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Lucan (Irish: Leamhcán) is a town in County Dublin, Ireland on the outskirts of Dublin city, 12km from the city centre. The town lies at the confluence on the River Liffey and the River Griffeen, a tributary of the Liffey. The picturesque old town retains its character, despite hosting ever-expanding areas of housing that are in essence, suburbs of Dublin. These new estates lead east from the town towards the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre and southeast towards Clondalkin. A further expansion south to the Dublin-Cork train line is planned on the lands of Adamstown.
Patrick Sarsfield, the Irish Jacobite was born in Lucan and was granted the title Earl of Lucan by King James II.
Currently on the site of Sarsfield's castle beside the town is the grand Lucan House. It was built around 1770 by Rt. Hon. Agmondisham Vesey, who had married into the Sarsfield family. The circular ground floor dining room is said to have been an inspiration for the Oval Office of The White House. Over the years, the house passed out of the Vesey family and since 1947, has been the residence of the Italian ambassador to Ireland. Also on the grounds of the house is a sulphurous spa, the waters of which attracted people to the town in previous times.
The influence of the Sarsfield and Vesey families on Lucan is still apparent in the locality. For example, the local GAA club is Lucan Sarsfields and a pub in the town bears the name 'The Vesey Arms'.
- See also: List of towns in the Republic of Ireland
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