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St Kevin's Park Holiday Home 1905
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Redesdale
Unknown photographer
Unknown photographer
NAME Belfield/Eden Castle/Ardrinn House/Redesdale/St Kevin's Park, St Kevins/St Annes
AREA LOCATION STILLORGAN, Kilmacud Road Upper on the section that runs from the Kilmacud
Road Lower to the junction at Stillorgan Heath.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Kilmacud west
it is annotated as Riddesdale and St Kevin's Park respectively. On older maps it is
called Eden Castle but is probably best known as 'Girlsville' - St Anne's Industrial
School. When Baron Smith lived at the house it was called Belfield.
GENERAL One of 4 houses on the lands owned or leased by the Archbold family. In 1756
John Archbold died and the lands and contents of the house were put up for sale by the Sheriff. The
land passed to Lt Col John Arabin. Mitford built a house for himself and called it Ardrinn House, which
was put up for sale in 1806. Three storey over basement with a D shaped curved return at the
rear of the property, the third storey was very low. The porch sported half moon windows.
Approached by a long avenue from the Lower Kilmacud Road via a gate lodge, it was the largest and
most expensive property in the area. A large semi-circular hall greeted the visitor with a wrought iron
balustraded staircase and four doors. Two doorways either side lead to reception rooms a third door
to a large oval room and the fourth to the main house. It had two gatelodges on the Kilmacud Road,
neither of which survive. In 1903 it stood on 80 acres and had 48 rooms when it was purchased by
the Roman Catholic Church. Initially it operated as a rest home for Catholic girls and ladies and by
1906 was offering residential courses in household management and domestic economy. It was
supported by the Department of Agriculture and became the Irish Training school of Domestic
Economy.
In 1943 Archbishop McQuaid tasked the Sisters of Charity of Refuge 'to run a home for younger girls
having gone through the courts on charge of having committed certain offences' and St Kevin's Park
became St Anne's Correctional Home (known locally as Girlsville). In 1944 Nancy was here for stealing
an engagement ring and glasses and Ellen Mary was committed for two years for trying to poison
her father. These homes were mainly used for girls who had sexual experience (abuse and rape
included) and took in girls as young as eight. In 1954 Justice McCarthy remarks gives some insight.
Two girls who were up on charges of house breaking and were placed in St Anne's. 'Kilmacud is an
unsuitable place for this type of crime... it is for a different type of girl and a different type of
offence.' 'It is a place for girls who show a tendency to certain weakness'.
William Downes (a market gardener) leased the cottage in the grounds and adjoining land from 1905
to the 1960s. Part of the walled garden remains in the new estate. He grew everything in the way of
fruit and vegetables and supplied the convent with fresh produce. He also grew illicit tobacco. This
was home to both Archbishop William (Magee) of Dublin and Archbishop Richard (Whately) of Dublin
as well as Sir John Mitford, Speaker of the House of Commons and an ancestor to Nancy, Pam, Diana,
Bobo, Decca & Debo better known as "The Mitford Girls". High Ridge Green off the upper Kilmacud
Road was built in the grounds of Redesdale and may be a nod to the old estate name of Ardrinn.
In 1997 the Sisters of Charity, having sold Linden, put this estate of 3.9 acres up for sale. An unusual
condition of the sale was that the new owners must demolish Redesdale House. It went to public
tender on 17 Jul 1997. The reason given for the sale was that they were moving out of residential care
into community based projects.
YEAR BUILT circa 1769, new house built circa 1803
VALUATION In 1912 the valuation was 258 pounds and in the 1901 census it is noted as having
30 rooms occupied by family.
ARCHITECT Robert Woodgate
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Parish records, Griffiths Valuation,
OSI maps and NAI Census & Wills.
OCCUPANTS
1681 -1756 Land held by the Archbolds
1756 Lt Col John Arabin
1777 - 1785 John Hendrick
1785 - 1799 Sir Michael Smith
1799 - 1806 John Freeman Mitford
1807 - 1817 Eden Castle School for female education.
1817 - 1823 For sale or Let
1826 - 1828 Garrett O'Moore
1830 - 1831 Rev William Magee
1831 - 1862 Archbishop of Dublin, His Grace Richard Whately
1862 - 1863 For Sale/Let - House built by Lord Redesdale as his residence.
1862 Walter Bourne
1867 - 1880 Mathew Jones
1880 - 1889 James Jones
1890 - 1891 Vacant
1893 - 1900 Sir Thomas Farrell - Sculptor & President RHA.
1901 Joseph Farrell
1903 - 1941 A Holiday House for Catholic Business Girls
(House on 80 acres with 48 rooms and renamed St Kevin's Park)
1904 - 1941 Irish Training school of Domestic Economy - Dublin Co Co later Department of Agriculture
1943 - 1973 Sisters of the Community of our Lady of Charity of Refuge
(St Anne’s Reformatory School - Girlsville)
1975 St Anne’s Day Care Centre
1976 St Michaels House Group - Sisters of Charity
1998 Redesdale House demolished in August
2000 Whately Place built on site
2021 Convent on site sold for €1,675,000
STAFF
1849 Michael Ryan - Gatekeeper
1867 Arthur Ebbs - Gardener, living at gatelodge
1890 Catherine Pender - Servant
1901 Annie McEvoy - General Domestic
1905 - 1911 William Downes - Gardener
1909 Miss S Perry -teacher
1911 Julia O'Keeffe - Matron
Elizabeth Annie Heptenstall - Teacher of Domestic Science
Ruth Perkin - Teacher of Domestic Science
Kathleen Corley - Teacher of Domestic Science
Annie Keegan - House Parlourmaid
Mary Keegan - Parlourmaid
Kate Mutrray - Housemaid
Kate Mulligan - Laundress
Margaret O'Connor - General Servant
Joanna Fare - Head Teacher
1923 - 1938 Miss C M Campbell - Teacher and later principal
1935 Christie Keogh - Labourer
CURRENT No Longer extant
STATUS
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE April 2017
AREA LOCATION STILLORGAN, Kilmacud Road Upper on the section that runs from the Kilmacud
Road Lower to the junction at Stillorgan Heath.
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Kilmacud west
it is annotated as Riddesdale and St Kevin's Park respectively. On older maps it is
called Eden Castle but is probably best known as 'Girlsville' - St Anne's Industrial
School. When Baron Smith lived at the house it was called Belfield.
GENERAL One of 4 houses on the lands owned or leased by the Archbold family. In 1756
John Archbold died and the lands and contents of the house were put up for sale by the Sheriff. The
land passed to Lt Col John Arabin. Mitford built a house for himself and called it Ardrinn House, which
was put up for sale in 1806. Three storey over basement with a D shaped curved return at the
rear of the property, the third storey was very low. The porch sported half moon windows.
Approached by a long avenue from the Lower Kilmacud Road via a gate lodge, it was the largest and
most expensive property in the area. A large semi-circular hall greeted the visitor with a wrought iron
balustraded staircase and four doors. Two doorways either side lead to reception rooms a third door
to a large oval room and the fourth to the main house. It had two gatelodges on the Kilmacud Road,
neither of which survive. In 1903 it stood on 80 acres and had 48 rooms when it was purchased by
the Roman Catholic Church. Initially it operated as a rest home for Catholic girls and ladies and by
1906 was offering residential courses in household management and domestic economy. It was
supported by the Department of Agriculture and became the Irish Training school of Domestic
Economy.
In 1943 Archbishop McQuaid tasked the Sisters of Charity of Refuge 'to run a home for younger girls
having gone through the courts on charge of having committed certain offences' and St Kevin's Park
became St Anne's Correctional Home (known locally as Girlsville). In 1944 Nancy was here for stealing
an engagement ring and glasses and Ellen Mary was committed for two years for trying to poison
her father. These homes were mainly used for girls who had sexual experience (abuse and rape
included) and took in girls as young as eight. In 1954 Justice McCarthy remarks gives some insight.
Two girls who were up on charges of house breaking and were placed in St Anne's. 'Kilmacud is an
unsuitable place for this type of crime... it is for a different type of girl and a different type of
offence.' 'It is a place for girls who show a tendency to certain weakness'.
William Downes (a market gardener) leased the cottage in the grounds and adjoining land from 1905
to the 1960s. Part of the walled garden remains in the new estate. He grew everything in the way of
fruit and vegetables and supplied the convent with fresh produce. He also grew illicit tobacco. This
was home to both Archbishop William (Magee) of Dublin and Archbishop Richard (Whately) of Dublin
as well as Sir John Mitford, Speaker of the House of Commons and an ancestor to Nancy, Pam, Diana,
Bobo, Decca & Debo better known as "The Mitford Girls". High Ridge Green off the upper Kilmacud
Road was built in the grounds of Redesdale and may be a nod to the old estate name of Ardrinn.
In 1997 the Sisters of Charity, having sold Linden, put this estate of 3.9 acres up for sale. An unusual
condition of the sale was that the new owners must demolish Redesdale House. It went to public
tender on 17 Jul 1997. The reason given for the sale was that they were moving out of residential care
into community based projects.
YEAR BUILT circa 1769, new house built circa 1803
VALUATION In 1912 the valuation was 258 pounds and in the 1901 census it is noted as having
30 rooms occupied by family.
ARCHITECT Robert Woodgate
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Parish records, Griffiths Valuation,
OSI maps and NAI Census & Wills.
OCCUPANTS
1681 -1756 Land held by the Archbolds
1756 Lt Col John Arabin
1777 - 1785 John Hendrick
1785 - 1799 Sir Michael Smith
1799 - 1806 John Freeman Mitford
1807 - 1817 Eden Castle School for female education.
1817 - 1823 For sale or Let
1826 - 1828 Garrett O'Moore
1830 - 1831 Rev William Magee
1831 - 1862 Archbishop of Dublin, His Grace Richard Whately
1862 - 1863 For Sale/Let - House built by Lord Redesdale as his residence.
1862 Walter Bourne
1867 - 1880 Mathew Jones
1880 - 1889 James Jones
1890 - 1891 Vacant
1893 - 1900 Sir Thomas Farrell - Sculptor & President RHA.
1901 Joseph Farrell
1903 - 1941 A Holiday House for Catholic Business Girls
(House on 80 acres with 48 rooms and renamed St Kevin's Park)
1904 - 1941 Irish Training school of Domestic Economy - Dublin Co Co later Department of Agriculture
1943 - 1973 Sisters of the Community of our Lady of Charity of Refuge
(St Anne’s Reformatory School - Girlsville)
1975 St Anne’s Day Care Centre
1976 St Michaels House Group - Sisters of Charity
1998 Redesdale House demolished in August
2000 Whately Place built on site
2021 Convent on site sold for €1,675,000
STAFF
1849 Michael Ryan - Gatekeeper
1867 Arthur Ebbs - Gardener, living at gatelodge
1890 Catherine Pender - Servant
1901 Annie McEvoy - General Domestic
1905 - 1911 William Downes - Gardener
1909 Miss S Perry -teacher
1911 Julia O'Keeffe - Matron
Elizabeth Annie Heptenstall - Teacher of Domestic Science
Ruth Perkin - Teacher of Domestic Science
Kathleen Corley - Teacher of Domestic Science
Annie Keegan - House Parlourmaid
Mary Keegan - Parlourmaid
Kate Mutrray - Housemaid
Kate Mulligan - Laundress
Margaret O'Connor - General Servant
Joanna Fare - Head Teacher
1923 - 1938 Miss C M Campbell - Teacher and later principal
1935 Christie Keogh - Labourer
CURRENT No Longer extant
STATUS
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE April 2017