How did Walkinstown get its name?
The Walkinstown that we know today was created from a period of intense housebuilding from the 1950s onwards.
However, the name Walkinstown has a history much longer than mere decades. Looking through some of the sources available, one can see the emergence of Wilkinstown and then Walkistown over the last 150 plus years.
However, the name Walkinstown has a history much longer than mere decades. Looking through some of the sources available, one can see the emergence of Wilkinstown and then Walkistown over the last 150 plus years.
Taylor South Map, 1816. No indication of the area to become Walkinstown.
Walkinstown is apparently a 'corruption' of the name Wilkinstown, which was a small hamlet named after a local tenant farmer, Wilkins, though it doesn't make it's first appearance on maps of the area until the mid 19th century.
First Edition Six Inch Maps, 1843. The area of Walkinstown is still known as Wilkinstown.
Walkinstown House
In more recent years, the name Walkinstown was also associated with the now disappeared Walkinstown House, which was situated at the site of what is now SuperValu (formerly SuperQuinn).
Walkinstown House was first mentioned in records in the mid 19th century. Throughout the decades it appeared attached to a number of families including the Donagh's (Charles Donagh) before being transferred to the Flanagan Family in around 1870. The Flanagans were a well known family in the area, with land and properties owned around Kilnamanagh and the Greenhills Road over many decades. Apparently the house and garden of Walkinstown House consisted of 17 acres. It seems that a number of members of the Flanagan Family passed through the house, and it was even rented for a period.
Walkinstown House was first mentioned in records in the mid 19th century. Throughout the decades it appeared attached to a number of families including the Donagh's (Charles Donagh) before being transferred to the Flanagan Family in around 1870. The Flanagans were a well known family in the area, with land and properties owned around Kilnamanagh and the Greenhills Road over many decades. Apparently the house and garden of Walkinstown House consisted of 17 acres. It seems that a number of members of the Flanagan Family passed through the house, and it was even rented for a period.
Third Edition Six Inch Maps, 1912. Wilkinstown House is now mentioned on the map.
According to the Census of 1911, Walkinstown House had 7 rooms, and 9 windows in the front of the house alone. There were a total of 32 outbuildings, and farm buildings, including stables, a coach house, a cow house, a piggery, barn, workshops and a forge. The Head of the House was William Flanagan, with his wife Esther Flanagan. There were 2 servants living with them, a domestic servant and a farm hand.
Extract from Fourth Edition Six Inch Maps, 1938. See Walkinstown House marked as part of "Wilkinstown".
From Walkinstown House to Supermarket?
Frank Flanagan was the last of the Flanagan's to own Walkinstown House, and around 1959/1960 sold it to the Mansfield- O'Flynn family who lived there for a time, until the house was demolished and the supermarket was built in 1971/72.
Some images of Walkinstown House from the 1960s. Photo Source: HumphreysFamilyTree.com
Sources for this Page:
- Wikipedia
- HumphrysFamilyTree.com
To view more images of Walkinstown House, please see here: http://humphrysfamilytree.com/Flanagan/walkinstown.views.html
- South Dublin County Council Historical Mapping
- Wikipedia
- HumphrysFamilyTree.com
To view more images of Walkinstown House, please see here: http://humphrysfamilytree.com/Flanagan/walkinstown.views.html
- South Dublin County Council Historical Mapping