Mount Merrion sketch on NUI Galway website
Mount Merrion Demesne
NAME Mount Merrion Demesne/Mount Merrion Lodge
AREA Mount Merrion
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Mount Merrion
or Callery and it is annotated as Mount Merrion on both. It is also annotated as
Mount Merrion on Rocques, Duncan & Taylors map.
GENERAL Mount Merrion Lodge was built circa 1711 by Richard Fitzwilliam, the 5th Viscount.
The demesne consisted of about 300 acres but the original plans never came to
fruition and the house was quite a modest build. It was surrounded by an eight foot
high granite wall, parts of which still survive particularly on the Lower Kilmacud Road.
Being built on what was then known as Owenstown Hill it had a beautiful aspect and
was considered to be one of the best situated houses in Dublin with its unrivalled views
of Dublin Bay and the Wicklow Mountains. The stable block was also built around this
time and has been converted into apartments. The shell house, pump house and ice
house have not survived. The main house was converted to use as a chapel in the 1930's
and little of the 1767 house survived.
8100 trees were planted at Callary by Messrs John Reves and J Cooper in 1806 .
YEAR BUILT circa 1711
VALUATION Unknown
NUMBER OF 30 Rooms in 1901 and 23 Rooms in 1911
ROOMS
ARCHITECT Unknown
SOURCES Thom's, contemporaneous newspapers, Registry of Deeds, NAI census
and Wills & OSI Maps.
OCCUPANTS
1711 - 1727 5th Viscount Fitzwilliam (Des Smyth Lecture)
1732 - 1741 Hon John Wainwright, Judge
1741 - 1757 Robert Jocelyn
1759 Richard Matthew
1770 Dr Isaac Mann
1776 6th Viscount Fitzwilliam (Des Smyth Lecture)
1784 - 1786 Peter La Touche
1786 - 1793 John Fitzgibbon
1792 Richard 7th Viscount Fitzwilliam (Des Smyth Lecture)
1793 - 1827 Richard Verschoyle & his wife Barbara Fagan
1827 - 1837 Mrs Verschoyle
1838 - 1849 Cornelius Sullivan
1851 - 1895 John Edward Vernon
1895 - 1905 Thomas Talbot Power
1905 - 1917 Sir Nevile Rodwell Wilkinson & Lady Beatrix Herbert
1918 - 1919 Estate sold to Thomas John Wilson for 36K. The mansion house was
demised to his wife Helen Mabel Wilson for 99 years.
1928 First of Mount Merrion Garden City Estate bungalows are built
1935 John Kenny of Irish Homes purchased the estate from the liquidator.
1935 Mount Merrion House was acquired by the Catholic Church.
1936 House converted into a Catholic Chapel
1968
1976 Mount Merrion main house demolished
1990 Old lodge used as a store room.
Land Agents
1730 - 1761 Bryan Fagan
1761 - 1789 Elizabeth Fagan of Ushers Quay & Ushers Island
1789 - 1790 Barbara Fagan of Ushers Island
1790 - 1827 Mrs Verschoyle
1827 - 1849 Cornelius Sullivan
1851 - 1887 John Edward Vernon
1888 - 1919 Fane Vernon
HOUSE STAFF
1901 Mary Casey - Housemaid
Mary Cleary - Cook
Michael Wright - Butler
Marianne Lelden - Ladys maid
Arthur Arlott - Coachman
1911 Fanny Tierney - Upper Housemaid
Agnes Ardagh - Under Housemaid
1915 Nora Hallisey – Housemaid
1915 Nora Ryan - Servant
OUTDOOR STAFF
1860 - 1893 Mr Duncan Welsh - Gardener
1893 Patrick Darcy - (RIP - Labourer living at gatelodge)
1901 Edward Whelan - Labourer living in cottage 2
1901 - 1911 Robert Graydon - Gardener living in cottage 3
1901 Denis Byrne - Labourer living in cottage 4
1901 James Connor - Labourer living in cottage 5
1892 - 1925 George Thornton - Gardener/Workman/Carpenter living at Cottage 1 on Trees Road
1893 - 1916 Hugh Crawford - Gardener/Steward
1911 Charles Reilly - Farm Labourer living at Cottage 2
1911 Richard Kavanagh - Garden Assistant living in Cottage 3
CURRENT
STATUS Part of the 1767 build is incorporated into the Parish Centre
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE October 2017
For more information on Mount Merrion Demesne.
NAME Mount Merrion Demesne/Mount Merrion Lodge
AREA Mount Merrion
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Mount Merrion
or Callery and it is annotated as Mount Merrion on both. It is also annotated as
Mount Merrion on Rocques, Duncan & Taylors map.
GENERAL Mount Merrion Lodge was built circa 1711 by Richard Fitzwilliam, the 5th Viscount.
The demesne consisted of about 300 acres but the original plans never came to
fruition and the house was quite a modest build. It was surrounded by an eight foot
high granite wall, parts of which still survive particularly on the Lower Kilmacud Road.
Being built on what was then known as Owenstown Hill it had a beautiful aspect and
was considered to be one of the best situated houses in Dublin with its unrivalled views
of Dublin Bay and the Wicklow Mountains. The stable block was also built around this
time and has been converted into apartments. The shell house, pump house and ice
house have not survived. The main house was converted to use as a chapel in the 1930's
and little of the 1767 house survived.
8100 trees were planted at Callary by Messrs John Reves and J Cooper in 1806 .
YEAR BUILT circa 1711
VALUATION Unknown
NUMBER OF 30 Rooms in 1901 and 23 Rooms in 1911
ROOMS
ARCHITECT Unknown
SOURCES Thom's, contemporaneous newspapers, Registry of Deeds, NAI census
and Wills & OSI Maps.
OCCUPANTS
1711 - 1727 5th Viscount Fitzwilliam (Des Smyth Lecture)
1732 - 1741 Hon John Wainwright, Judge
1741 - 1757 Robert Jocelyn
1759 Richard Matthew
1770 Dr Isaac Mann
1776 6th Viscount Fitzwilliam (Des Smyth Lecture)
1784 - 1786 Peter La Touche
1786 - 1793 John Fitzgibbon
1792 Richard 7th Viscount Fitzwilliam (Des Smyth Lecture)
1793 - 1827 Richard Verschoyle & his wife Barbara Fagan
1827 - 1837 Mrs Verschoyle
1838 - 1849 Cornelius Sullivan
1851 - 1895 John Edward Vernon
1895 - 1905 Thomas Talbot Power
1905 - 1917 Sir Nevile Rodwell Wilkinson & Lady Beatrix Herbert
1918 - 1919 Estate sold to Thomas John Wilson for 36K. The mansion house was
demised to his wife Helen Mabel Wilson for 99 years.
1928 First of Mount Merrion Garden City Estate bungalows are built
1935 John Kenny of Irish Homes purchased the estate from the liquidator.
1935 Mount Merrion House was acquired by the Catholic Church.
1936 House converted into a Catholic Chapel
1968
1976 Mount Merrion main house demolished
1990 Old lodge used as a store room.
Land Agents
1730 - 1761 Bryan Fagan
1761 - 1789 Elizabeth Fagan of Ushers Quay & Ushers Island
1789 - 1790 Barbara Fagan of Ushers Island
1790 - 1827 Mrs Verschoyle
1827 - 1849 Cornelius Sullivan
1851 - 1887 John Edward Vernon
1888 - 1919 Fane Vernon
HOUSE STAFF
1901 Mary Casey - Housemaid
Mary Cleary - Cook
Michael Wright - Butler
Marianne Lelden - Ladys maid
Arthur Arlott - Coachman
1911 Fanny Tierney - Upper Housemaid
Agnes Ardagh - Under Housemaid
1915 Nora Hallisey – Housemaid
1915 Nora Ryan - Servant
OUTDOOR STAFF
1860 - 1893 Mr Duncan Welsh - Gardener
1893 Patrick Darcy - (RIP - Labourer living at gatelodge)
1901 Edward Whelan - Labourer living in cottage 2
1901 - 1911 Robert Graydon - Gardener living in cottage 3
1901 Denis Byrne - Labourer living in cottage 4
1901 James Connor - Labourer living in cottage 5
1892 - 1925 George Thornton - Gardener/Workman/Carpenter living at Cottage 1 on Trees Road
1893 - 1916 Hugh Crawford - Gardener/Steward
1911 Charles Reilly - Farm Labourer living at Cottage 2
1911 Richard Kavanagh - Garden Assistant living in Cottage 3
CURRENT
STATUS Part of the 1767 build is incorporated into the Parish Centre
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE October 2017
For more information on Mount Merrion Demesne.