Kincora

Have you tried the Historical Picture Company? Its a shop located on Ormond Quay Lower, a few doors downriver from Capel Street bridge. They have an enormous selection of old photos for sale, and are very good for photos of old Dublin. All the images are filed by area.
There is another historical photo shop at the top of Capel Street near where it joins Bolton Street.
The architectural archive on Merrion square is always a good bet but ring first and check opening hours.

I recall seeing a photo of a large georgian portico which was all that was left of some large mansion in that general area. It was standing alone in a small grassed area in the middle of a large estate of semi-detached houses. It could be the house you are looking for.

It was a great photo, showing the total contrast in scale between one of the Great Houses and the housing then being built for the suburban masses.

The photo was part of an exhibition on old Dublin that i seen about 14 years ago in either Scoil Muire oin Parnell Square or the loreto on the Green. i can’t remember which, being only a wee lad at the time.

The Irish Architectural Archive in Fitzwilliam Square have images, surveys and data on most significant buildings.

Try them otherwise yo ucould try Bence Jones directory of Irish Country Houses.

James

Cannot find any mention of it. The IAA book http://www.iarc.ie/vanishing.html on lost houses doesn’t mention either Dollymount or Kincora.

Mark Bence-Jones’s book, “Burke’s Guide to Country Houses: Volume 1 – Ireland,” published by Burke’s Peerage Ltd of London in 1978, is an alphabetical dictionary of Irish country houses that contains nearly 2,000 entries. There is no entry for Kincora or Dollymount House, presumably because it had been demolished before the book was published. Nor is there mention of either house in the five volumes of The Georgian Society Records, published in Dublin before the First World War.

I’m surprised it isnt in Mark Bence-Jones’s book. Perhaps its not that large a house?

I have the reprint of Bence-Jones’ book, and it has lots of houses of many sizes that are long gone, so I doubt that is the reason its not included.

I’m surprised the IAA has nothing – could be a sign that you have some details wrong.

IUXTA, thats Kenure Park, Rush of which only the massive portico remains as the remainder was demolished around 1978. It is now surrounded by housing estate. I’ve seen that photo fairly often.

[This message has been edited by Paul Clerkin (edited 07 February 2002).]

Maybe its not really a large house, just a semi-detached Georgian villa. Or the name was changed. This could happen when ownership changed.

Thanks for info Paul and sorry mike that it’s of no use for you.

You could also try the link below, the site has links to various online versions of old guide books and histories of dublin city and county as well as links to historic maps. it may help. The “neighbourhood of Dublin link” has a section on the clontarf, bull island area and dollymount and mentions the house you are looking for in relation to an 1820 map ad up until 1836. Here is the link.
http://indigo.ie/~kfinlay/index.htm

And the link to the chapter on Dollymount etc. http://indigo.ie/~kfinlay/Neighbourhood/chapter24.html

A search through Google gives us:

The Dollymount House, 366 Clontarf Road – well know bar which I assume is named after the original house. The numbers are very close though.

And Mike’s original query which gives us a name to work with.

“Mike Novakovic, of Great Britain (E-mail:- mike@novakovic.freeserve.co.uk) wrote:- I am trying to trace a relative called ‘Bobby’ King who was either an Uncle or Cousin of my grandfather Michael King who lived in Dublin. Bobby (Robert?) King was supposedly over 100 years old when he died (sometime within the last 10 years) and was supposed to have fought in the Boer-War and the First World-War where he was gassed and was told that he didn’t have long to live due to an enlarged heart caused by the gas. My great-grandfather (Michael’s father) Patrick King was supposedly from Sligo but I can find no trace of him there. My great-grandfather and his wife Alice – they lived in a large house called ‘Kincora’ which apparently was originally called ‘Dollymount-House’ and gave the area it’s name! “

Strange that the name “King” has come into this because that name is mentioned in the section of the website link that i gave previously. Its reproduced here although it may be of no relevence. However, a George King who is mentioned as the proprietor of the village and manor. Perhaps the manor refers to the house called Dollymount House or Kincora.

Anyway Mike, here is the text;

“In 1641 Luke Netterville and some of his adherents having seized and plundered a vessel which lay at Clontarf, the Earl of Ormonde was instructed to take retaliatory measures against them. He accordingly despatched Sir Charles Coote with some troops to the neighbourhood, where they burnt a considerable portion of the village, destroyed all the boats they could find, and burnt the house of Mr. George King, proprietor of the village and manor. The latter act was all the more remarkable inasmuch as Mr. King had been invited into Dublin but the day before by the Government, from whom he had received an assurance that he might safely go there “without danger of any trouble or stay whatsoever.” It was, however, alleged, that most of the plundered vessel’s cargo was found in his house, and, true or untrue, this charge turned out a serious one for him, as he was immediately afterwards attainted, and his estates confiscated.”