Roebuck House
NAME Grove House/Roebuck House/Roebuck Grove
AREA LOCATION Within the UCD Campus
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of Roebuck
it is annotated at Roebuck House and Roebuck Grove respectively and is also
visible on Taylor's map of 1816.
GENERAL The house name was changed from Roebuck House to Roebuck Grove in 1856.
A square Georgian 3 bay house (on entrance front), two storey over basement with attic floor at rear,
4 bays on 3 other sides with an entrance from both Clonskeagh Road and Roebuck Road. It was set
in parkland with distant views of Howth Head and featured Adams Fireplaces and classical
plasterwork, possibly the work of stuccadore and builder, Michael Stapleton.
In 1956 Harry G French, an American diplomat assigned to Dublin, leased the house from Captain
and Mrs Stewart who had decided to spend a year in Spain.
The lands also contained a gatelodge and a 5 room tin roofed wooden cottage when sold in 1962. The
property had a stream running through it which now feeds the water features in UCD Campus.
YEAR BUILT Circa 1792
VALUATION In 1901 the rateable valuation was 167 pounds.
NUMBER OF
ROOMS On the 1911 census it is noted as having 27 rooms occupied by family.
ARCHITECT The architect is thought to be Vincent Waldré.
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Registry of Deeds,
OSI Maps, NAI Census & Wills and Mike French.
OCCUPANTS
1783 Lord Trimlestown - no house on the land.
1792 John Robinson
1820 - 1823 Mr Peter La Touche
1824 - 1828 John Goddard Richards
1829 - 1856 Sir John Power
1856 For sale by executors of Sir John Power on 31 acres
1856 - 1874 Rt Hon Abraham Brewster
1875 - 1878 For Sale
1876 - 1877 Thomas Crozier
1880 - 1886 David Coffey
1890 - 1914 Sir Christopher & Lady Nixon
1915 - 1922 Lady Nixon
1920 For Sale on 35 Statute acres
1924 - 1953 Anthony (Tony) Riddell Martin (Racehorse trainer of Ardmulchan House)
1955 Captain A G Stewart
1956 Harry G French, an American diplomat assigned to Dublin
1961 A Riddlell Martin
1962 Purchased by UCD for 66K
1978 Vacant
1980 Demolished
STAFF
1865 Mr Downey - gardener
1911 Mary O'Shaughnessy - Domestic Servant
Patrick Kelly - Domestic Servant
1920 Margaret Sherridan - Domestic Servant
CURRENT
STATUS No longer extant
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow/Karen Poff
DATE April 2019, updated January 2020