Oatlands House

Oatlands House is located near Greetiagh, Bohermeen in the townland of Durhamstown, civil parish of Ardbraccan.  Oatlands House was erected about 1770. The house and demesne appear on Larkin‘s map of County Meath in 1812. In 1911 Oatlands House had more than thirteen rooms, six windows on the front and thirty five outbuildings.  There were woods between the house and the road and also to the south of the house.  These have now been removed. There is a small pond to the west of the house.

The Thompson family came to Ireland with William of Orange and settled at Clonfin, Co. Longford.  William Thompson of Clonfin married a daughter of Peter Metge of Athlumney.  David Thompson was from Clonfin.  Born in 1738 David settled at Oatlands.  He married Anne Higginbotham of Larhy, Co. Cavan and died about 1816 leaving seven sons and three daughters.

Robert Thompson of Oatlands wrote a ― Statistical Survey of the County of Meath - which was published by the Royal Dublin Society in 1802. It is a wonderful account of agricultural and other practises in the county.  Robert died in 1813 aged 41 and was buried in Ardbraccan.  Thompson Blennerhasset Thompson was born in 1804 and married Meloria Young of Philpotstown Hosue in 1828.  In the 1830s Oatlands was described as a good residence and the seat of Blennerhasset Thompson.  Blennerhasset Thompson died in 1853, leaving a son, Peter, who died a year later.  In the 1850s William Thompson held a considerable amount of the lands of Durhamstown.

From at least the late 1840's George Pollock held Oatlands.  George Annesly Pollock was the son of Arthur Hill Pollock of Mountainstown. George married Louisa McKay of Stephen‘s Green, Dublin in 1846.

According to histories of the game of croquet, an early set of rules of the game were compiled by an anonymous writer who described himself as "Corncrake" to The Field publication on 21 August 1858. Corncrake was in fact George Pollock. Oatlands was one of the first places in Ireland where croquet was played.

George died in 1867 leaving three sons and three daughters.

In 1901 and 1911 Albert Lowry and his family were living at Oatlands.  Albert was son of Joseph Lowry of Bachelors Lodge.  Albert was a noted horse owner and breeder and operated a stud at Oatlands.  Albert moved to Bachelor‘s Lodge and died in 1931.

Source: meath-roots.com