Following the arrival of the Normans in Ireland in 1169,
Henry II, gave a vast tract of land to one of his retainers,
Hugh De Lacy. This land stretched from Dublin to the
Shannon. De Lacy in turn granted the lands of Castleknock (Cnucha)
and the surrounding district by charter to his liegeman,
Hugh Tyrrel. His grant of land included what is now called
the Pheonix Park, in addition to Clonsilla and Mulhuddart.
Tyrrel in 1173 began fortification of Cnucha.
In
1299, an inquisition into the Estate of Hugh Tyrrel, the
fifth baron who had died, showed that his Estate at
Castleknock was something in the region of 7000 acres.
Before the end of the 13th century, various
families had settled in the district and their names were
well know in the district, Abbot, Balnchard, Keppock,
Luttrell, Pilate, (Pellet) and Dueswell (Diswel).
The Luttrells were a Norman family who first came to Ireland in
1204. At that time, Geoffrey Luttrell was granted the cattle
and manor of Luttrellstown by King John in reward for
services.
Richard Tyrrel, the sixth baron of Castleknock took over in 1299.
His period of control was full of incident including his
involvement in a State Trial. It appears that a falcon owned
by the Chief Justice of Ireland escaped and flew to
Castleknock. Richard kept the bird even though he knew whose
it was, and that a reward was offered for its recovery. He
eventually escaped conviction by handing the bird back to
its owner.
Robert Tyrrel (the eighth and last baron of Castleknock), his wife
and their son and heir died in the plague of 1370. With the
demise of the Tyrrel line the estate was divided.
In
former years the area was noted for its wild life. Scald
Woods, the great wood of Blanchardstown, which was a
favourite place for hunting wolves. In 1652, the wolves
became so numerous that the government of the day ordered a
public hunt of these animals. The assembled inhabitants of
the Barony were ordered to join to destroy 'the wolves lying
in the wood of the ward'.
In
earlier times the Phoenix Park formed part of the lands of
the Earl of Stafford. On of the past times in vogue was the
flying of hawks after blackbirds which attracted as many as
two hundred thousand spectators to the park.
The
name, “Westmanstown” is first mentioned in records in 1821.
It is believed to be a corruption of the name “Waspayle”, a
Norman family who were recorded in the area in the 16th
century.
The
Kestrel, which can be easily identified on the Westmanstown
symbol, is a member of the falcon family. It is readily
identified hovering as though suspended for an invisible
line. The male is beautifully marked with a blue-grey and
white tip, and red-brown upper parts, spotted with black.
These birds are evident around the grounds of the club.
