The History of Kiltalown House
Kiltalown House means ”Church of the Elms” and it is a suitable name for this ancient townland. The old church existed until the 17th Century. In 1800 John Carpenter, the then owner of the land, demolished it completely and on the old foundations built a house in Queen Anne’s style called Kiltalown House.
In the past Kiltalown House has had many tenants. The house and lands were only owned by four people over the years, James Robinson, Joseph T.Pratt, John Robinson and W. Jolley.
The Jolley family was the last dynasty to inhabit the house. Mr. W. Jolley bought the land and house from the Robinson’s and lived there until 1987.
In 1987 the Jolley family gave the house and the remaining land to Dublin County Council. The house was badly damaged in a fire in 1988, the house was repaired and has been a great asset to the whole community as it was used for community work and also as a creativity centre. Its coming of birth was due to a small number of dedicated local women, under the inspiration and vision of Sister Imelda Smith, who had just returned from California with a master’s degree in spirituality.
In 2005 negotiations between Tallaght Rehabilitation Project and South Dublin County Council yielded positive results and Tallaght Rehabilitation Project moved into its new premises at Kiltalown House on the 18th July 2005. Tallaght Rehabilitation Project does ongoing repairs to the house but has kept its character; it is now slightly more modern and pleasantly welcoming.
Kiltalown House and gardens are ideal surroundings for the specialist therapeutic work that is provided at TRP.
Kiltalown has some fine architectural features. The portico has a pair of Doric columns and full entablature, and the doorway has a carved timber surround with fanlight. Kiltalown has a hipped slate roof and extensions and barns/outbuildings at the side - to the rear of the house.
Archaeological Findings
A part of the pale, the medieval ditch that surrounded Norman Dublin was discovered in the grounds of Kiltalown House.
The Pale Ditch, dated from the Act of Parliament in 1794. It was an extensive archaeological find and it was recorded and validated by the Office of Public Works in February 1996.
An Urn and the fragment of a larger one was found in 1848 in the town land of Kiltalown and are now in the National Museum of Ireland.