Towards a Liffey Valley Strategy Doc. 1 - Kildare.ie

Bridge. 3-arch, hump-back structure of circa 1850, immediately
downstream of weir, with sluice and fish pass.
Graveyard. Lych gate of circa 1920 at entrance of CofI graveyard,
with remains of earlier church.
12. Straffan to Celbridge
Historic-settlement features:
Holy Well. 1km north in Ardrass Lower twd.
Church. St Patrick's Chapel. 3/4 km north in Ardrass upper
twd. Fifteenth-century church, with unusual stone roof. A
National Monument in state care.
Tower house. Barberstown Castle, 1 km north-west in
Barberstown twd. A tower house, with two projecting towers, of
circa fifteenth century, with plain 2-storey wing attached. Now
extended as a hotel.
Lyons estate. 2km south in Lyons demesne twd. In Celtic
Ireland, Liamhuin (Lyons Hill), still a feature of the landscape, was
a royal seat and place of assembly of the kingdom of Leinster. The
estate includes a medieval castle, church and graveyard. Lyons
House is a splendid Neo-Classical 9-bay, 3-story block with curved
bow on either side of entrance front, joined to 2-storey wings by
curved sweeps; triangular-pedimented portico on four columns,
three of which are Egyptian of red granite from the Golden House
of Nero, Rome. Constructed 1797-1810. Formal garden with largest
ornamental lake in Ireland. Now the centre of an impressive
demesne, it was the seat of the Aylmers, who sold it in 1796 to
Nicholas Lawless, first Viscount Cloncurry, whose son Valentine
Lawless, second Lord Cloncurry, was imprisoned circa 1798 for his
association with the United Irishmen. His descendant, Hon. Emily
Lawless (1845-1913), poet and author lived in Lyons House, which
was later the seat of the Department of Agriculture of UCD.
Currently the house and demesne are owned by the Ryan family,
who have completed a splendid restoration of the property
Grand Canal. Borders north side of Lyons estate, where there is
a handsome range of Georgian buildings, which were Lord
Cloncurry's private canal station. Aylmer's canal bridge is nearby.
Georgian House. Killadoon 1/2km west in Killadoon twd. Plain 3storey,
5-bay block of circa 1770, entered by a 'pattern-book'
tripartite doorway with a fanlight; joined to a single wing by a
curved sweep.
OFFICE OF PUBLIC WORKS ERM IRELAND
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