The Semi-Detached Houses - Lehenaghmore , Togher

In the 3rd and final part of our series on some of the original houses on Lehenaghmore Hill in which the blog highlights the original occupants who moved in during the 1920s/1950s ; the spotlight is shone on the only two sets of 2-storey semi-detached houses up to modern times. All land on the west side of the hill between the old railway bridge and the modern day Chestnut Drive was owned by the Callaghan family in turn historically leased from Rev. Edward Newenham.

Original Semi-detached houses on Lehenaghmore Hill

 

The photo below shows the first set of semi-detached houses which were most probably built late 1930s. The first house was originally the home of the Ford family. The father was a milk vendor. The house was bought in 1982 by Michael Buckley and his wife Valerie nee Sisk ( who originally lived in The Cuttings ). The house on the right is the home of the O'Leary's. Their son John now lives there with his wife.

Original homes of Fords & O'Leary's

 

Irene Forde , Ambrose Walsh , Kathleen Crowley ,

Gobnait Crowley ,Bernice Healy , Breeda Healy & Teddy Roche
Jimmy Crowley ( front )

The photo below shows the original homes of the Crowley and Healy families. Eileen Flaherty nee Crowley now lives there in her family home. The house on the right is also the family home of the Healy's  where Mary Healy continues to live.

 

Original homes of Crowleys & Healys

 

 

L-R: Richie Crowley , Bernie Healy , 

Kathleen Crowley and Denis O'Leary (R.I.P )

 

 

L - R: Kathleen Crowley , Mary Crowley, 

Mary Healy & Gobnait Walsh (Crowley )

Back L-R: Mary Crowley , Breeda Healy ( m. Mitchell ) , Ann O'Brien ,
Richie Crowley & Gobnait Crowley
Front L-R: Kathleen Roche , June Crowley ( pram ) & Eileen Crowley

Kay O'Donovan ( Ashgrove ) , Noreen Healy R.I.P. ,
Bernie Healy & Margaret Noonan

 1960s

Back L-R: Mary Healy , Noreen Brolly nee Healy ( R.I.P. ) ,
Donie Healy , Breeda Mitchell nee Healy
Front L-R: Breedas children -
Wedding at Togher Church 1972

The Roche Family - Lehenaghmore , Togher

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

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

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.

Kathleen Roche in front garden
with niece Brenda McGrath
1973/74

Click here for Part 3

Flashback to 1960s Lehenaghmore in Togher

The following photographs were submitted by Breeda Mitchell. They capture several scenes from Togher taken up Lehenaghmore Hill in the early 1960s. These never before seen images enable the viewer to see a Togher in all its glory before the modern developments of the mid 1960s. Life would soon change forever. But for now it is possible to share a glimpse of a very different Togher.

Unknown youths

 Mr. Crowley ( front )

L-R: Richie Crowley , Bernie Healy , 

Kathleen Crowley and Denis O'Leary (R.I.P )

L-R Back:  Mary Hayes ,Marie Roche ,Teresa Hayes

Front- Eileen Crowley , Marian O'Brien and Kathleen Roche

The 3 photographs shown above were taken outside the Crowley house not far from the home of Kathleen Roche. This was one of 2 sets of houses on this stretch of road. The houses thankfully are still in existence today.

Top L - R: Timmy Ahern , Mary Brosnan , Tim Joe Walsh
Middle L - R: Michael O'Donovan , Angela Crowley
Bottom L - R: Gobnait Walsh , Rosie Roche , Kathleen Rea

 Eugene Harrington R.I.P 2014

( formally of Ballygarvan )

Lehenaghmore

L - R: Kathleen Crowley , Mary Crowley, 
Mary Healy & Gobnait Walsh(Crowley )

Front L - R: Irene Forde , Breeda Mitchell (Healy) 
Mary Crowley , Eileen Crowley  
 Anne O Brien  , Gobnait Crowley 
Back L - R: Ted Rea , Richie Crowley?,  Mary Healy

John Kevin Sexton ( on right )
with friends

John Kevin Sexton , Tiger Ahern with friends

Photo taken in Bandon

Townlands - 08 / 15 - Lehenagh More

Leitheanach Mór - Wide Open Space - 1025 Acres
a.k.a. Big Meadow

 

Lehenaghmore - ( Data from Townlands.ie )

Coming in at well over a 1000 acres , Lehenaghmore is by far the largest of all the Townlands in Togher. Like its smaller sibling , Lehenagh Beg , its name is a convolution of misspelling and guesswork based on an incorrect anglization of the original Irish. Suffice it to say , it like its neighbour Lehenagh Beg , is a meadow , albeit , a larger variety. Historically , the Townland was owned by Milo de Cogan in 1177. By the time of the Cromwellian Confiscations of 1656 it was in the hands of George Gould ; following confiscation it passed to James Duke of York. In modern times , the Townland is most famous for being home to Cork Airport. It is also at 547ft the highest point in Togher and overlays a gigantic aquifer which feeds multiple streams issuing in all directions , the better known being the Glenmore , Liberty and Glasheen streams.

Corcorans Bridge

Historical interior names included Cumar na dTrí na nUisce ( the meeting of the three waters ) , three springs which go to form the Liberty stream a.k.a. Togher stream which flows under Corcorans Bridge and down to Togher Cross ; Cros na Gol ( the place of skulls ) , which was situated at the junction of Mathews Hill and Lehenaghmore Hill and from where funerals were followed on foot to the old graveyard below. It is believed an old Norman church existed next to the graveyard. Following development in later years cut limestone blocks were found but sadly removed from the site. During the Penal Laws of the 18th and 19th Centuries it was also known as Cros na Scoil owing to a hedge school being located there ; and Kilmahonach ( market town ) which during the 12th and 13th Centuries acted as a place of commerce before entering the City and which even minted its own coins. Big house names and lodges included Lehenaghmore House , Lehenagh House ( home of the brother of Fr. Mathew - see photo below ) ; Cruiskeen Lodge , Carrig Lodge , Cúl Álainn ( Coolallen ) and the Teampaleen ( an old graveyard adjacent to Norman church ). The Cork Bandon railway line once ran through the Townland with only a sole remaining bridge as a testament to its past. Agricultural land is now sandwiched between the built up region of the North and the Airport to the South. The section of road between Togher Cross and the old railway bridge has also been the educational hub of Togher since 1851 with the old cottage school ( demolished 1990s ) and the now Togher Community Centre ( Boys/Girls school 1891 - 1971 ) , Togher Girls School 1961 ( now Foróige/Togher A.C. ) and Togher Boys and Girls schools ( opened 1971 ). An honourable mention must be made of the Muintir na Tire who provided sterling support to the local community for many years. It was also during the 1980s home to the Doughcloyne Inn later Hotel ( now O'Connell Court retirement home ). Before the advent of dancehalls in the 1960s , platform dancing was a feature of Togher , and Togher Cross was the usual location for this form of entertainment. So from ancient medieval towns to old churches and graveyards and numerous schools , Lehenaghmore can lay claim to all. One other ghost from the past occupies the eastern side of Woulfe Lane and that is the remains of the Cottages and carriage houses of the old Lehenagh House which although thankfully still extant are in a ruinous state.

Fr. Matthew 1851

( Brother hailed from Togher )

Addresses ( Modern Era )

Togher Community Centre
Togher National Schools
Togher R.C. Church
Robinscourt ( portion of )
O'Connell Court Retirement Home
Whytes Centra
Togher Cross
Greenwood Estate
Palmbury Estate
Palmbury Orchard
Applegreen Service Station
VariousPrivate builds along Togher Road
Lehenaghmore Industrial Estate
Ashbrook Heights
Aisling Close
Alderbrook
Fernwood Crescent
Chestnut Drive
Lehenaghmore Park
East Avenue
West Avenue
The Mews
Laurel Lane
Brook Lane
Westgate Business Park
Various private builds along Mathew Hill
Manor Road
Saint Ambrose
The Gates
The Drive
The Lawn
Hill Lane
North Avenue
South Avenue
Ardross
Wolfe Avenue
Cookellure Lawn
Cookellure Rise
Cookellure Way
Cookellure Lane
Cookellure Grove
Cookellure Avenue
Cookellure Road
The Hamlet
Ardcahon Drive
Ardcahon Close
Ardcahon Way
Corcorans Bridge
Various private builds up towards bridge ( see map )
Redmonds G.A.A. club
Everton F.C. club
Marion House
Cork Airport ( including Terminals and majority of runways )
Farmers Cross
Old Kinsale Road ( loop portion over bridge )
Carrig Lodge Road
Pegasus Sculpture ( off Airport Road )

Addresses/Structures ( Historical Era )

Lehenaghmore House & Lodge ( demolished 1970s/80s )
Lehenagh House ( demolished )
All houses on Airport land ( demolished 1960s )
Corcorans Bridge ( still extant )

Norman Chapel ( believed to exist from 13th Century )
Teampaleen ( demolished late 1970s )
Kilmahonoch ( medieval market town )
Farmers Cross ( now roundabout to Airport )
Cros na Gol/Cros na Scoil ( Place of Skulls/hedge school )
Old Cottage School ( Demolished 1990s )
Muintir na Tire ( Demolished late 1980s )
Army Pill Box ( Demolished 1980s )
Platform Dancing ( primarily located at Togher Cross )
Woulfe Lane


Boundary


From a point begun approximately at the halfway point to the rear of Westside Estate and moving in an easterly direction and following the Tramore River before moving in a southerly direction around Greenwood Estate and Palmbury and around the Industrial Estate before crossing the road at the corner of O'Neills cottage and following a straight line eastwards before wrapping around Coolkellure and moving towards the rear of Lehenaghmore Park before joining the Glenmore River and moving again southwards before moving onto the Kinsale Road before doubling back onto the Lehenagh Ridge and the stream which rises there and then moving in a zigzag motion across the runway of Cork Airport before moving north around the apron and joining up with the Liberty Stream and following this watercourse down to Togher Cross before moving around Togher Cross and to the rear of the Church and Schools to join up once more at the point started from near Westside Estate.