Lucan Village

Lucan Castle(on the site of the present Lucan House) dated back as far as the 13th. century. Originally just a tall square tower, it had extensions added over the years, leaving it described as battlemented and irregular. It’s first inhabitants were the DePeche family (by many outsiders were looked upon almost like famous people), who were followed by several others upto the Sarsfield and Vesey eras. It appears to have been fairly dilapidated as far back as the Sarsfield days in 1616, when William Sarsfield bequeathed to his grandson ” the tapestry on which the walls of the castle were hung “.

In 1664, Lucan Castle was rated as having 12 hearths. Rates were charged according to the number of chimneys a building had in those days.

C. 1771, the Right Hon. Agmondisham Vesey, decided to demolish the old castle, and build the new Lucan House, much to the annoyance of his wife who was very fond of the old castle “with it’s niches and thoussand other Gothic beauties”. Vesey incorporated a ‘Round Room’ in the great new house, for his wife’s personal use, but Mrs. Vesey feared that she would feel “like a parrot in a cage” sitting in her new round room.

However, she soon grew fond of the new house, which was held by their ancestors upto the 1920’s. There is a very interesting painting of the old castle and its surroundings by Thomas Roberts, hanging in the National Gallery of Ireland.