it most likely only dated back to the Vesey era.
The last family to live in the Cottage were Shanahans – Mrs. Shanahan can be seen in this photo pushing her pram. The family moved to Dodsboro just before 1950, and shortly afterwards, the building was lost to a fire.
The Place to be….
Every Sunday, throngs of visitors came to enjoy the pleasures of this sylvan spot. Entering through the gates opposite Primrose Lane in the Village, many walked the stretch from Lucan to Leixlip. The more adventurous could hire a row-boat for 6d, and row away to their heart’s content in the vicinity of the weir.
The late Kathleen Moffett (nee Ennis) enjoyed this pursuit in the 1930s.
Thank you to Noel Shanahan for the photo of Sarsfields Cottage, one I’ve not seen before. It always surprises me what’s still out there, just when you think there can’t be many more old pictures!
Mary Mulhall
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