Rathland East is a townland in the Electoral Division of Rathmines & Rathgar West, in the Civil Parish of St. Catherine’s, in the Barony of Uppercross, in the County of Dublin. Rathland East is a townland which includes Rutland Grove, Mount Jerome, Manor Villas and Mount Argus Villas.. The City Watercourse acted as a boundary between the two townlands, flowing from the Stone boat to Rutland Mills

Important Note: Some of this townland along Mount Argus Road is out of the scope of our current research area, however as it is adjoining the townland Rathland West and the landowners, house names cross both townlands, we will provide some information for clarity. The key point to note is that Rathlands House (with an ‘s) was a house(now demolished) on Mount Argus Road where the Manor Villa flats are now located. It should not be confused with Rathland House (no ‘s’), which was located where the Dublin City Council depot is on Sundrive Road in Rathland West. 

Rathland

According to Francis Elrington Ball (A History of the County Dublin), parts of Harold’s Cross were known as Campus Sancti Patricii and Russel Rath, which has been corrupted into Rathland.

A newspaper article in 1843 states about events in Rathland in the 1700s :

“Within the last six years some of the old mountaineers, who used to come into Dublin with their drove of small horses laden with turf or brooms, were wont to speak of the combats which they had maintained in their youth with what were termed the “Liberty Boys,” dwelling in that border suburb anciently called “Rathland.” This district was early inhabited by weavers, whose sedentary and stay-at-home occupation was compensated for by the freshness of the air in that part, _blowing directly from the mountains, yet which advantage had also its drawback, as the spirit of the O’ Byrnes and the O’ Tooles had not, even so late us 1750, been completely subdued. They came down in groups of fifty or sixty, and sometimes a hundred, in their great frizz jackets, with oak saplings, and entering into the houses of the poor, pallid weavers, took whatever pleased their fancy, and then away with them to their mountain fastnesses. Such descents were the expiring efforts of those one formidable attacks on their ancestors, which struck the old Dublinians with terror and dismay.”

The first mention of Rathland in newspapers is 1781, when the Dublin Journal advertises the land of Mess. Weld, including the mills of Loader Park, the lands of Rathland near Harold’s Cross and other lands for sale.

In 1830, the Tithe Applotment books shows the residents of Rathland were Joseph Byrne, James Kavanagh and Peter Farrell.  Some time between 1830 and 1850, the townland changes from Rathland to Rathland East and West.

The Griffiths valuation of 1850 shows the following residents in Rathland East

• Charles Johnston, rented plot 1, the land from Robert Norton Esq., once a field it is now an extension of Mount Jerome Cemetery between Clogher Road and the original smaller cemetery. He leased a number of houses out on the land to James Dowdall, John Brien, Patrick Hanlon and Michael Carter.
• Edward Curran rented plot 2, the land is now subsumed into the Mount Jerome cemetery. The field is at the back of Rutland Grove and Clogher Road.
• James Kavanagh: See below for details

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Kavanaghs

The Kavanagh’s owned the land that is now Rutland Grove, Mount Argus Villas and Manor Villas. The aforementioned Rathlands House was located here.  James also owned land in the adjoining Rathland West townland, which stretched as far as modern day Sundrive Road.

In 1831, a C. Kavanagh, most likely a relative of James Kavanagh, was in the Insolvent Debtors court living in Rathland. The Kavanagh’s were market gardeners.  In the 1850’s,  the farm was run by James Kavanagh, with the newspaper mentioning his donations to religious causes and adverts for sale of potatoes and plants.  James died on October 3rd 1971 aged 73, shortly after his wife (name) who died in January 1869. James bequeathed money to various churches and appointed Michael Kavanagh, of Leicester House, Crumlin Road, and Charles Kavanagh, of Rathland as sole executors. Charles Kavanagh can then be seen living in Rathlands House in 1872, donating £10 to the building of a new church – St. Paul’s Mount Argus. Some advertisements selling red marigolds and other plants can be seen in the early 1880s. In April 1882, Rathland House was put up for sale, as Charles had died. The advertisement lists 4 large holdings, the produce from the fields, the household contents and business equipment for sale. Although hard to read might be worth showing advert here:

It seems that the house and land stayed within the Kavanagh family, as sadly on 24th February 1893, Elizabeth (Charles wife) died while living there. Her son, Laurence Kavanagh was named as an executor. Laurence married Elizabeth Byrne, a dairyman’s daughter from Harold’s Cross on 6th June 1894.  Lawrence Jr was born in March but tragedy struck as Laurence Sr.died in May 1899, and Lawrence Jr. died in August 1899 (aged 5 month) at Rathland House. Laurence’s will http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/reels/cwa/005014911/005014911_00128.pdf

Hoey Family
On Jan 20th 1901, Elizabeth M Kavanagh(nee Byrne), recently widowed living in Rathlands House married William Hoey(Merchant Baldoyle) in Rathmines Our Lady of Refuge Church. The 1901 census shows William(24) and Elizabeth(29) living in house number 1, Papermill Lane, named after the Loader Park paper-mill it led to and  the road is now named Mount Argus Road. The house had 7 rooms and 4  front windows and the property also contained 3 Stables, 1 Coach House, 1 Harness Room, 2 Cow Houses, 1 Fowl House and a Shed. Their family lived alongside two servants.

In 1902, there was an advert for Rathland’s Dairy. In December 1904, an auction of dairy cows, horses, carts, mangolds and outdoor effect, Rathland House, Harolds Cross due to William Hoey Retirement.

On Sunday 19th September 1904 ,a great Aeridheact was held in the grounds of Rathlands House by kind permission of Mr. William Hoey . The census showed that both William and Elizabeth spoke  both Irish and English.

In the 1911 census, still living in Rathlands, the family now had three sons, Patrick(9), William(7) and Raphael(3) and later that year William was nominated for election in Rathgar West. William was also treasurer of Harold’s Cross branch of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

In February 1914, Patrick Hoey was awarded £60 18s, £26 costs and more for medical fees and expenses and successfully suing Sir Kildare Dixoxn Borrowes Baronet of Barretstown Castle, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare for personal injuries and damages alleged to have occurred by the negligent driving actions of his servant at Longwood Avenue, South Circular Road in the previous April.

The purchase by the General Cemetery Company of Dublin in November 1932 of additional lands to expand the Mount Jerome Cemetery.

“To enable the General Cemetery Company of Dublin (hereinafter referred to as “The Company”) to purchase and acquire for the extension and enlargement of their Cemetery all or any part of the following Lands and Property —that is to say: Part of the Lands of Rathland East in the Parish of Saint Catherine, Barony of Uppercross, and County Borough of Dublin, containing 19 acres and 39 perches or thereabouts, bounded on the North by the townland of Dolphin’s Barn and the said townland boundary on the South partly by the lands of Argos in the occupation of the Passionist Fathers and partly by Mount Argus road on the East partly by other part of the lands of Rathland East and partly by the lands of Mount Jerome both in the occupation of the Company and on the West by the watercourse flowing between the lands of Rathland East and Rathland West and vested in the Right Honourable The Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of Dublin.”

Further Developments

An advertisement in 1970 shows Manor Villas for let. In November 1970 conditional permission was given to Shanley and Harrington for the construction of 21 detached houses(Mount Argus Villas). In 1971, Shanley and Harrington Ltd applied for permission to erect a block of twelve flats. They had previously built parts of Perrystown and Coolock. Rutland Grove was built in the mid-1970s.