In the 2nd of a 4 part series on some of the original houses beyond Route 19 restaurant up Lehenaghmore , the blog briefly looks at Glenanaar , the home of the Roches.
Glenanaar , Lehenaghmore , Togher
Jimmy Roche ( b.1919 ) married Margaret O'Donovan ( b.1926 ) in 1947. They initially resided in the old Muintir na Tire house on Togher Road before moving out of Togher before returning in the mid 1950s. Jimmy was a farm labourer but later switched to builders labourer when Deanrock Estate was being built in 1967. He also doubled as a night watchman there.
Roche family circa early 1960s
L-R: Marie , Margaret , Jimmy , Seamus & Kathleen
L-R: Marie , Margaret , Jimmy , Seamus & Kathleen
During the 1950s , the County Council , providing you owned some land and subject to a mortgage or cash payment , would build a house to your design. Jimmy Roche was a nephew of the Ryan's who owned Lehenaghmore House and much of the land thereabouts and gifted a whole acre to him. They named the house Glenanaar and moved in circa 1956. Their story is told more fully here.
Kathleen O'Keeffe nee Roche
poses outside old home 2014
poses outside old home 2014
All the Roche children , Seamus , Marie and Kathleen attended Togher National School. Kathleen married in 1975 and moved to Westside Estate ; her sister Marie married in 1970 and is the mother of Fianna Fail T.D Michael McGrath. Their brother Seamus sadly passed away at the age of 16 in 1965. In 1984 , Jimmy Roche sold the property to the Burke family who still reside there and retired to a house on Sandown Crest. A privately owned bungalow is in situ to the rear of the old family home.
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