Lucan Ho. — Lucan Demesne

Lucan House now the residence of the Italian Ambassador was built in the 18th-century possibly on the site of the 'faire house' depicted on the 17th-century Down Survey map of Newcastle Barony (Hib. Reg.) and on the parish map of Lucan (NLI, Ms. 714). This 17th-century house may have been built on the or close to the site of the medieval castle (DU017-019002-) of the manor of Lucan. In 1702/03 a gentleman called John Green submitted a claim No. 1984 at Chichester House, College Green, Dublin, for an interest in a lease of 31 years, dated 25th of March 1700 by a deed dated the 9th of January 1699 against the property described as the 'Castle, and great white house at Lucan, the Land called the wood and several other premises' which was the property of Patrick Sarsfield (Anon. 1701, 226, Claim No. 1984). This claim which was rejected suggests that the 17th-century Lucan House was built beside or attached to the medieval castle (DU017-019001-) of Lucan. In 1569 the Council of Ireland certified to Queen Elizabeth the granting of the 'manor of Lucan to sir William Sarsfield from the earl of Kildare' (Cunningham 2010, 128). The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Dublin recorded that at; 'Lucan there is a verry faire house a Chappell [DU017-019002-] some thatch houses and Cabbins and a good Stone bridge [DU017-016----] crossing the river Liffey' (Simington 1945, 290). In 1641 this house was the residence of William Sarsfield, an Irish papist and owner of 947 acres of land in Lucan (ibid., 302). In 1653 Theophilus Jones, a Colonel in the Parliamentarian Army submitted a petition to the Council of State relating to the lands of Lucan. In this petition he stated that he; 'shall have and enjoy the Town and Lands of Lucan, in the County of Dublyn, and Province of Leinster, in Ireland, with some other Parcels of Land lately belonging to one Sarsefield of Lucan, in which the said Colonel Theophilus Jones claims a Lease from the Commonwealth, at the Rent of One hundred and Ninety Pounds yearly, for and towards the Satisfaction of such Arrears as are due unto him for his Service for the Parliament; he paying for the same half so much more as other the Lands within that Province are to be sold at; viz. Nine hundred Pounds for a Thousand Acres, Allowance being made out of the same unto him for his present Estate in the Premises, or any Part thereof: And the Commissioners of Parliament in Ireland are hereby authorized and required to set out the same unto the said Colonel Theophilus Jones, his Heirs or Assigns, to be enjoyed by him, his Heirs and Assigns, accordingly' (Anon. 1802, 358). On the 28th of July in 1693 Sir Edward Ward, Attorney-General, to the Lords of the Treasury, reported on the; 'the petition of Charlotte Sarsfield, an infant, daughter and sole surviving heir of William Sarsfield, late of Lucan, in the co. of Dublin, Esq., by Mary his wife, sister to the late Duke of Monmouth, presented by William Fanshaw, Esq., her father-in-law and guardian, respecting “the manor of Lucan and other forfeited lands” in Ireland, which had belonged to the said William Sarsfield, and which the petitioner sought to obtain; recommending that she should be gratified' (Anon. 1868, 303). The following year in 1694 King William replied to 'William Fanshaw and his ward, Charlotte Sarsfeild, a minor, only daughter and heiress of William Sarsfeild of Lucan, esq., deceased, for confirmation of the said Charlotte's title to the manor of Lucan and other lands in Ireland, seized to the Crown as late in the possession of Col. Sarsfeild, or that her title may be tried by some expeditious action' (Anon. 1935). In 1695 an abstract about her petition sated that; 'Charlotte Sarsfield, an infant, by William Fanshaw, her father-in-law and guardian, was daughter and heir of William Sarsfield, of Lucan in Ireland, who on intermarrying with her mother had agreed (on the death Patrick Sarsfield, his father) to settle 800l. a year on her and her children. The petitioner charges the Earl of Lucan with entering on her property, by whom it was forfeited; praying for restoration of her estate' (Anon. 1868). In 1696 the Crown ruled once more on this petition and gave an; 'order for taking off the seizure of the estate of William Sarsfeild of Lucan in Ireland, deceased, and for putting Charlotte Sarsfeild his only daughter and heir into possession of said estate: it appearing from her petition that Patrick Sarsfeild, the elder, father of her said father, was tenant for life of the manor of Lucan and other his lands and estate in Ireland with remainder in tail to the said William and heirs male; that Charles II. granted the said reversion to the said William and his heirs for the intended benefit of Mary his then wife, sister to the late Duke of Monmouth, and her children by the said William, whose sole daughter and heir by the said Mary, also lately deceased, is the said Charlotte, petitioner herein; and the said Patrick dying during the late Rebellion, Col. Patrick Sarsfeild, younger brother of the said William, taking advantage of petitioner's infancy and of her being in England got into possession of the estate and wrongfully detained it till expelled by the King's arms; and the Revenue Commissioners, Ireland, finding the said Col. Patrick last possessed thereof did seize same into the King's hands on account of his forfeiture (except the manor of Lucan which has been in possession of petitioner and her mother for many years before the said Rebellion): on which petition the Solicitor-General reported that old Patrick Sarsfeild of Lucan was by the Court of Claims in 1663 declared innocent and his son William was declared innocent and was adjudged to be restored to the several lands declared in the decree to be held by him and his heirs made after the death of his said father: and that Charles II. afterwards granted the reversion as above, it being Charles II.'s intention that the estate should go to the heirs of the said William by the sister of the late Duke of Monmouth whose sole daughter is Charlotte, petitioner herein' (Shaw 1933). Two years later in 1698 the House of Commons received a petition from Agmondisham Vesey, and Charlotte his wife which stated; 'That upon the Marriage of William Sarsfeild, the Petitioner Charlott's Father, with Mary Sister of the late Duke of Monmouth, King Charles the IId, as a Marriage-Portion, granted to William Sarsfeild, and his Heirs, the Manor of Lucan, and other Lands, forfeited in 1641; which Grant was, in Trust, for the said Mary, and her Children: That Wm. Sarsfeild died in 1675, leaving Mary his Widow, and Three small Children, Two whereof died Infants, without Issue; and the Petitioner Charlott is Daughter, and Heir, to her said Father, and Brothers: That Colonel Patrick Sarsfeild; younger Brother of the said William, taking Advantage of the Petitioner Charlott's Infancy, by Violence, in the late Rebellion in Ireland, got Possession of the said Estate; and, upon Application to the King, her Title being made out, was pleased, by Letters of Privy-Seal, dated in April 1696, to restore her to her paternal Estate; which she has quietly enjoyed ever since: And praying, That the Bill for vacating all Grants of Estates, and other Interests; forfeited in Ireland, since the 13th Day of February 1688, may not prejudice the Petitioner's Title to the said Estate' (Anon. 1803). Lucan House is depicted on the 17th-century Down Survey map of Newcastle barony where it is shown standing to the S of Lucan Bridge (DU017-016---) and adjacent to the medieval road flanked on either side by a line of dwellings representing the 17th-century village of Lucan with medieval parish church. On the map the house is depicted as a gable fronted house with tall lateral chimneystacks rising above the roofline of the house in typical late 16th-early 17th-century style. The house is depicted as a tall gable ended building with central gable fronted tower with three tall chimneystacks ris