AD 900  Leixlip, with its waterfall on the River Liffey, was a Norse settlement, which got its name from the Danish for “Salmons Leap”

AD 1100  Newtown & Confey; near Leixlip; were formed into a parish with a church the ruins of which are visible in the present cemetery in Confey

AD 1175  Leixlip & surrounding territories was part of the land given to de Hereford family after the Norman Conquest

1500  The Eustace Family, possible an off-shoot of the Fitzgerald’s whose head was the Earl of Kildare, owned great areas of land in Co. Kildare including the parish of Confey near Leixlip

1540  The Castle now standing near the Cemetery of Confey was probably lived in by John Eustace who also owned property in the Thomas Street & James’ Street areas of Dublin

1600  Among the principle gentry of Co Kildare was Nicholas Fitzjohn Eustace of Confey. Other members of the family owned Clongowes Wood, Castlemartin, Harristown, Newlands & other locations in Co Kildare

1641  James Eustace of Confey, described as an Irish Papist, owned about 100 acres of land in the townlands of Newtown & Confey. Eustace Castle at Confey was destroyed in the rebellion of 1641

1654  The Eustace family in association with the Plunketts succeeded in keeping their lands near Leixlip during the Cromwellian Confiscations

1659  In the townland of Confey were 34 people. In Leixlip were 100 people with James Eustace being one of the three principle citizens

1690  Numerous branches of the Eustace family in Co Kildare were outlawed & had their possessions confiscated for supporting King James in the Williamite War

1728  William Connolly of Castletown, Cellbridge purchased great areas of this confiscated land on easy terms after 1700. He purchased the manor, town & lands of Leixlip & Newtown for £11,883

1731  The remaining portion of Leixlip. Including the Castle, was purchased by William Connolly’s nephew

1750  Noble & Keenan’s map of Co Kildare shows few – if any – buildings in Priest Lane Leixlip, now called Captains Hill

1772  Captain William Brady held the Lime Kiln holding in Newtown Leixlip from the Connolly family. Among the other tenants in the area were Richard Guinness, a brother of the founder of the Dublin brewery, & Peter Berrill the parish priest of Leixlip. Captain Brady who probably built Leixlip House in the 1770’s may  have come form Ballaghy in Co Derry where the Connolly family then had an estate.

1798  Major General Brady was active with Thomas Connolly in arranging the surrender of local rebels.

1800  John Downing of Co Derry assumed the additional name of Nesbitt when he inherited the Nesbitt   estate of Edenderry. He married in 1800 Jane, the daughter of General Brady of Leixlip House

1828  General Brady died & was buried in Leixlip cemetery where there is a monument in his memo Leixlip House then became the residence of Mr John Nesbitt

1850  The Griffith valuations shows WGD Nesbitt holding 15 acres of land & a house with the valuation of £42 from James Lawe. He also held 21 acres of land from Thomas Connolly of Castletown

1857  WGD Nesbitt died & was succeeded by his sister who in turn was succeeded by her cousin Edward Beaumount Downing Nesbitt who did not live in Leixlip

Post 1900  In the 1910 period Leixlip House was occupied by WA West a land commissioner. It was alter occupied by the Hone family. In the 1950’s it was purchased by Colonel Head who extended the house.

1974  Leilxip House with the surrounding 15acres but without the field across the road that had been sold previously was purchased by the O’Mahoney family from Mrs Carville. They installed the impressive gates, railings & pillars procured from the French Estate in Frenchpark, Co Roscommon that had been divided up by the land commission

1982  Leixlip House & lands were sold by the O’Mahoney family to local developers

1983  Extensive fire damage was caused to the House in particular to the Roof and top floors. The house lay derelict for some years and faced a very uncertain future. The cause of the fire was never established.

1996  The present owners of Leixlip House Hotel, The Towey Family from Palmerstown, purchased thehotel and enganged in an extensive refurbishment project. On opening the hotel has 19 bedrooms, a Restaurant with a capacity for 50 guests and a Banqueting Suite accommodating 140 guests. Major work was carried out on the heating and plumbing systems. Work was also carried out on the fabric of the house, ensuring that the building is in good shape for future generations.

 Related Links:
• History - Leixlip Virtual Town - Kildare - Ireland
• The History of Leixlip, Co.Kildare