Billy O'Brien & Eamonn Pearse
Entrance to Matthew Gate
They began their sojourn around this densely populated region at 2.40 p.m. traveling up Lehenagh More Hill before turning at the Green Patch and back down Matthew Hill before disembarking at the entrance to Matthew Gate Estate , marveling at the beautiful layout and construction of the barely Decade old locality which was built by Ruden Homes on land formally owned and occupied by the Woulfes and Barretts , two prominent farming families in the area for many years. The laneway through the entrance partially preserves the original Hill Lane which would have lead up to the former Lehenagh House! Kathleen's Father , Jimmy Roche worked as a Farm Labourer for the Woulfes in the early 1960s and subsequently went on to gain employment with the Kelleher's of Marian House.
The former Woulfe Residence in Lehenagh Beg
Rear view of Woulfe House and garden wall
Original entrance to Woulfe House
Of course a visit to the still remaining Woulfe homestead was inevitable and much anticipated. It must be stated here that simply turning south and out of the Estates and onto the old road was akin to stepping through a time portal , such was the difference experienced in such a short distance! The juxtaposition of old and new was startling! The brand new modern housing schemes literally sat side by side with the ancient past of Togher.
Woulfe workman's stone cottage 2009
The price of progress - all but eradicated
Kathleen O'Keeffe pointing out Planning Notice
Close up of Planning Notice for Wolf Avenue
Foundations in front of Woulfe House
After the initial venture through the misty corridors of time , the team traveled a short distance up the road to check out the remains of the stables and workmens cottages ( see video below ) of the now extinct Lehenagh House - the buildings and lands having been sold off to the Barretts in 1958 and now in turn sold to Ruden Homes Ltd. for private development. These old bastions of yesteryear front onto the road , which consisted of workmens living quarters and stables for horses . A quick climb over a roadside ditch and a clamber through overgrowth revealed the structures to be denuded on their field facing side. Old butter brick chimney breasts could clearly be seen and the mass of lichen on its stonework concluded that they had been exposed for a long time.
Roadside view of Lehenagh House outbuildings
Field side view of outbuildings
Alternate view of Workman's cottage
Reclaimed by nature and the passing of time
Upstairs window betraying its human use
Perhaps once sporting a thatched roof
The result of sad neglect can be seen here
Butter brick chimney breast
Stable outlined against a blue sky
Pulling into the Lehenagh House Stables - Video
The last but not least old stone cottage on the list - possibly a former labourers cottage - was reached by traveling on for a few hundred yards around a dangerous bend and onward towards the Airport. This structure now in a very ruinous state was found to be cordoned off by a timber latted fence with a commanding view of the City. It possibly dates from the late 1880s when many cottages were constructed by the Land League using then state of the art materials under the Labourers Act. This gave landless labourers a decent home of their own and a small plot ; which prior to they subsisted on nothing but a small cabin. This now pile of stones is but a shadow of its former self and a ghostly spectre of Togher harking back to a harsher time. The Historical Association hopes to visit and record as many of these Cottages as are still remaining , all built as part of 8 schemes between 1880 and 1910 in the Togher region.
After fully exhausting the potential of the sojourn through time , the team next decided to bring things bang up to date and paid a round trip of the new Estates in Lehenagh More and Lehenagh Beg ( see photos below ). Estate names such as Ardcahon , Ardross , Matthews Gate and Coolkellure in Lehenagh More and the Manor roads in Lehenagh Beg are sure to enter into the mainstream consciousness of Togher in the years to come. All built in the 2000s and still under construction in piecemeal fashion by Ruden Homes Ltd , as of 2014 , an online campaign and public meetings have sought to force the Authorities to complete the infrastructure by way of better public street lighting , footpaths and bus service.
Entrance to Coolkellure Estate , Lehenaghmore
Ardross Estate engraved plaque , Lehenaghmore
Google Map of Entrance to Manor Farm Estates
in Lehenagh Beg circa 2009
Commanding view of Cork City
Land League Cottage cordoned off by fence
The old ruin still enjoys beautiful scenery
After fully exhausting the potential of the sojourn through time , the team next decided to bring things bang up to date and paid a round trip of the new Estates in Lehenagh More and Lehenagh Beg ( see photos below ). Estate names such as Ardcahon , Ardross , Matthews Gate and Coolkellure in Lehenagh More and the Manor roads in Lehenagh Beg are sure to enter into the mainstream consciousness of Togher in the years to come. All built in the 2000s and still under construction in piecemeal fashion by Ruden Homes Ltd , as of 2014 , an online campaign and public meetings have sought to force the Authorities to complete the infrastructure by way of better public street lighting , footpaths and bus service.
Thumbs up by Lehenagh Railway Bridge
Aerial view of new Estates in Lehenagh
in Lehenagh Beg circa 2009
As was the Blog's want , an old farm which has been in the locality since the 19th Century was also on the must see list and this was reachable via Ardcahon Drive in Lehenagh More. Unfortunately , signage indicating a private road made any further investigation without invitation non viable at that moment. However the end of the road afforded a spectacular view of the Glenmore Valley. Alas , it is not known if this is still a working farm and the occupiers if any remain unknown.
Private Entrance to Farm & Glenmore Valley
Seasonal Hallowe'en spirit en vogue at
Ardcahon Drive , Lehenagh More
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