Desmond FitzGerald in March 1929. Photograph: Lafayette/Getty Images
Fitzgerald Family of Montpelier Manor
Desmond Fitzgerald married Mabel Washington McConnell
born 1888 13 May 1911 born 4 Jul 1884
West Ham London Derryvolgie Avenue, Belfast
died 9 Apr 1947 died 24 Apr 1958
Donnybrook Dublin
Thomas Joseph (Desmond) Fitzgerald born 1888 in West Ham son of Patrick Fitzgerald, and Mary
Ann Scollard from Dublin. He was living at West Ham in 1911 with his widowed mother and was
working as a merchant’s clerk. He married Mabel Washington McConnell on 13 May 1911 at St
Anselm & St Cecilia’s, Westminster and they moved to Saint-Jean-du-Doigt, Brittany, France.
Mabel was a schoolteacher and the daughter of John McConnell and Margaret Neill of Botanic
Avenue, Belfast. They moved to Ireland in 1913 where Desmond was a member of the Irish
Volunteers and was ordered out of Kerry in 1915. They moved to the Meath Road, Bray where
Desmond was arrested, charged with giving a seditious speech, and imprisoned in Mountjoy for
six months. He was released in April 1916. An account of his life was published by his sons in
1966; Desmond’s Rising: Memoirs 1913 to Easter 1916.
He was elected MP for Pembroke, Dublin, at the general election of December 1918. He was
press secretary for Sinn Fein in 1921, minister for external affairs in the provisional government
in August 1922 and in the Free State government in December 1922. In June 1927 he was
appointed minister for defence. They lived at Fairy Hill on the Killarney Road from 1930 to 1937
when they moved to Montpelier Manor in Monkstown. By 1941 they were living at Temple Road,
Dartry. He served as a senator from 1938 to 1943. They moved to Airfield in Donnybrook where
Desmond died on 9 Apr 1947. He was buried at Glasnevin. Mabel converted to Catholicism in
1943 and died 24 Apr 1958 at the Burlington Clinic late of Airfield House, Stillorgan Road,
Donnybrook. She left 5K in personal estate in England; her sons Pierce and Garrett her
executors. She was buried with her husband.
1 Desmond Patrick Fitzgerald born 1911 in France and was a member of the French
Society in 1934. He joined the staff of the Department of Industry and Commerce. He
was living at Montpelier Manor and was an engineer/architect and married Kathleen
(Kay) Gore Grimes on 31 Mar 1937 at the Sacred Heart Church, Donnybrook. Kathleen
was resident at Shrewsbury Road and the daughter of Christopher Gore Grimes, a
solicitor. The same year he was chosen to lead a team of architects from the Office of
Public Works in designing the new Dublin airport at Collinstown. Desmond died
14 Jan 1987 aged 75 and was buried at Glasnevin. Kay died in 1979 and was buried at
Glasnevin.
2 Pierce Fitzgerald born 1914 in Dingle was a member of the French Society in 1934. He
was living at Montpelier Manor and was called to the bar in 1938. He was a chartered
accountant living at Temple Road and married Muriel Theresa Phelan on 18 Jun 1942
at the Sacred Heart Church, Donnybrook. Muriel was resident at 87 Ailesbury Road,
and the daughter of Michael Phelan, a merchant. He continued to work for Craig
Gardener in Dublin before joining the UN. He served the UN in many countries,
including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Chad, and Cameroon. In 1961 he went to the
Congo as the UN's finance officer in what was then Elizabethville. He returned to
Afghanistan in the mid seventies and remained there as a consultant until the
Russian invasion of 1979. He spent the remainder of his life in Rome. His body was
repatriated and he was buried at Ballywaltrim in Bray. He was survived by six children
whose names all begin with the letter P.
3 Fergus Fitzgerald born 17 Feb 1920 at 5 Mount Street Crescent, Dublin. He was a
captain in the Irish Army during The Emergency. He married Una Crean on
27 Apr 1947 at the University Church, Dublin. Una was a student and the daughter
of Patrick Joseph Crean, a national school teacher. Fergus was a manager at Fallon's
Publishing Company. In 1951 he moved to Rome to work with the UN’s Food and
Agricultural Organisation. He took a years’ sabbatical and was in the Congo in 1960
when the Niemba Massacre happened. In 1973 he went to Brussels as editor of the
EEC’s publication. He retired to Bray in 1977.
4 Garrett Fitzgerald youngest son educated at Bray and Belvedere College and
graduated UCD with a degree in History and French. He married Joan O’Farrell on
10 Oct 1947 at Booterstown Church and they had two sons and a daughter. He worked
for Aer Lingus from 1947 to 1958 and lectured at UCD from 1959 to 1976. He authored
over 2,000 articles for the Irish Times. He was a FG TD for Dublin South East in 1973 and
Taoiseach of Ireland from 1982 to 1987.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - July 2022
Return to Montpelier Manor page
Desmond Fitzgerald married Mabel Washington McConnell
born 1888 13 May 1911 born 4 Jul 1884
West Ham London Derryvolgie Avenue, Belfast
died 9 Apr 1947 died 24 Apr 1958
Donnybrook Dublin
Thomas Joseph (Desmond) Fitzgerald born 1888 in West Ham son of Patrick Fitzgerald, and Mary
Ann Scollard from Dublin. He was living at West Ham in 1911 with his widowed mother and was
working as a merchant’s clerk. He married Mabel Washington McConnell on 13 May 1911 at St
Anselm & St Cecilia’s, Westminster and they moved to Saint-Jean-du-Doigt, Brittany, France.
Mabel was a schoolteacher and the daughter of John McConnell and Margaret Neill of Botanic
Avenue, Belfast. They moved to Ireland in 1913 where Desmond was a member of the Irish
Volunteers and was ordered out of Kerry in 1915. They moved to the Meath Road, Bray where
Desmond was arrested, charged with giving a seditious speech, and imprisoned in Mountjoy for
six months. He was released in April 1916. An account of his life was published by his sons in
1966; Desmond’s Rising: Memoirs 1913 to Easter 1916.
He was elected MP for Pembroke, Dublin, at the general election of December 1918. He was
press secretary for Sinn Fein in 1921, minister for external affairs in the provisional government
in August 1922 and in the Free State government in December 1922. In June 1927 he was
appointed minister for defence. They lived at Fairy Hill on the Killarney Road from 1930 to 1937
when they moved to Montpelier Manor in Monkstown. By 1941 they were living at Temple Road,
Dartry. He served as a senator from 1938 to 1943. They moved to Airfield in Donnybrook where
Desmond died on 9 Apr 1947. He was buried at Glasnevin. Mabel converted to Catholicism in
1943 and died 24 Apr 1958 at the Burlington Clinic late of Airfield House, Stillorgan Road,
Donnybrook. She left 5K in personal estate in England; her sons Pierce and Garrett her
executors. She was buried with her husband.
1 Desmond Patrick Fitzgerald born 1911 in France and was a member of the French
Society in 1934. He joined the staff of the Department of Industry and Commerce. He
was living at Montpelier Manor and was an engineer/architect and married Kathleen
(Kay) Gore Grimes on 31 Mar 1937 at the Sacred Heart Church, Donnybrook. Kathleen
was resident at Shrewsbury Road and the daughter of Christopher Gore Grimes, a
solicitor. The same year he was chosen to lead a team of architects from the Office of
Public Works in designing the new Dublin airport at Collinstown. Desmond died
14 Jan 1987 aged 75 and was buried at Glasnevin. Kay died in 1979 and was buried at
Glasnevin.
2 Pierce Fitzgerald born 1914 in Dingle was a member of the French Society in 1934. He
was living at Montpelier Manor and was called to the bar in 1938. He was a chartered
accountant living at Temple Road and married Muriel Theresa Phelan on 18 Jun 1942
at the Sacred Heart Church, Donnybrook. Muriel was resident at 87 Ailesbury Road,
and the daughter of Michael Phelan, a merchant. He continued to work for Craig
Gardener in Dublin before joining the UN. He served the UN in many countries,
including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Chad, and Cameroon. In 1961 he went to the
Congo as the UN's finance officer in what was then Elizabethville. He returned to
Afghanistan in the mid seventies and remained there as a consultant until the
Russian invasion of 1979. He spent the remainder of his life in Rome. His body was
repatriated and he was buried at Ballywaltrim in Bray. He was survived by six children
whose names all begin with the letter P.
3 Fergus Fitzgerald born 17 Feb 1920 at 5 Mount Street Crescent, Dublin. He was a
captain in the Irish Army during The Emergency. He married Una Crean on
27 Apr 1947 at the University Church, Dublin. Una was a student and the daughter
of Patrick Joseph Crean, a national school teacher. Fergus was a manager at Fallon's
Publishing Company. In 1951 he moved to Rome to work with the UN’s Food and
Agricultural Organisation. He took a years’ sabbatical and was in the Congo in 1960
when the Niemba Massacre happened. In 1973 he went to Brussels as editor of the
EEC’s publication. He retired to Bray in 1977.
4 Garrett Fitzgerald youngest son educated at Bray and Belvedere College and
graduated UCD with a degree in History and French. He married Joan O’Farrell on
10 Oct 1947 at Booterstown Church and they had two sons and a daughter. He worked
for Aer Lingus from 1947 to 1958 and lectured at UCD from 1959 to 1976. He authored
over 2,000 articles for the Irish Times. He was a FG TD for Dublin South East in 1973 and
Taoiseach of Ireland from 1982 to 1987.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - July 2022
Return to Montpelier Manor page