The Location: This is just a right-of-way connecting The Metals (a wonderful walkway which follows the old quarry route from Killiney Hill to Dun Laoghaire Harbour) to Silchester Road in the heart of South Dublin’s leafy Glenageary suburb, so why is it called the Lord’s Walk? I can’t find a definitive explanation, but maybe it’s because with its tree-lined grass verges it looks more like an elongated park than a simple shortcut. More likely though it’s named after Lord Silchester (who the road is named after). Either way it’s a beautiful way to make a shortcut back to Silchester Road.
Looking at Dun Loaghaire Rathdown County Council’s (DLRCOCO) Architectural Conservation notes for the area (www.dlrcoco.ie/conservation/Silchester_Road_ACA.pdf) shows that The Lord’s Walk, along with Silchester Road, was created not too long before 1907 as it’s still only a field in the 1843 OSI map but clearly laid out in the 1907 one. There is a second similar right-of-way West of this one on the opposite side of Silchester Road which was created much later (it’s not shown on the 1937 OSI map) cutting through to the back of Silchester Crescent and Silchester Park.
Here’s an extract from the DLRCOCO’s notes mentioned above explaining some of the history of the area:
“Glenageary, ‘Gleann na gCaorach’ means ‘Glen of the Sheep’ in Irish. Silchester Road located in the heart of Gleanageary, is a residential road, and is also the location of the only church in Glenageary. Silchester Road was laid out rather late in the development of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, with the earliest house dating to 1860. It was named after Lord Silchester, the junior heir to the Longford title. The Stewarts, the land agents to Lord Longford and De Vesci, played a leading role in developing this road. The first large houses set on spacious grounds appeared on the eastern half of Silchester Road. St Paul’s, a Gothic church built in 1868 of rustic granite masonry with tall spire, consists of a simple nave and chancel. In 1887 the Glenageary and Kingstown Lawn Tennis Club was founded and grounds were leased at Silchester Road. The club had seven grass courts and a small pavilion.”
The Cache: you’ll be looking for a medium-sized plastic canister covered in camo tape. There’s room for small treats so don’t forget to bring something to exchange. With the area popular with dog-walkers and the cache being located near the ground, take care when extracting it. Also, as it’s on a busy intersection with The Metals please look out for muggles and make sure it’s fully hidden when replacing it. Thanks!
Note: this cache was placed by my grandchildren as a Christmas present for me as I used to frequent the area with my geo-pooches. I’ve not been able to walk it recently though due to an accident, so the kids placed this cache as an incentive to get me out walking the route again.