Rear of Mount Merrion - Photograph courtesy of R Cribbon
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Front door & porch of Mount Merrion - Photograph courtesy of R Cribbon
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Mount Merrion
NAME Mount Merrion
AREA LOCATION STILLORGAN, Dublin Road (N11) on the site of what is now the Talbot Hotel.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of
Merrion and it is annotated as Mount Merrion on both.
GENERAL It is believed that Mount Merrion was built In the early 1800's for William Murphy.
The house was much enlarged in the late 1850's with two gabled wings and a granite portico added,
possibly the work of John Skipton Mulvany. It was surrounded by a large plain garden and parkland
and had a view of Dublin Bay and Blackrock. The house was decorated in high Victorian fashion and
had a large library with hidden doors and hand painted murals, its plasterwork and woodwork were
considered to be very fine. A small oratory was also installed for private worship.
In the early 1900's the house was split in two and it became Hopetoun House and Mount Merrion
(house). In 1952/3 Hopetoun House was for sale on 3 acres, described as a secluded semi-detached
house with a short drive and a gatelodge at it's entrance. The frontage to the Stillorgan road was
walled. In 1961 the South County Hotel was opened on the site and Mount Merrion (House) was used
as staff quarters for a time. Keane's Mount Merrion Motors and M McCarry Newsagents were adjacent
as was Dr Cribbon, dentist.
In 1986 the hotel rebranded, Mount Merrion was demolished and the hotel was expanded. This in
part may have been due to the tragic death of Donegal born hotel maid Theresa Gallagher who was
murdered at the staff accommodation in 1980.
Parkes Hotel, which covered much of the original site of Mount Merrion House, ran The Coconut
Grove, The Peppermint Garden Restaurant and Flamingos Nightclub followed by the LA Cafe.
The hotel was auctioned in 1994 and achieved the highest price ever for a hotel - 3.6 million
and further extended.
YEAR BUILT circa 1818
VALUATION In 1885 the valuation was 110 pounds and in the 1901 census it is noted
as having 30 rooms occupied by family.
ARCHITECT
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Griffiths Valuation, OSI
maps, Griffith's Valuation and NAI Census & Wills
OCCUPANTS
1818 - 1849 William Murphy
1849 - 1852 John William Murphy
1849 - 1860 James Murphy & Margaret Murphy
1860 - 1885 William Murphy
1885 - 1909 William Brudenell Murphy
1909 House split and part becomes Hopetoun House
1909 - 1939 Reginald Brudenell Murphy
1932 House for sale
1935 - 1956 William Harolen Hildebrand - Hopetoun House
1952 - 1953 Hopetoun For Sale on 3 acres
1956 - 1961 William Noel Bennett, MRCVS - Hopetoun House
1961 South County Hotel built in the grounds by Hopetoun Holdings (PV Doyle)
1962 Ownership transferred to Odeon (Ireland) Ltd
1986 Mount Merrion House demolished
1987 Sean Quinn
1994 Brennan & Pettit
STAFF
1849 Thomas Mulvey - Gatekeeper
1852 -1862 Patrick & Anna Woods (the Woods family served the Murphy family for over 80 years)
1875 Christopher Bermingham - Land Stewart (RIP)
1901 Nora Lyons - Housemaid
Annie Conroy - Kitchenmaid
George Clancy - Butler
John Doogan - Groom
John McCormick - Gardener
Margaret Conroy - Cook
1907 - 1911 Lizzy Morgan - Kitchenmaid
1911 Anne Lyons - Housemaid
Ellen Conroy - Housemaid
Bridget O'Connor -Parlourmaid
Molly Cahill - Cook
CURRENT
STATUS No longer extant
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE 20 March 2018
AREA LOCATION STILLORGAN, Dublin Road (N11) on the site of what is now the Talbot Hotel.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of
Merrion and it is annotated as Mount Merrion on both.
GENERAL It is believed that Mount Merrion was built In the early 1800's for William Murphy.
The house was much enlarged in the late 1850's with two gabled wings and a granite portico added,
possibly the work of John Skipton Mulvany. It was surrounded by a large plain garden and parkland
and had a view of Dublin Bay and Blackrock. The house was decorated in high Victorian fashion and
had a large library with hidden doors and hand painted murals, its plasterwork and woodwork were
considered to be very fine. A small oratory was also installed for private worship.
In the early 1900's the house was split in two and it became Hopetoun House and Mount Merrion
(house). In 1952/3 Hopetoun House was for sale on 3 acres, described as a secluded semi-detached
house with a short drive and a gatelodge at it's entrance. The frontage to the Stillorgan road was
walled. In 1961 the South County Hotel was opened on the site and Mount Merrion (House) was used
as staff quarters for a time. Keane's Mount Merrion Motors and M McCarry Newsagents were adjacent
as was Dr Cribbon, dentist.
In 1986 the hotel rebranded, Mount Merrion was demolished and the hotel was expanded. This in
part may have been due to the tragic death of Donegal born hotel maid Theresa Gallagher who was
murdered at the staff accommodation in 1980.
Parkes Hotel, which covered much of the original site of Mount Merrion House, ran The Coconut
Grove, The Peppermint Garden Restaurant and Flamingos Nightclub followed by the LA Cafe.
The hotel was auctioned in 1994 and achieved the highest price ever for a hotel - 3.6 million
and further extended.
YEAR BUILT circa 1818
VALUATION In 1885 the valuation was 110 pounds and in the 1901 census it is noted
as having 30 rooms occupied by family.
ARCHITECT
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Griffiths Valuation, OSI
maps, Griffith's Valuation and NAI Census & Wills
OCCUPANTS
1818 - 1849 William Murphy
1849 - 1852 John William Murphy
1849 - 1860 James Murphy & Margaret Murphy
1860 - 1885 William Murphy
1885 - 1909 William Brudenell Murphy
1909 House split and part becomes Hopetoun House
1909 - 1939 Reginald Brudenell Murphy
1932 House for sale
1935 - 1956 William Harolen Hildebrand - Hopetoun House
1952 - 1953 Hopetoun For Sale on 3 acres
1956 - 1961 William Noel Bennett, MRCVS - Hopetoun House
1961 South County Hotel built in the grounds by Hopetoun Holdings (PV Doyle)
1962 Ownership transferred to Odeon (Ireland) Ltd
1986 Mount Merrion House demolished
1987 Sean Quinn
1994 Brennan & Pettit
STAFF
1849 Thomas Mulvey - Gatekeeper
1852 -1862 Patrick & Anna Woods (the Woods family served the Murphy family for over 80 years)
1875 Christopher Bermingham - Land Stewart (RIP)
1901 Nora Lyons - Housemaid
Annie Conroy - Kitchenmaid
George Clancy - Butler
John Doogan - Groom
John McCormick - Gardener
Margaret Conroy - Cook
1907 - 1911 Lizzy Morgan - Kitchenmaid
1911 Anne Lyons - Housemaid
Ellen Conroy - Housemaid
Bridget O'Connor -Parlourmaid
Molly Cahill - Cook
CURRENT
STATUS No longer extant
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE 20 March 2018