FAMILIES can get a trip to Airfield for half price this weekend to mark 50 years of the Dublin estate. While the majestic venue has been open a lot longer than that, it is half a century since Letitia and Naomi Overend decided to hand over the Estate in trust for the people of Ireland. It had been in the family since 1894, when Trevor and Lily Overend bought the property which originally had just 8 acres.
Over the years they bought land around it and by 1974, they had 38 acres. That was the year their two daughters Letitia and Naomi decided to leave it in a Trust to the Irish people and their wish was that it would be used for educational and recreational purposes. Letitia is also known for helping to found the Children’s Sunshine Home in 1925, which is now the LauraLynn Foundation.
The sisters lived in the house until Letitia died in 1977 and Naomi in 1993, where Trustees would later find 25,000 items they could keep for archival purposes. This includes photos of the family and the Estate over the years, love letters and items tracing back to 1802. Since then, it has been a family favourite for Dubliners and those visiting the city to take part in their workshops or just to walk the grounds.
This weekend, they will also open a new state-of-the-art hen house and a new home for more than 100 chickens. And over the summer, they have a number of top events for people to enjoy. This includes the Healthy Being Festival on June 22 and 23, which will see a range of organic food pr.
