St Helen's
NAME Seamount/St Helen's/The Radisson
AREA LOCATION Stillorgan dual carriage way (N11) facing Foster's Avenue.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of
Booterstown and it is annotated as St Helen's on both. It is on
Duncan's 1821 map and Taylors map of 1816 and Rocques's map
annotated as Seamount.
GENERAL A listed two storey, five bay classical house with a, centre pediment
carried on coupled Corinthian pilasters, and lower wings, which are single-storey on one
side and two-storey on the other. It has a cladding of Portland stone and a glass
conservatory with curved roof. The fourth gatelodge was shared with San Souci. The
garden is thought to have been originally designed by Nivian Nevin (the Victorian age
landscaper). The 1st Viscount Gough renamed the House St Helen's during his tenure
and employed John McCurdy to makes extensive alterations and additions so as 'to add
to the accommodations and comfort' in 1862/3. A beech tree planted in the garden had
a circular iron seat which was slowly subsumed by the tree. The garden also contained one
of the few old Mulberry trees in the locality.
The house was renovated again for Sir John Nutting when he purchased it in 1897 by English
architect William Douglas Caroe. It had four gatelodges, one of which was opposite St
Thomas's Church and another which as on Booterstown Avenue. By 1903 the house was the
location for parties and charity concerts with over 500 people sometimes in attendance to
hear Madame Alice Etsy or Melfort D'Alton sing, or a ball with Gottlieb's band in attendance.
The Nuttings were gracious hosts and they opened the gardens of their home for many
charitable events.
YEAR BUILT 1750
VALUATION In 1887 the valuation was 300L
ARCHITECT Unknown, alterations and additions by John McCurdy 1862/3 with
Messrs M Kennedy and sons the contractors. Renovated by William
Douglas Caroe in c1900.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, OSI maps, NAI Census & Wills, Registry of
Deeds and contemporaneous newspapers.
OCCUPANTS
1750 - 1754 Thomas Cooley - Barrister/MP for Duleek
1790 - 1819 Robert Alexander, JP, High Sherriff of Dublin, church warden of SS
Philip & James
1824 Chief Justice Dogherty
1829 Mrs Wall/Dara Quinn
1830 Rt Hon John Doherty (relative of Mrs. Wall) Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
1840 - 1851 Lieut Col Henry White (said to have changed name to St Helen after his wife Ellen?)
1851 - 1869 Sir Hugh Gough
1869 - 1897 Lord Viscount Gough
1897 - 1918 Sir John Gardiner Nutting
1918 - 1922 Sir Harold Nutting
1922 - 1925 Thomas Armstrong
1925 - 1988 Christian Brothers Novitiate
1988 Phoenix Properties
1989 British Developers Ltd
1989 Berland (Homes) Ltd
1997 The Cosgrave Group purchase for 2 Million to build a hotel
Todate The Radisson Hotel
STAFF
1849 Christopher Rivers - Gatekeeper
1857 Mr Phelan - Gardener
1865 - 1870 Mr Daniel Webley - Steward & Gardener (designed the Floral Indian Cross & St Patrick's jewel on the terrace)
1891 - 1896 Mr John H Cumming
1901 Mary Michele Williams - Governess
Margaret Callaghan - Kitchenmaid
Mary O'Dowd - Housemaid
Margaret Monaghan - Laundry maid
Kate Kehoe - Laundry maid
Mary Mullaly - Housemaid
Annie Mullaly - Housemaid
Marian Barrett - Lady's maid
Bridget Reynolds - Cook
Mary Kelly - Kitchenmaid
Mary Broe - Housemaid
Patrick Henson - Footman
Samuel Massey - Footman
Mary Gethin - Housemaid
1911 Laura Mara - Housemaid
Julia Maher - Housemaid
Kate Lynch - Housemaid
July Ivy - Housemaid
Margaret Murray - Kitchenmaid
Annie Kerch - Cook
Mary Cheevers - Scullery maid
Robert Williams Foster - Footman
Alfred Nolyouke - Footman
Jessie MacKensie - Lady's maid
Elizabeth Hudson - Kitchenmaid
c1905 James Masson
1897 - 1907 Edward Knowldin - Steward and gardener
1925 Edward Mason - Gardener
Michael & Frank Halpin - Front gatelodge opposite St Thomas' Church
CURRENT
STATUS Extant
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE April 2018
St Helen's gatelodge on Booterstown Avenue - Courtesy of Gerard O'Kelly