Lyons Demesne

Lyons Demesne
Location within Ireland
General information
Location	Newcastle Demesne, County Kildare, Ireland
Coordinates	53°18′4″N 6°32′42″W / 53.30111°N 6.54500°W / 53.30111; -6.54500
Construction started	1785
Completed	1797
Design and construction
Architect	Oliver Grace

Lyons Demesne, also Lyons Estate, is a country house and estate in Lyons Hill, County Kildare, Ireland. It is located near Newcastle Demesne and Celbridge, to the northeast of Tipperstown, 24.8 kilometres (15.4 mi) west of the city centre of Dublin. The Georgian house, completed in 1797 under architect Oliver Grace, is set in 600 acres (240 ha). Historically, Lyons was the setting of a notable duel between Daniel O'Connell and John D'Esterre. University College, Dublin, Lyons Research Farm consists of a portion of the original Lyons Estate and is used by the School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine for teaching and research activities.

Michael Aylmer inherited the estate at the age of four in 1733 and became indebted to banker Sir Nicholas Lawless (later Baron Cloncurry), eventually losing the house in 1796. Lawless commissioned architect Grace to build a "grand Georgian mansion" in 1785, and it was completed in 1797. His son, The 2nd Baron Cloncurry, continued the efforts between 1804 and 1810, developing the house further.

A duel took place at Lyons in 1815 subsequent to a speech made by O'Connell. He was challenged by John D'Esterre, a member of Dublin Corporation, who objected to O'Connell's description of 'Corpo' being a 'beggarly corporation'. The expectation was that D'Esterre would kill O'Connell. However it was O'Connell who mortally wounded D'Esterre with a shot in the hip which lodged the bullet in D'Esterre's stomach.

University College, Dublin (UCD), purchased the Lyons Estate in 1963, the purchase consisting of Lyons House and approximately 1,200 acres (490 ha). In the early 1990s, the university sold the house and half of the land, approximately 620 acres. It was purchased by the late Ryanair businessman Tony Ryan in 1996 for £3.5 million who spent over £80 million renovating it, and it was bequeathed to his wife upon his death. In 2009, the estate was valued at £65.5 million but has since drastically declined in value, on the market in July 2012 at £25 million.