Lucan House Masterplan 2025

ROLLING UPDATE:

4 February 2026: UPDATE ON LUCAN HOUSE & DEMESNE TIMELINE!

At the December Area Committee Meeting, I asked SDCC for a clear timeline for Lucan House & Demesne plans and progress. Happy to report back to you all with the following information on what we can expect in the coming year:

Current Status: If the project moves through the procurement and Part 8 planning process smoothly, once these are complete, works can begin.

Phase 1 (Anticipated in Q3/Q4 2026):

– Landscaping and outdoor improvements

– Amphitheatre and recreational features

– Car and bicycle parking

– Fit-out of the main house and Black Gate lodges

These works will allow the public to enjoy the grounds and new amenities while the wider Masterplan continues.

Phase 2 (2027–2028):

– Renovation of the main house basement

– Restoration of the bath house, boat house, stables, and outbuildings

– Construction of the bridge and West Lawn pavilion

Timelines depend on procurement and planning outcomes but I’ll keep you updated as things progress.

[Photo: Paul Butler showing myself and other member of Society for Old Lucan (SOL) on the steps of Lucan House earlier this year]

5 August 2025: My thoughts in detail on the Lucan House Masterplan

The holistic approach taken in the Masterplan is a superb vision for Lucan based on sound principles (see page 4 of the plan here) that will conserve, protect, and enhance the rich heritage and natural setting of Lucan House & Demesne. The vision and reach of the project is ambitious and SDCC is to be applauded.

So far, I have heard broad support from constituents about the plan, but please contact me with your thoughts too? My thoughts that I jotted down as I went through the Masterplan include the following:

• Area M typically floods annual to a depth of 30cm – this is part of the area earmarked for parking. I have notified SDCC of this risk.
• The opportunity to join up the Grand and Royal Canals with a Greenway running between them, and through Lucan Demesne is an exciting development that will become very popular with locals and visitors to Lucan alike.
• On page 13 “Architectural Conservation & Adaptive Reuse” image lists #6 as a “Church ruin – consolidated ruin”. It is Church and Residential Tower, to be precise.
• On page 13 “Architectural Conservation & Adaptive Reuse” image lists #10 the Steelwork Bridge as needing a replacement – this is a much-loved and beautiful bridge crossing the Liffey and remains perfectly viable to continue in use. Accessibility for cyclists and people with disabilities could be facilitated by adding an additional bridge, while keeping the circa 100-year old steelwork bridge in place for walkers.
• Overall, in the plan that the picnic areas should be distributed more evenly throughout the estate, to facilitate people bringing food on foot / public transport.
• I like the idea of the replanting of the West gate area (the part of the demesne nearest the Spa Hotel), plus the rejoining of the trail on both sides of the wall.
• The proposed exterior view of the Bath House following conservation and works around the structure to create paths and steps is very much at odds with the look and feel of the location. I believe natural limestone bedrock should only be used to create these kinds of steps and surrounds, as granite is not found in the area. The design would be more in keeping in a modern setting. (see images on page 23 of the report)
• I like the proposal for the South Boundary Trail area (see pages 28-9) and the restoration of the path as a cycling trail. I think that in highlighting the tunnel, it should make the historic connection with the Orchard being the walled garden of Lucan House, and both it and Gardenville House being all functioning parts of the grand estate.
• Proposed Area E- Rear Lawn (pages 31-34): is it necessary to introduce the stone terraces into the natural amphitheatre lawn that exists? It functions well as a natural amphitheatre as it is?
• Proposed Area G – Boat House – love the ideas for plans for water-based activities for this area. There is the potential for some of the basement, especially on the North side of Lucan House, to be medieval in date, so care will be needed during restoration to liaise with archaeologists and document finds and discoveries.
• Proposed Area H – Main House (page 45) – Proposed disability parking (5 car spaces) might be better relocated onto green area SE of the new pavilion structure, so that parking is not crossing the pathway and to ensure the vista of Lucan House is unbroken.
• Area I: Bridge to Island – already dealt with in my points above. On page 54 there’s an image of proposed seating. It looks hard and concrete and detracts from the natural setting. Wooden seating is needed here, not concrete.
• Area J: Church Ruin Area – (on page 58) mention is made of the ecclesiastical residential tower joined to the chancel of the medieval church. It says “The tower house is relatively intact and with further investigation and renovation it could be made accessible at some point in the future.” – this needs to be much stronger and a commitment to assess it and conserve it as a matter of urgency (saplings are growing on the roof) is more appropriate.
• I especially welcome the proposed access to the cemetery through the original South door in the medieval church ruin. This would be a great integration of the graveyard that belonged to the church and was part of the medieval demesne.
• Stables & White Gate areas: Could 1 lodge or room should be given over to an SDCC Artist in Residence” on a yearly basis? I will investigate this with SDCC.
• There should be a strong effort to get local craftspeople to have spaces in the stables area. It would be a huge bonus to host apprenticeships for some of the older crafts needed to build and run Lucan House and Demesne, and use and showcase their work in the conservation of the properties in the demesne.
• At every point there should be links back to the history of the House and demesne.
• The proposed Pavilion (Area P) – could this perhaps be located within the church ruins?

10 July 2025: SDCC have published their FINAL, extensive masterplan for Lucan House and Demesne today! This will form the way forward for the changes to Lucan House and Demesne and how it will be turned into a huge public park and amenity. https://www.sdcc.ie/…/sport-and…/tourism/lucan-house/ This is a very exciting day for Lucan. SDCC held major consultations last year and have put together this detailed plan for the future of Lucan House and Demesne along with a report on the consultations.

This is going to change Lucan village for the better! It’s going to be an amazing amenity for our community, and for new visitors to Lucan. I’m going to study the report in depth and report back, but in the meantime, you can share your thoughts with me in the comments below, or email me at hfarrell@cllrs.sdublincoco.ie

You can read more about the whole process of acquisition of Lucan House and the plans from the news article from the Independent here: https://www.independent.ie/…/ambitious…/a346078668.html

Read about Lucan House & Demesne’s history here: https://theirishaesthete.com/2024/05/27/lucan-house/ and follow Society for Old Lucan (SOL) on Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/…/society-for-old-lucan-sol… for details of their events, as they give free monthly historical walking tours with their volunteer guides, most months.

Working with Paul Gogarty TD

Image courtesy of Paul Butler, Society for Old Lucan (SOL)

June 2025: Great news for Lucan and all of the County! SDCC have just presented their summary of the masterplan for Lucan House – download the summary presentation here:

If you have any issues with downloading the file, let me know and I’ll email it to you? Alternatively, you can view all the slides from the presentation from my colleague Paul Gogarty, TD’s webpage here: https://www.paulgogarty.com/post/lucan-house-masterplan-2025-2028

Contact me immediately with all questions and feedback you have on this. My previous experience as a field archaeologist and extensive local history work, places me well for understanding the nuances and potential of this project for the area. This is a real chance for Lucan to gain a public space of unique beauty and age, as well as develop some of the existing historic buildings on site like the stables, gate lodges and ancillary buildings into the kind of public spaces that Lucan is crying out for.

At the heart of the plan is maintaining the untouched nature of the flora and fauna around the house, the archaeology of the “Bath House” (originally a tiny medieval chapel and holy well) plus the medieval church and attached residential tower for the clerics, as well as Lucan House itself. The house and demesne will become a prime historic attraction for Lucan residents and visitors alike, as well as giving Lucan residents a wonderful parkland with associated civic and sensitively designed commercial spaces.

This is an exciting time for Lucan!

Finally, if you’d like to get access now to the gated demesne for a free historical tour with Society for Old Lucan (SOL make sure to follow their Eventbrite page for monthly tour times.