Dollardstown, Slane, Co Meath – a ruin

Mark Bence-Jones. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.

p. 104. “(Meredyth, Bt, of Greenhills, PB1909; Somerville, Athlumney, B/PB 1920) A house grandly remodelled in red brick ca 1730 for Arthur Meredyth, probably by Richard Castle. Three storey over a high basement with a parapet-attic of blind windows above the cornice. Seven bay front, three bay breakfronted centre, with Castle’s favourite sequence of a blind oculus above a niche above the entrance doorway, which is pedimented and pillared. Two bay side elevation, with Venetian windows in both principal storeys, triple windows above and triple blind windows in the attic and also in the basement; which, instead of being brick faced with stone, is of stone faced with brick. The principal front is flanked by two tall pedimented pavilions. Passed by inheritance to the Somerville (Athlumney) family; occupied by a farmer as early as 1837. Now a ruin. – supplement: In 1920s, Dollardstown, somewhat decayed, was the home of Mrs Hannah Laffan, mother of Brandan Bracken (afterwards Viscount Bracken), who spoke of the house as ‘that old barracks.’” 

Paddy Rossmore. Photographs. Edited by Robert O’Byrne. The Lilliput Press, Dublin 7, 2019.

“The name Dollardstown derives from Adam and Paganus Dullard who in 1175 were granted lands in this part of the country by the Anglo-Norman Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath. In the late seventeenth century, Dollardstown was acquired by Arthur Meredith, whose forbear the Welsh-born cleric Richard Meredyth  in 1584 moved to Irelnd where he became Bishop of Leighlin and Dean of St Patrick’s, Dublin. It seems likely that the house at Dollardstown was at least in part of seventeenth-century origin, but after the estate was inherited by Arthur Meredith’s son (also called Arthur) in 1732 he rebuilt the property, apparently to the designs of Richard Castle. From the 1830s onwards, it seems that Dollardstown passed through various hands: in the last century, it was home to the mother of Financial Times founder and politician Brendan Bracken following her marriage to Patrick Laffan who then owned the house: she described it as “that old barracks.” Of seven bays and three storeys, the house had tall free-standing pavilions on either side: one of these still survives. An architectural curiosity was taht both side elevations had paired Venetian windows on ground and first floors. Inside, the main rooms had plaster panelling and there was a fine staircase. All remained in place as late as the 1950s when the house still had its roof…demolished in 1986…”

The Landed Gentry and Aristocracy: County Meath. Volume 1. Art Kavanagh, published by Irish Family Names, 11 Emerald Cottages, Grand Canal St, Dublin 4, 2005.

Aylmer of Balrath, p. 1. During the reign of Henry VI, Richard Aylmer of Lyons, a Keeper of the Peace for both Dublin and Kildare, was appointed Sovereign of the Borough of Tassagard, a position that put him in charge of protecting the settler community from attack by the neighbouring O’Toole and O’Byrne septs. Richard’s grandson Bartholomew served as High Sheriff of County Kildare in 1495 and married a daughter of the wealthy Meath magnate, Sir Christopher Chevers. The family subsequently rose to become one of the most prominent families in Meath and Kildare and, from 1530 onwards, key figures in the Dublin administration. By the close of Henry VIIIs reign, the Aylmer’s landholding extended from Kildare to Meath to Dublin. Before teh end of the 16^th century they had established two independent branches at Donadea in north Kildare and at Dollardstown in Co Meath. The first Aylmer of real significance, in terms of land acquisition, was John Aylmer who married Helen Tyrell of Lyons, an heiress, at the end of teh 14^th C and so the family acquired Lyons manor. He may have been a successful merchant and was descended from a family that had been prominent in the Lyons area since the Norman invasion.

p. 2. In the 13^th and 14^th centuries they intermarried not along with the Tyrell family of Westmeath but with three major Meath families – the Petits of Piercetown, the Bathes of Dollardstown and the Chevers of Macetown. In the 15^th century, the Tews of Dublin, Suttons of Kepok, Luttrells of Luttrellstown and Dillons of Fingal came into the fold.

p. 3. Sir Gerald Aylmer [c. 1485-1560] was a shrewd and ambitious man. He studied law in his youth and catching the eye of Thomas Cromwell, was appointed Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. As a leading figure in the Dublin administration, Sir Gerald co-orchestrated the military campaign that defeated Silken Thomas. He personally commanded the force that burned Maynooth in 1534. When Silken thomas and his five captured uncles were sent to London, Sir Gerald went as their escort. Initially Gerald was a keen supporter of Lord Deputy Leonard Grey and assisted him during the campaign against the O’Neills of Ulster. In 1539, Grey knighted him on teh battlefield for his valour and granted him the manor and lordship of Dollardsotnw in County Meath, seized from Gerald’s great-uncle, Attorney General Bathe, who was implicated in the Kildare Rebellion. Gerald’s elder brother, Richard Aylmer of Lyons, chief sergeant of Kildare in 1535, also fared well in Lord Deputy Grey’s loyalty payout, receiving the lucrative manor house of Donadea.

Indeed Lrd Grey’s intimate circle divided the spoils so that the Earl of Ormond was granted Kildare’s manor at Kilkea, Sir Thomas Eustace secured Kilcock, Thomas Cusack secured Ardmulgham and Grey himself, Maynooth. Richard’s landholdings included 46 acres held by the glebe of Oughterard Rectory from the Abbot of Thomas Court Abbey in Dublin. He also held three gardens in Kill and the tithes of Fenaghes in the parish of Cloncurry. He was also in receipt of the tithes of Whitechurch and its glebe-land, the property of St John’s Hospital in Naas. With the dissolution of the monasteries, Richard as able to swiftly sweep these outlying properties into his own estate.

p. 4. However, he did not actually benefit from the breakup of the large Kildare churches save for the short-term purchase of the Dominican house in Naas, which he passed on to his brother-in-law Sir Thomas Luttrell within a few years.

p. 5. His son Bartholomew, who maried Elinor Warren of Navan, was appointed Clerk of the Peace for Counties Kildare and Meath in 1553 and given the post of Clerk of the Crown. He died soon afterwards and was succeeded by his eldest son James. James later married his second cousin Anne, daughter of Sir Richard Aylmer of Lyons and he inherited all the lands from his grandfather, Sir Gerald of Dollardstown who died in 1560….From him descended the Aylmers of Dollardstown.

Listed in Vanishing Country Houses of Ireland by The Knight of Glin, David J. Griffin and Nicholas K. Robinson, published by The Irish Architectural Archive and The Irish Georgian Society, 1988. 

p. 113. “A superb house remodelled c. 1730 for Arthur Meredyth probably to the design of Richard Castle but incorporating a late 17C house. Very fine interior plasterwork and main staircase. The house was still roofed in the 1950s and having stood as a ruin for many years was demolished in 1986. The cut stone doorcase and other details were saved and are now in a private collection in County Cork.”

https://meathhistoryhub.ie/houses-a-d/

Dollardstown House stood near Beauparc, just off the road from Navan. Casey and Rowan described Dollardstown as a large and impressive stone and redbrick house designed in 1734 for Arthur Meredyth by Richard Castle, which stood as a derelict ivy grown shell until 1986 when it was completely demolished. Maurice Craig said Dollardstown was a remodelling in red brick, probably by Richard Castle of an earlier late seventeenth century house. On each side of the main house were tower-like wings. There is photo in Maurice Craig’s book. The three storey over high basement house had very fine interior plasterwork. The house was still roofed in the 1950s but demolished in 1986. The cut stone doorcase and other details were saved. 

The local names of Dollardstown and Painestown derive from Adam Dullard and his relative Paganus Dullard who were given grants of land by Hugh de Lacy in 1175. Sir Gerald Aylmer was granted Dollardstown in the reign of Henry VIII. 

Arthur Meredith held 382 acres of Dollardstown, barony of Duleek, and the 200 of Cristown, barony of Kells, from the Crown in 1683. Born in1639 Arthur was High Sheriff of Meath and M.P. for Navan from 1692 to 1713. He purchased 1070 acres in Co. Meath from the Commissioners for Sale of Forfeited Estates between 1702 and 1703. Dying on 1732 at age 93 years he was buried at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. 

His son, Arthur Francis Meredith born about 1706, served as MP for Meath from 1751 to 1761. High Sheriff of Meath in 1736 he married Mary Waller and lived at Dollardstown. 

Richard Jones M.P. for Killybegs 1761-8 and M.P. Newtown Limavady 1768-76 resided at Dollardstown. 

Arthur’s daughter and heiress, Mary, married Sir Richard Gorges in 1775. Richard Gorges was the only son of Hamilton Gorges who was from the Kilbrew Gorges. He took the name, Meredith, and was created a Baronet in 1787, by the name of Richard Gorges Meredith. He received the third penny of tolls and customs of Navan and half toll of corn. Mary died in 1809. Sir Richard’s only daughter and heiress, Mary Anne Meredyth, married Sir Marcus Somerville in 1801. Sir Marcus was M.P. for Co. Meath in Irish Parliament in 1800 and in London Parliament 1801-31. Their son, William Meredyth Somerville, born about 1802 became 1st Baron Meredyth of Dollardstown and 1^st Baron Athlumney. He lived at nearby Somerville House. In the 1830s Dollardstown House, described as a spacious mansion was occupied by a farmer.  

Dollardstown was resided in by the O’Brien family and the Shields family. A copper mine operated at Dollardstown in the early twentieth century. The poet, Francis Ledwidge, was a miner there.  After the O’Briens died out the house was lived in by the Laffin family. A native of Tipperary, Patrick Laffan acquired Dollardstown when it was being divided by the Land Commission. Patrick Laffin had married a widow, Hannah Brackan, the mother of Brendan Bracken. The house was somewhat dilapidated and Hannah Laffan described the house as ‘that old barracks.’ Brendan Bracken attended Mass at Yellow Furze while living at Dollardstown. 

Brendan Bracken was born in Templemore, Co. Tipperary in 1901 to Joseph K. Bracken and Hannah Ryan. Joseph died when Brendan was three and his mother married Patrick Laffan.  Bracken made a successful career from 1922 as a magazine publisher and newspaper editor in London.  Bracken founded the modern Financial Times in 1945. He was an ardent opponent of the appeasement of Adolf Hitler and a supporter of Winston Churchill. Brendan Bracken, was Minister of Information under Winston Churchill during the Second World War. He was briefly First Lord of the Admirality in 1945. He was created Viscount Bracken in 1952, the title became extinct on his death in 1958. 

Patrick Laffan was a member of the Farmer’s Party and was elected to Meath County Council in 1925. Patrick Laffan also represented Fianna Fail on Meath County Council. His second wife, Catherine Moran, was a native of Trim. A son, Pat Laffan, became a distinguished Abbey actor. Pat Laffan featured in “The Snapper” and Fr. Ted. Pat Laffan was director of the Peacock Theatre and also directed in the Gate Theatre. He has appeared in around 40 films. 

After the death of Mr. Laffan in the 1950s, the property was purchased by Dan Connell. The house was then been demolished. A stone carving bearing an image of Our Lady and dating to the 16^th century was uncovered in recent years in Dollardstown on the lands of the Connell family.