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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Wicklow => Topic started by: chappers on Monday 23 June 08 20:50 BST (UK)
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I have been told that one of my ancestors lived at, or perhaps purchased, a place called Silver Springs, Delgany, Co. Wicklow in the early 1940s. This could have been a hotel, pub, guest house or residential house. I believe it was in a wooded/forest area. Does anyone know if a building of that name existed and if so, is it still there and where is it in Delgany? I hope to visit the area some time just to see where the building would have been
Thank you
Carol, Manchester Uk
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Hello Carol,
Here's a map showing Delgany. www.irishtourist.com/wicklow/towns/delgany It's located between Glen of the Downs and Greystones. The former place was a wooded area but a number of the trees were cut down eight or nine years ago despite protests by active conservationists. www.urban75.org/archive/news096.html
Christopher
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Hello Christopher, many thanks for your reply to my query about Delgany; also the helpful map site. It's likely that the building called Silver Springs has been demolished by now. Regards, Carol
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Hello Carol,
You should be able to find something about "Silver Springs" as there appears to be a reasonable amount of information about Dalgany ... the Golf Club opened in 1909. www.delganygolfclub.com/club.php?filename=club_history
A Dublin banker, William David La Touche, purchased Ballydonagh Estate at Delgany in the eighteenth century.
Delgany village has a Church of Ireland parish church, a National School and a Catholic Carmelite Convent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delgany
Try the library to see if they can assist you
Wicklow County Council Library Service HQ,
Boghall Road,
Bray,
Co. Wicklow
www.wicklow.ie/LIBRARIES/librariesindex.htm
Christopher
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Hello Christopher, many thanks for your message of yesterday. I was interested to learn about Delgany Golf Club as the ancestor I wrote about enjoyed playing golf - he may even have been a member there. On looking at some family papers, the building called Silver Springs was situated on Downs Hill, which is shown on the map, and used to be owned by the Stoney family who I believe were quite prominent in Co Wicklow in days gone by. I shall write to the Golf Club and see if they have any information.
Thank you again for all your help
Regards, Carol
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Headstones at Christ Church, Delgany
www.igp-web.com/igparchives/1headstones/wicklow/headstones/delgany.txt
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Hello Christopher,
I looked at the Headstones website you mentioned. At Christ Church, Delgany, there is a headstone referring to two members of the Stoney family which is interesting. Thanks for all your help with my query which is very much appreciated.
Kind regards, Carol
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Hello Carol,
The Silversprings hotel was close to Downs Village, Co. Wicklow. Possibly it was previously called the Downs House and a Colonel Stoney converted it to a hotal called the Silversprings. I will do some more research as it is situated less than a mile from my house. There is a very large estate house currently occupied and there is also a barely identifyable boundary of a ruin in that area. I'm not sure which one is Silversprings. I will see what I can find out and I'll give you the co-ordinates for Google Earth so that you can have a look.
regards, DDHS
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Hello DDHS,
Very many thanks indeed for your reply to my query about Silversprings. I'm pleased to learn that a building of that name did exist in the Delgany area as I believe my grandfather lived there for a while in the early 1940s. I look forward to hearing from you again after you have had time to do some research. Thank you for going to so much trouble. It will be great to see the exact location on Google Earth.
Kind regards, Carol
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Thoms Directory 1941 gives ...
J Fitzgerald, Silver Springs Hotel
the Downs
Delgany
1956 shows M Slingsby at this adress
eadaoin
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Hello eadaoin
Thank you for the information about Silver Springs Hotel - I had not heard of Thoms Directory before.
I've been told my grandfather, name of Withers, purchased Silver Springs in 1941 - perhaps J. Fitzgerald was the previous owner at that time. I wondered if the name of Withers might be in the Directory in about 1942/3?
Many thanks again
Regards, Carol
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Hello Carol,
Silversprings is still inhabited and in perfect order. It used to be known as the Downs House. The coordinates from Google Earth are as follows: 53° 07' 48.07''W 6° 07' 03.48''W.
The name of the family living there is Cohler.
It has previously been owned by Stoney family and the Slingsby family. I would be keen on any information you have regarding the place as I am trying to compile the history of the Downs village and environs. I do not know the correct postal address but Silversprings, Downs Village, Willow Grove, Delgany, Co. Wicklow should work.
regards, DDHS
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Hi DDHS
Thank you for your very helpful reply about Silver Springs. It's great to have the google earth reference and also a definite address for the property. I don't have any information about the property itself other than my grandfather Mr. Withers purchasing it around 1941. I have pictures of myself when about 18 months old in the spring of 1943 sitting on the lawns with my grandmother. The building had steps leading up to the front door and the lawns were surrounded by a small terraced wall. Due to ill health my grandfather had to sell the property soon after 1943 but that is all I know. Unfortunately, there are no family members alive now who could tell me anything more. You say the building is still inhabited so I presume it will look much the same as it did in the early 1940s. I hope to see the property when I visit Co. Wicklow again next year in another stage of my family research.
Thank you again
Kind regards
Carol
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Hello Carol,
I am glad to be of help. By the way, DDHS stands for Downs and District Historical Society. My name is Peter.
regards, P
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Hello Peter
I wondered what DDHS stood for! It's great that I've been in touch with a Historical Society in the area. I live in Manchester, UK. My parents were from Belfast but lived in Co. Wicklow for many years in their later life. They are now both deceased but I still like to visit Ireland a couple of times a year. Next year I am planning to visit Delgany and find Silver Springs.
If I have any more queries arising from my family research I hope you don't mind if I contact you again.
Many thanks
Carol
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A PS
Hello again Peter
You kindly gave me the references for google earth recently concerning Silver Springs. I am having a bit of trouble downloading google earth. I used to have this facility on my computer and be able to just click into it but when I do that now, it tells me to download. I've done that but still can't get google earth. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong. Has google earth changed its format?
Any help would be very much appreciated
Carol
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Hi again,
All I can suggest is search for google earth's website and download the latest version.
http://www.earth.google.com/download-earth.html
regards, Peter
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Hello Peter
OK, will try the link you suggested
Thanks
Carol
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more Thoms Directory ...
1943,44,45 shows J Withers, Silver Springs Hotel
remember there's a lead-in time for publishing books like this, so he could have bought in 1942, or even a bit earlier
1946,47,48 show Mr Powell in Silver Springs
eadaoin
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Hello eadaoin
Many thanks indeed for the useful information from the Thoms Directory. I'm glad the surname Withers is mentioned for the relevant years although my grandfather's initial was W for William - I don't know who a J Withers may have been so I'll have a look amongst some family papers for any clues.
Thank you again.
Regards
Carol
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Hello everybody,
I just found this forum by accident. I am a hobby historical researcher living in Delgany, Co. Wicklow. I am familiar with Silversprings/Downs Hill House and surrounding areas.
Silversprings (used to be a hotel in the 1930's) still exists. The current name is Downs Hill House, and the house is occupied by the Kohler family.
There are a number of house ruins between Glen O'Downs and Downs Hill and to the rear of Downs Hill House near the pylon line. These are the remnants of Downs village which came to an end during the famine years. The best preserved structures are the ruins near the phone mast and the one overgrown with blackthorn at the edge of the Glen O'Downs nature reserve.
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Last summer I took a short vid of the area in question. (Link below)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3PzEF9gyFI
Downs Hill House can not be seen, because it's hidden by the trees. But the hill in the background toward the end of the vid is Downs Hill. I know it's a poor quality vid, but you may recognize a red building. To the left is a white spot. That's a small cottage. Downs Hill House is located in those trees to the left of the small cottage.
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Hello Wicklowwolf
I've just seen your postings about Silversprings which I note is now called Downs Hill House. Thanks very much for this information, also the youtube video - it's great to see the area. I hope to visit Delgany soon and see the building for myself as I think I lived there as a baby around 1942-43
Thanks again
Carol
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I enclose a recent photo of the house. I know it's a poor pic, but the house is well hidden from public view.
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Hello Wicklowwolf,
Thank you so much for sending me the picture of Silversprings. I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to see what the house looks like now. I have two photos of myself aged about 2 taken at Silversprings and on the photos, you can see the terracing and steps just as they are now, also the bay windows, so the building has obviously not changed much over the years; (apart from all the foliage I expect). It's wonderful to be able to piece my photos together with how things look today and it was very kind of you to send me this photo. I have printed it off to go in my family album with my original 1942 photos.
Very many thanks again
Regards
Carol
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Does anybody rember a paperback book that came out about 15/16 years ago about Delgany Village/
I really thought it was called "Between the mountains and the sea" but can't locate it anywhere
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Could this be the book?
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlwic2/articles/delgany_parish_book.htm
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"Between the Mountains and the Sea" covers Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
- stops just North of Bray ... so not Delgany .... great book!
eadaoin
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Could this be the book?
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlwic2/articles/delgany_parish_book.htm
"Christ Church, Delgany, 1789-1990: Between the Mountains and the Sea: A Parish History" by Judith Flannery
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sorry, Aghadowey -
I didn't know there was another book with the same name.
the book I have is Peter Pearson's.
eadaoin
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I came across the Pearson book also but then I googled "Between the mountains and the sea" & delgany and found the one with church records. Hopefully spellmba will be able to say if it's the correct one.
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Christ Church, Delgany, 1789-1990: Between the Mountains and the Sea: A Parish History (Hardcover)
~ Judith Flannery
Judith Flannery (Author)
Anybody any idea where I can get this book...I did have it and loaned it to a neighbour but never got it back
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Sorry...forgot to say thanks...it is the right book.....thanks for your help...was going around in circles
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Christ Church, Delgany, 1789-1990: Between the Mountains and the Sea: A Parish History (Hardcover)
~ Judith Flannery
Judith Flannery (Author)
Anybody any idea where I can get this book...I did have it and loaned it to a neighbour but never got it back
Available in public libraries in Co. Wicklow.
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This book was published by the Select Vestry of Delgany Parish in 1990.
ISBN 0 9516411 0 7 hardback
ISBN 0 9516411 1 5 softback
Printed by Leinster Leader Ltd. Naas.
Although I have a copy of it, it is long out of print. It is still available in Greystones library although I have been told that with the huge demand for this book, copies have "disappeared" from the libraries in Co. Wicklow
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I bought it a few weeks ago on Abebooks.com
They had a number of copies at the time
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Dear Carol, we have been the owners of The Downs House on the Downs hill in Delgany, Co. Wicklow since 1994 and have resided here since. If you are still interested in more details of the history of the house, please let me know and we can arrange a suitable channel of communication. We have done a thorough renovation of house and grounds and would be happy to share with you what we know. Kind regards from Eberhard and Lynda Koehler
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Hello Eberhard and Lynda
I was very pleased to receive your message about Silver Springs and that you would be able to provide me with a history of the house. You will see from this website that I have received some information already but to have the history of the house from someone who lives there now would be really wonderful. I have some photos of myself when aged about 2 taken in the gardens of the house with my parents and grandparents. Thank you very much for replying to this topic. I could send you a personal message with my email address and we could correspond via email if that would suit you? Looking forward to hearing from you and thanks again.
Kind regards
Carol
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Welcome to RootsChat Eberhard :) Once you have replied to this topic one more time, Carol with then be able to send your a pm ;)
Regards
Sarah
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Thank you.
Eberhard