Rear of Obelisk Park courtesy of Michael Goodbody
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Front view of Obelisk Park courtesy of Michael Goodbody
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Obelisk Park
NAME Swan Hill House/Obelisk/Obelisk Park/Obelisk Park House
AREA LOCATION STILLORGAN, entry from Obelisk walk via Obelisk Avenue off
Stillorgan Park.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of
Stillorgan Park and it is annotated as Obelisk Park on both maps.
It also appears on Taylor's map of 1816 and is marked as Swan Hill.
GENERAL Swan Hill, a square house built c1789 on 13 acres leased from the
Earl of Carysfort by Richard Sinclair. The house was extended c1800 and named Swan
Hill circa 1808 when the Swans moved in. Graves Chamley Swan was confirmed as land
agent to the de Vesci family in 1806 and appointed the Receiver-General of the Post
Office in 1808.
In 1829, after the death of Graves Chamney Swan, the house was 'For let' marketed as
a 'splendid county house on 19 acres on which the obelisk stands with 8 acres set in
lawns'. The new owners renamed it Obelisk Park House. The house was remodelled
and extended in 1868, possibly to a design by Sir Thomas Drew and the monogram of
the Goodbody family added above the door. It had two gatelodges, one opposite Rose
Hill and the other opposite Newtown Park, neither survive.
For a more in-depth history of the house - Rob Goodbody - Obelisk Park.
YEAR BUILT circa 1789
VALUATION In 1912 the valuation was 55 pounds and in the 1901 census it is
noted as having 21 rooms occupied by family.
ARCHITECT Unknown.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, NAI Census & Wills,
Registry of Deeds and OSI Maps.
OCCUPANTS
1789 Richard Sinclair
1790 John Moore (Dep. Registrar of Deeds)
1798 George Fox
1799 Joshua Dixon
1800 James Davis sold/transferred to a family member
1804 - 1808 Rev John Reade
1808 - 1829 Graves Chamney Swan
1829 - 1846 James & Henry Perry
1849 - 1858 James Perry
1859 - 1864 Herbert Manders
1865 - 1867 Marcus Goodbody
1868 - 1873 William J Perry
1874 - 1876 Marcus Goodbody
1887 - 1900 Henry Perry Goodbody/Mrs. Goodbody
1887 - 1903 Hannah Goodbody
1903 - 1923 Henrietta Goodbody
1923 - 1930 St John of God Brothers - Convalescent Home
1930 todate St John of God Brothers – St Augustines
STAFF
1840s Elizabeth Mulvany
1859 - 1861 W O'Toole - Gardener
1864 Dora Caldbeck - Seamstress & Servant
1863 Mr Mason
1868 Peter McMahon - Gardener
1871 George King - Coachman
1897 Mary Glynn - Housemaid
1900 - 1920 Samuel Davies - Gardener
1901 Mary Gorman - Housemaid
Kate Moran - Kitchenmaid
Alice Walker - Housemaid
Jane Jenkinson - Cook
Martha Hutchinson - Dairymaid
Julia Flynn - Housemaid
1911 Caroline Rowland - Cook
Julia Flynn - Housemaid
Susan Lamb - Housemaid
Jane Henry - Scullery maid
Margaret Hardigan - Kitchenmaid
George Barrett - Footman
Bridget Byrne - Laundress
Mary H Byrne - Under Launderer
Joseph Alexander - Butler
John Jolly - Gardener
1911 - 1913 Henrietta Wright - Housemaid
1917 Morton Kells - Gardener
1921 J Gibb - Gardener
1920 James Alexander - Butler
Miss Higgins - Governess
CURRENT
STATUS Extant
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE May 2017
NAME Swan Hill House/Obelisk/Obelisk Park/Obelisk Park House
AREA LOCATION STILLORGAN, entry from Obelisk walk via Obelisk Avenue off
Stillorgan Park.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of
Stillorgan Park and it is annotated as Obelisk Park on both maps.
It also appears on Taylor's map of 1816 and is marked as Swan Hill.
GENERAL Swan Hill, a square house built c1789 on 13 acres leased from the
Earl of Carysfort by Richard Sinclair. The house was extended c1800 and named Swan
Hill circa 1808 when the Swans moved in. Graves Chamley Swan was confirmed as land
agent to the de Vesci family in 1806 and appointed the Receiver-General of the Post
Office in 1808.
In 1829, after the death of Graves Chamney Swan, the house was 'For let' marketed as
a 'splendid county house on 19 acres on which the obelisk stands with 8 acres set in
lawns'. The new owners renamed it Obelisk Park House. The house was remodelled
and extended in 1868, possibly to a design by Sir Thomas Drew and the monogram of
the Goodbody family added above the door. It had two gatelodges, one opposite Rose
Hill and the other opposite Newtown Park, neither survive.
For a more in-depth history of the house - Rob Goodbody - Obelisk Park.
YEAR BUILT circa 1789
VALUATION In 1912 the valuation was 55 pounds and in the 1901 census it is
noted as having 21 rooms occupied by family.
ARCHITECT Unknown.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, NAI Census & Wills,
Registry of Deeds and OSI Maps.
OCCUPANTS
1789 Richard Sinclair
1790 John Moore (Dep. Registrar of Deeds)
1798 George Fox
1799 Joshua Dixon
1800 James Davis sold/transferred to a family member
1804 - 1808 Rev John Reade
1808 - 1829 Graves Chamney Swan
1829 - 1846 James & Henry Perry
1849 - 1858 James Perry
1859 - 1864 Herbert Manders
1865 - 1867 Marcus Goodbody
1868 - 1873 William J Perry
1874 - 1876 Marcus Goodbody
1887 - 1900 Henry Perry Goodbody/Mrs. Goodbody
1887 - 1903 Hannah Goodbody
1903 - 1923 Henrietta Goodbody
1923 - 1930 St John of God Brothers - Convalescent Home
1930 todate St John of God Brothers – St Augustines
STAFF
1840s Elizabeth Mulvany
1859 - 1861 W O'Toole - Gardener
1864 Dora Caldbeck - Seamstress & Servant
1863 Mr Mason
1868 Peter McMahon - Gardener
1871 George King - Coachman
1897 Mary Glynn - Housemaid
1900 - 1920 Samuel Davies - Gardener
1901 Mary Gorman - Housemaid
Kate Moran - Kitchenmaid
Alice Walker - Housemaid
Jane Jenkinson - Cook
Martha Hutchinson - Dairymaid
Julia Flynn - Housemaid
1911 Caroline Rowland - Cook
Julia Flynn - Housemaid
Susan Lamb - Housemaid
Jane Henry - Scullery maid
Margaret Hardigan - Kitchenmaid
George Barrett - Footman
Bridget Byrne - Laundress
Mary H Byrne - Under Launderer
Joseph Alexander - Butler
John Jolly - Gardener
1911 - 1913 Henrietta Wright - Housemaid
1917 Morton Kells - Gardener
1921 J Gibb - Gardener
1920 James Alexander - Butler
Miss Higgins - Governess
CURRENT
STATUS Extant
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE May 2017