Photograph courtesy of Dawn Hockett
Somerset House
NAME SUMMERSEAT/SOMERSET HOUSE
AREA LOCATION Blackrock, Stradbrook
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of
Mountashton and it is annotated as Somerset on both. On Taylor
1816 and Duncan 1821 is annotated as Summerseat.
GENERAL A bow ended Georgian house with a single gatelodge it had a particularly fine
door and doorcase. Two storey over basement, it was four bay with an off centre Georgian door
case. In 1884 the leasehold interest was for sale on 8 Irish acres. It had a large entrance hall, three
reception rooms and six bedrooms. Kitchen, servants rooms, cellars and stores were in the
basement. It has a walled garden for fruit and vegetables and a lawn to the front. Outside offices
were within a walled yard and included a two storey stables, lofts, coach house, cart shed, man's room
and cow and poultry houses. It has a spring well with a pump. In 1905 the house was set on 10
acres with gardens, pleasure grounds and fields.
.
YEAR BUILT circa 1790
VALUATION No valuation found. In the 1901 census it is noted as having 30 rooms occupied by the
family.
ARCHITECT Unknown
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Griffiths Valuation, NAI Census &
Wills and OSI Maps
OCCUPANTS
1790 The Bourkes, Earls of Mayo
1804 For Sale the residence of Mrs Francis
1810 - 1847 William Disney
1848 For Sale
1851 - 1863 James J Miley
1864 - 1868 Mrs Miley
1869 - 1870 William Johnston
1871 - 1884 Mrs Johnston
1887 - 1901 T C McCormick
1901 George Cecil Pim
1905 For let and furniture sold
1906 - 1910 Starkie family
1912 - 1921 James Ganley
1921 - 1926 Mrs Florence McKenzie
1935 Vacant
1939 - 1940 Robert Briscoe, TD
1962 For sale by Mrs S B McCormick
1987 Demolished
1988 Blackrock College Rugby Football Club pitch
STAFF
1849 James McKernal - Gatekeeper
1901 Alice Rees - Governess
Ellen Rowley - Cook
Martha Gray - Parlourmaid
1895 - 1901 Alice Kenaghan - Housemaid to the McCormick family
CURRENT No longer extant
STATUS
CONTRIBUTORS © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE Jan 2019
NAME SUMMERSEAT/SOMERSET HOUSE
AREA LOCATION Blackrock, Stradbrook
MAP LOCATION OSI maps of 1838-1845 and 1898-1913 place it in the townland of
Mountashton and it is annotated as Somerset on both. On Taylor
1816 and Duncan 1821 is annotated as Summerseat.
GENERAL A bow ended Georgian house with a single gatelodge it had a particularly fine
door and doorcase. Two storey over basement, it was four bay with an off centre Georgian door
case. In 1884 the leasehold interest was for sale on 8 Irish acres. It had a large entrance hall, three
reception rooms and six bedrooms. Kitchen, servants rooms, cellars and stores were in the
basement. It has a walled garden for fruit and vegetables and a lawn to the front. Outside offices
were within a walled yard and included a two storey stables, lofts, coach house, cart shed, man's room
and cow and poultry houses. It has a spring well with a pump. In 1905 the house was set on 10
acres with gardens, pleasure grounds and fields.
.
YEAR BUILT circa 1790
VALUATION No valuation found. In the 1901 census it is noted as having 30 rooms occupied by the
family.
ARCHITECT Unknown
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Griffiths Valuation, NAI Census &
Wills and OSI Maps
OCCUPANTS
1790 The Bourkes, Earls of Mayo
1804 For Sale the residence of Mrs Francis
1810 - 1847 William Disney
1848 For Sale
1851 - 1863 James J Miley
1864 - 1868 Mrs Miley
1869 - 1870 William Johnston
1871 - 1884 Mrs Johnston
1887 - 1901 T C McCormick
1901 George Cecil Pim
1905 For let and furniture sold
1906 - 1910 Starkie family
1912 - 1921 James Ganley
1921 - 1926 Mrs Florence McKenzie
1935 Vacant
1939 - 1940 Robert Briscoe, TD
1962 For sale by Mrs S B McCormick
1987 Demolished
1988 Blackrock College Rugby Football Club pitch
STAFF
1849 James McKernal - Gatekeeper
1901 Alice Rees - Governess
Ellen Rowley - Cook
Martha Gray - Parlourmaid
1895 - 1901 Alice Kenaghan - Housemaid to the McCormick family
CURRENT No longer extant
STATUS
CONTRIBUTORS © June Bow & Karen Poff
DATE Jan 2019