Photograph courtesy of Dominic Lee of Priory Studios. © Dominic Lee

 
                                                                               ​Granada

NAME                       Riversdale/Granada

AREA LOCATION   STILLORGAN
 
MAP LOCATION    OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Stillorgan Park
                                  on both.
 
GENERAL                Two storey non basement house on approx 13 acres in 1830 and 1849 and 1855. 
Charles McDermott was the lessee from 1855 to 1880 and sometimes the occupier but it was leased
out for many short periods.  In 1920 It was for sale set on 14.5 acres described as a castellated two
storey non basement residence.  It had a conservatory and a vinery as well as a billiard room and
man's room.  It also had stabling for four horses, a coach house with a gatelodge and a broad
avenue.  It was also noted that it had a new entrance with a gatelodge.  The name Riversdale was
changed to Granada in 1964 to reflect the birthplace of the founder of the order of St John of God.

In 2017 the house underwent major refurbishment and the entire external plaster was removed
and under the direction of an Archaeological Architect it was re-plastered with a 'breathable'
render which needed a year to dry and was repainted in 2019.
               
YEAR BUILT            circa 1778
 
VALUATION           In 1912 the valuation was 77 Stg and in the 1901 census it is noted as having 19 rooms
                                  occupied by the family, but by 1911 it is no longer considered a 1st class house and it
                                  seems to have been divided into two residences.
 
ARCHITECT             Unknown

SOURCES                Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, NAI Census, Registry of Deeds, OSI
                                  Maps & Valuation Office and Brother Finnian Gallagher & Brother Kilian Keaney of John
​                                  of God Hospitaller Services.
  
OCCUPANTS

1778                       Eliza & Mary Ryves
1830 - 1836           Benjamin Ball
1837                       John Wilson Barlow
1837                       Viscount Southwell
1838 - 1841           Arthur Francis Southwell
1841                       Robert Doyne
1842                       Elizabeth Jane Doyne 
1846 - 1850           Edward Reynolds 
1849 - 1850           Roderick Reynolds  
1854 -1855            Mark Cardiff Esq.    
1856                       Robert Perse Esq. 
1855 - 1880           Charles Joseph McDermott  
1857 - 1859           Alexander McMahon Esq.
​1864 - 1865           Clement Edwards
1869                       George Berg, Op. Dr (Excm)
1870 - 1871           Carleton N Atkinson  
1873 - 1874           Ralph Budd
1875                       Edw J Darys Esq.  
1877 - 1878           Thomas Farrell Esq. 
1879                       Vacant   
1880 - 1882           John McClelland, Insp. Gen of Hosp  
1883 - 1888           Vacant        
1889 - 1893           Robert McLaren Esq.                 
1894 - 1896           M J O Farrell Esq., solicitor (see death of father in law Patrick O'Connor in 1894)        
1897 - 1900           Vacant         
1900 - 1915           Gerald O’Reilly 
1920                       House For Sale
1916 - 1925           Francis Patrick Walsh 
1926                       Contents of house for sale 
1926 - 1948           Mrs Harriet Bewley
1947                       For sale on 14.5 Acres
1948 - 1954           William J Ahern of Ballsbridge
1954 - todate        St John of God
2017                       Refurbished
                                  
STAFF

1849                      Mary Hanly - Gatekeeper
1871                      William Donnelly - Gardener
1876                      Daniel Finlay - Coachman living at the gatelodge
1877                      James Sullivan - Coachman
1901                      Paul Kelly - Apprentice
                               Margaret Heslim - Cook
​1911                      Ellen Murphy - General Domestic Servant

           
CURRENT
STATUS                 Extant and under refurbishment in 2017

CONTRIBUTOR    © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE                      May 2017