Fern Hill
NAME Fern Hill/Fernhill
AREA LOCATION Enniskerry Road, Stepaside.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Newtown
Little and it is annotated as Fern Hill on both maps.
GENERAL The original house was a single-storey (possibly a hunting lodge) built circa 1723.
By 1812 it was substantial family residence with additional out buildings surrounded by gardens,
woodlands, parkland and farming land on an elevated location overlooking Dublin Bay. The house
itself is a series of rambling interconnecting blocks of one and two stories transcended by a three
storey tower which has developed and evolved over the years. It also has a peach built circa 1897.
The gardens were planted with exotics such as magnolia and Chilean firetrees but it is also home to an
extensive daffodil collection. Originally on 110 acres it now now on about 82 acres. The land was owned
by Sir William Verner and part was leased to Joseph Stock. Alderman Frederick Darley purchased the
lease from Verner in 1812 and his son William purchased the property outright in 1841.
YEAR BUILT Original Lodge built circa 1723, demolished and rebuilt circa 1812.
VALUATION No valuation found
NUMBER
OF ROOMS In the 1901 census it is noted as having 15 rooms
ARCHITECT Unknown.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Registry of Deeds,
NAI Census & Wills and OSI Maps
OCCUPANTS
1749 Sir William Verner purchased land from the widow of John Kerr
1812 - 1845 Joseph Stock
1812 - 1841 Alderman Frederick Darley
1837 James McCasky
1841 - 1898 William Frederick Darley
1898 - 1912 Edmund Sanders Darley
1912 - 1934 Mabel Darley
1934 -1952 Joseph Walker
1952 - 2007 Ralph Walker
2007 Bee Bee Developments
2008 David Arnold Developments
2015 DLRCoCo
STAFF
1874 Peter Rooney - Labourer
1877 Anna Nixon died in New York
1901 Roseanna Mooney - Cook
Margaret Finlay - Housemaid
Martha Baker - Housemaid
Bridget Merron - Kitchenmaid
Mary Jane White - Parlourmaid
1907 James Crawford - Chauffeur
1911 Martha Mooney - Cook
Annie Egan - Housemaid
Jane Morgan - Housemaid
Norah Coffey - Kitchenmaid
Kate Farrell - Parlourmaid
John Harding - Farm servant (living at gatelodge)
James Keating - Gardener (living at gardeners lodge)
CURRENT
STATUS Extant - Owned by DLRCoCo and in use as a public park.
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE April 2018
NAME Fern Hill/Fernhill
AREA LOCATION Enniskerry Road, Stepaside.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Newtown
Little and it is annotated as Fern Hill on both maps.
GENERAL The original house was a single-storey (possibly a hunting lodge) built circa 1723.
By 1812 it was substantial family residence with additional out buildings surrounded by gardens,
woodlands, parkland and farming land on an elevated location overlooking Dublin Bay. The house
itself is a series of rambling interconnecting blocks of one and two stories transcended by a three
storey tower which has developed and evolved over the years. It also has a peach built circa 1897.
The gardens were planted with exotics such as magnolia and Chilean firetrees but it is also home to an
extensive daffodil collection. Originally on 110 acres it now now on about 82 acres. The land was owned
by Sir William Verner and part was leased to Joseph Stock. Alderman Frederick Darley purchased the
lease from Verner in 1812 and his son William purchased the property outright in 1841.
YEAR BUILT Original Lodge built circa 1723, demolished and rebuilt circa 1812.
VALUATION No valuation found
NUMBER
OF ROOMS In the 1901 census it is noted as having 15 rooms
ARCHITECT Unknown.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Registry of Deeds,
NAI Census & Wills and OSI Maps
OCCUPANTS
1749 Sir William Verner purchased land from the widow of John Kerr
1812 - 1845 Joseph Stock
1812 - 1841 Alderman Frederick Darley
1837 James McCasky
1841 - 1898 William Frederick Darley
1898 - 1912 Edmund Sanders Darley
1912 - 1934 Mabel Darley
1934 -1952 Joseph Walker
1952 - 2007 Ralph Walker
2007 Bee Bee Developments
2008 David Arnold Developments
2015 DLRCoCo
STAFF
1874 Peter Rooney - Labourer
1877 Anna Nixon died in New York
1901 Roseanna Mooney - Cook
Margaret Finlay - Housemaid
Martha Baker - Housemaid
Bridget Merron - Kitchenmaid
Mary Jane White - Parlourmaid
1907 James Crawford - Chauffeur
1911 Martha Mooney - Cook
Annie Egan - Housemaid
Jane Morgan - Housemaid
Norah Coffey - Kitchenmaid
Kate Farrell - Parlourmaid
John Harding - Farm servant (living at gatelodge)
James Keating - Gardener (living at gardeners lodge)
CURRENT
STATUS Extant - Owned by DLRCoCo and in use as a public park.
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE April 2018