Roebuck Grove 1978 - Courtesy of Mike French (occupant in 1956)

Roebuck Grove 1978 awaiting demolition - Courtesy of Mike French

 
                                                                     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