Along the Back Avenue from St Johns Wood

The main entrance to the historic Corkagh House was from the Naas Road but the second and busier entrance was located along a narrow route from Clondalkin Village that led towards the gate to Fairview Oil Mills (which can be seen just opposite the St Johns Carpark).  The entrance to Corkagh and a gate lodge were located a little way past the Oil Mills gate.  This little road that gives access to the car park is part of the old Commons Road which followed roughly the route of the present St Johns Road West, then crossed what is now the Fonthill Road to join the Boot Road about opposite the Church/Convent

For many centuries the land on either side of the road was divided in to thin strips of fields which were reserved for the use of the citizens of Clondalkin village. These fields were known as Commons and it was from these that the road got its name. 

Griffiths map of Corkagh/Clondalkin dating to circa 1850 with overlaid text indicating present day features. map courtesy of askaboutireland.ie


This map from the early 1800s shows the back lane highlighted in yellow.  The Blue mark indicates the entrance gate to the Oilmills and the Red mark indicates the location of the present days St Johns Wood Car park. Image courtesy of SDCC.

 The Finlay family who lived at Corkagh for over 200 years worshipped at the old Protestant church in Clondalkin village and we can imagine their carriage passing here on their way home from Sunday Worship. From the entrance to Corkagh an avenue led to the front of the house following the route of the present path in front of the playground.

The back lane, continued straight towards the rear of the house and the stables, farm buildings and walled gardens.  This path was used by servants, farm workers and tradesmen and retains the old world charm of a country lane.  


While we can still enjoy the shade of tall trees as we walk along the path it is interesting to remember that until the 19th century this part of Corkagh was more heavily wooded.  

Back avenue in spring

Along the lane you will notice ditches on both sides.  Walking towards the fishing lakes the ditch on the left behind the Playground once carried water from the Sruleen Well (located near the dog run).  The Sruleen well dried up in recent decades following works on the Naas Road but it once supplied water to Corkagh House.  It was channelled down towards the House and then diverted along a ditch that runs between the playground and arboretum and along the back lane towards the Camac.  These features are still visible at Corkagh today. 

At some points along the lane the streams cross from one side to the other under pretty old bridges.

Near the top of the lane a further two streams merge.  One flows down from the Mill Pond at the upper fishing lake (it originates from the Fettercairn Stream) and the other comes from a spring that rises at the lower fishing lake.  Even in dry spells these streams never run dry.    


 

Behind the council yard there is a section of the stream where Crayfish can occasionally be found
 
This area is a popular paddling spot for kids.

Opposite this part of the stream is the old wall surrounding the estate buildings.  These buildings were a hub of activity and the heart of the Corkagh estate and farm.  


During the first half of the 20th century the Finlay Colley family ran a successful dairy business here. On the right hand side of the lane you can see an low walled entrance crossing the stream to the field.  There were large cattle sheds here where milking was done. Those sheds are long gone though the entrance remains however the council have added an ugly compound for machinery which somewhat spoils the view. 

Corkagh Dairy vans on their way to deliver fresh milk to the residents of Clondalkin and beyond. (This image is included in a wonderful book by Joe Devine called The House of Corkagh). 

Entrance from lane to 'milking field

Cattle sheds once stood on the right hand side of this stream.


The Haunted Lane!!! A story goes that that on Easter Monday of 1916 Edith Finlay Colley was walking in Corkagh when she heard a band playing and the sound of marching feet approaching the St Johns  entrance.  Being aware of the rising that was happening in the centre of Dublin she hurried back to the house and gathered family and staff to prepare for the attack they thought was coming.  The music stopped suddenly and there was nothing to be seen.  Many people in the locality had heard the band but none saw anything nor was any explanation ever given.


There is a small bridge behind the estate buildings/depot next to a stream with this carving on it which was revealed when the plaster came away some years ago. 

It seems to be a 'Jerusalem Cross' which was an ancient Christian symbol.  Why it was carved we will never know!

More recently, in the 1960s and 70s the stables and yard formed the core of Treemare Stud, owned by a wealthy Australian, John Galvin, and managed by the famous Harty family.
A line of derelict cottages at the rear of the yard can be seen from the lane.  These housed the dairy men who rose before daybreak to milk the Corkagh cattle.

  
19th century estate buildings, now part of the council depot, viewed from the other side of the lane.

Bridge with old estate buildings and dairy cottages in the background.

Snowdrops in February

This lovely lane is a favourite of many regular visitors to the park.  From early February the way is lined by lines of Snowdrops and by March the vibrant yellow of the Fig Buttercups rival the Daffodils growing elsewhere in the park.  In early May it is time for the creamy white Cowslips to signal the start of Summer and Ramsons, our native wild Garlic, line the lane. 

In May and early June the lane is lined with Cow Parsley.

Autumn is a lovely time to enjoy the lane.

Wild Garlic, which are also known as Ramsons, grow along the back lane.  The plant produces white flowers from April to June.  The smell is unmistakably garlicky!

If you are walking the back avenue in September or October watch out for the lovely little Cyclamen growing along the ditch.


Corkagh Snapshots
All images copyright of the author unless otherwise credited.

Popular posts from this blog

Fishing Lakes at Corkagh

Image
  Contrary to appearances the 'fishing' lakes were only created in 2001 as part of flood prevention works on the Camac in what was  formerly a large meadow area filled with wildflowers .  The coffee shop at the lakes!  This has since closed and will be replaced by a cafe currently under construction. The lakes are fed by the waters of the River Camac and its tributary streams.  In extended periods of dry weather the water level can drop significantly while during wetter  periods lake levels quickly rise leading to flooding.  Pier under water November 2020 Pretty wooden piers at the lakes The lakes were initially stocked with Rainbow Trout   in the lower lake and Carp  in the upper lake near the Grange Castle car park.   Fish stocks are no longer maintained and the lakes are not actively managed however visitors continue to fish here.  I am told there are presently Perch, Carp and Tench to be found.  A word of c...
Read more

The Old House at Corkagh

Image
Corkagh House in the early 20th century (courtesy SDCC) For many centuries what we know as Corkagh Park was part of the lands under the control of the monastery founded by St Cronan Mochua at  Clondalkin  in the 7th century.   A burial enclosure and corn drying kiln dating from as early as the  8th century were discovered when the lower lakes (behind the playground) were being created in 2001. Originally the council had planned for two lakes however once the skeletons were discovered archaeological investigations commenced and the second lake was never completed.  Twenty burials were removed before the area was covered in geotextile to preserve any remaining burials for investigation in the future. The Round Tower at Clondalkin is over 1200 years old.    Some of the finds associated with these burials indicated a Viking influence and indeed the Vikings under King Amhlaith (Olaf) built a fort somewhere nea...
Read more

Sir John Galvin

Image
Sir John Galvin purchased Corkagh House and Demesne  from the Colley family in 1959. But aside from the fact that he was an Australian millionaire who was interested in training horses for equestrian sports and raising specimen cattle not much else had been written about him in any literature pertaining to Corkagh. It was he who had the charming and historic Corkagh House demolished! I was curious about the man and set about investigating further. It turns out that there is plenty of information to be found but a bit of digging through Google is required! Treemare Stud now Corkagh Park John Galvin was born one of seven children in Tasmania in 1908. His family was of Irish Catholic and Spanish descent and his father worked as an odd job man at a theatre. He received his education from the Christian Brothers. As a teenager his family moved to Sydney and he started work as a messenger boy. The young John was a fast talking opportunist, always looking for a way to make a buck and deter...
Read more

Corkagh Park

Image
Corkagh Park spans  over 150 acres   between the Naas Road  and historic Clondalkin Village.  The park incorporates the lands  of Corkagh House which was demolished in  the early 1960s leaving only the stables and outbuildings visible today.  The estate was  bought by  Dublin County Council in 1983  and opened as a public park in 1986.   Corkagh has a long and interesting history with  much  to discover  as you wander its paths and tracks.  The name Corkagh comes from the Irish word for marshy land and indeed areas of the park  near the Camac have a tendency to become waterlogged during wet periods.   The river Camac which rises SE of Saggart flows through the park towards Clondalkin village, then on through Inchicore and Kilmainham before entering  the Liffey near Heuston  Station.  The Camac at Corkagh While the Camac seems little more  than a stream most of the ...
Read more

The Gunpowder mills.

Image
There have been many mills established along the Camac river  at  Clondalkin over the centuries but one of the largest was the   Gunpowder Mills at Corkagh.   This section of the Corkagh estate is known as Kilmatead but   officially the townland name is Corkagh and the  townland name of the adjacent park is Corkagh Demesne!   Most of the 'powder mills' complex lies outside of the park boundary,  however a mill pond, mill race, and mill building are located  at the south western side of the fishing lakes. 1 8th century millpond near the fishing lakes In 1703, Lewis Chaigneau a successful merchant from a French Huguenot   family purchased a large parcel of land near Clondalkin which went on  to form the basis of the Corkagh estate.  Lewis had links to another  successful Huguenot family, the Gruebers , who operated  g unpowder mills in England.   He parcelled off the southwest...
Read more

Nature at Corkagh: Flowers

Image
Corkagh Snapshots Corkagh   is home to a wide variety of  wildflowers.   In addition there are some garden flowers  which have become naturalised in parts of the park . During 2020/21, as much out of curiosity as anything, I decided to log all the wildflowers I found growing at Corkagh. I also included flowers that appear to  be garden escapes and those on shrubs and trees.    Below are most of the  flowers  that can be found in the park with a little information on each.  How many can you spot on your walks? Flowering in late Winter/Spring Winter Heliotrope  is one of the few plants that flower throughout winter.  You can find it growing along the back avenue.  It has a strong  almond scent.   Reminds me of marzipan!  Apparently the flowers move in response to the sun, gradually turning from East to West over the course of the day. Be aware that this plant is poisonous if ingest...
Read more

The Walled Garden and Stewarts House at Corkagh

Image
Opposite the baseball pitch, on the north side of the Camac,  lie the  ruins of a house  that was once home to the  Stewart of Corkagh .  The Stewart was responsible for the day to day running of Corkagh Demesne.  This house was built in the early 19th century and had  a kitchen, sitting room and office downstairs with  three bedrooms upstairs. It was lived in until 1975! The ruins of the Stewarts house. The area is closed off by an outer wall and hedgerow.  This ' outer' garden is now used as something of a dump by the council but was formerly an orchard.  The inner garden is surrounded by a high wall.   This garden was designed by the Finlays of Corkagh   around 1820 and replaced an earlier walled garden which may have been located on the southern side of the main house.   High walls along with Yew and Beech hedges sheltered the garden and  created a microclimate where fruit and  vegetables  could...
Read more

The Camac River at Corkagh.

Image
The Camac river  runs through Corkagh and  as you walk around the park you will cross it or one of its streams  via several pretty 19th century bridges.    19th century bridge over the Camac The Camac rises in the Dublin Mountains southeast of Saggart   and runs through Clondalkin, then on to Bluebell and Kilmainham before flowing  into the Liffey near Heuston Station .  Many mills were built alongside the river including flour,  gunpowder and oil mills. The four Corkagh lakes are also fed by the river and its streams.   The Camac had a tendency to overflow its banks during wet periods.   The Watery Lane near Clondalkin village was particularly prone to flooding.   The lakes at Corkagh were created in 2000 as  part of measures to prevent this flooding. Carved stone on bridge near Baseball Fields/Walled Garden.  This was added to the bridge in the 1960s. Here are some excerpts fr...
Read more

Nature at Corkagh: Birds

Image
Throughout the year the melodious song of our native birds echo across Corkagh.  Some of these birds will be familiar as regular visitors to nearby gardens but there are several species that are rarely seen in suburban settings. Here are some of the birds you can expect to find at Corkagh together with images I have captured over recent years. Before I go on I have to acknowledge a wonderful app without which I would never have been able to identify some of Corkaghs birds.  Free and Highly recommended.  Merlin Bird ID from Cornell Lab Wren Irelands second smallest bird the Wren is easily identified by its upright tail which bobs as it flies.  They make their nests in hedgerows.    St Stephens Day used to be called Wren Day as the young fellas would kill a wren, mount it on a stick, blacken their faces with coal or soil and cover themselves in straw or whatever might make them look scary after which they would proceed around local houses shouting and demandi...
Read more

Woodland at Corkagh

Image
Corkagh Park  is home to many wonderful  mature trees  planted by the Finlay family when they were the owners of Corkagh House and Demesne in the 18th and 19th centuries. One of a pair of Copper Beeches, in all its autumn glory.  These trees are at least 200 years old. Some of the original oaks, now over 200 years old, that lined the main avenue from the Naas Road survive still,  as do the  Copper Beeches that once overlooked the old house. Oaks in winter Young Oaks were planted along Oak Avenue in the 1990s.   Majestic horse-chestnuts are now decorated with the soothers and bottles left as gifts for the fairies who live in their branches. Horse Chestnuts are in flower during the month of May.  These trees once lined a path here that led from Corkagh House to the Gunpowder Mills complex.    Horse Chestnut flowers.   The Horse Chestnut is not native to Ireland and was imported to Europe from Turkey during the 17th c...
Read more