Westbury
NAME Westbury, St. Philomena's home for the children of unmarried mothers,
Saint Philomena’s Primary School and Marillac Marillac secondary school.
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 East
and it is annotated as Westbury on both.
GENERAL An eighteenth Century house, two storey five bay with a cut stone ionic portico.
The house had a Pilkington heraldic window which has since been altered. Some internal original
features in the dining room and ballroom are still in existence (2016). The 'Chinese stove' pillars
entrance screen and railings which served both Clonmore and Westbury now serve as the entrance
to Stillorgan Wood housing estate. There were two gate lodges which are no longer extant. It would
have been one of the most imposing houses in the area, east facing with panoramic views of Dublin
bay. It may have had a tower at some point, which the Pilkingtons (ship owners) used as an eagle's
nest to watch out for their ships coming into port. This was possibly the Demesne of Kilmacud on
45 acres.
In 1931 it became a home for the children of unmarried mothers. County homes could send children
at a cosy of 12s 6d weekly.
YEAR BUILT Original house built circa 1760 rebuilt circa 1835
VALUATION In 1912 the valuation was 265 pounds and in the 1901 census it is noted as
having 24 rooms occupied by family.
ARCHITECT Unknown
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Wilson family in Surrey,
OSI Maps and NAI Census & Wills
OCCUPANTS
1835 - 1836 Edmund O’Beirne
1837 - 1857 Thomas Wilson
1858 - 1887 Joseph Wilson
1888 - 1919 Frederick C. Pilkington
1924 - 1931 William (Liam) Devlin
1931 Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul
1942 - 1960 Primary School known as Saint Philomena’s and the Secondary School as Marillac.
(130 boys housed here in 1960)
1971 Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and renamed St Raphaelas in 1977
1977 - to-date St Raphaela's Secondary School
STAFF
1849 Bernard Solan - Gate Keeper
1860 William Earl
1874 Mr Duffy - Labourer and daughter Anne RIP)
1875 Charles Hasell - Gardener
1878 Thomas Clarke
1889 Joseph Baker - Gardener
1893 John Murphy - Labourer (Living at gatelodge)
1893 Sarah Cullen - Servant
1894 Richard Cooper - Butler/Gardener
1866 - 1890 William Stuart - Stewart/Gardener
1890 Samuel Crowther - Coachman
1898 John Devlin - Yardman (living on site)
1899 - 1911 William Allen- Coachman
1900 Jeremiah Sutton - Gardener
1900 - 1931 Daniel James Cunningham - Gardener
1901 Bridget Shanley - Cook
John Meaney - Butler
Edward Gannon - Groom
Sarah Delany – 1st Housemaid
Laura Doney - Domestic
Mary Stepleton - Kitchen Maid
1906 John Henry Steer - Gardener
1904 - 1907 John Thornton - Gardener (Living in gatelodge)
1909 - 1911 William Hemplestall - Under gardener living on site
1911 William James McCabe - Gardener living on site
1911 John Meaney - Butler
Bridget Burke - Cook
Anne Gaffney - Kitchenmaid
Caroline Bill (Bell) - Professional Nurse
Lizzy Hagan - Housemaid
Mary Kennedy - Housemaid
1930 - 1963 Charles Gaskin - Labourer living as St Philomena's gatelodge on upper Kilmacud Road
1963 - 1978 Mrs Gaskin - Lodge opposite High Ridge Green (demolished in 1982)
CURRENT
STATUS Extant and in use as a part of St Raphaela's School.
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow/Karen Poff
DATE April 2017
NAME Westbury, St. Philomena's home for the children of unmarried mothers,
Saint Philomena’s Primary School and Marillac Marillac secondary school.
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 East
and it is annotated as Westbury on both.
GENERAL An eighteenth Century house, two storey five bay with a cut stone ionic portico.
The house had a Pilkington heraldic window which has since been altered. Some internal original
features in the dining room and ballroom are still in existence (2016). The 'Chinese stove' pillars
entrance screen and railings which served both Clonmore and Westbury now serve as the entrance
to Stillorgan Wood housing estate. There were two gate lodges which are no longer extant. It would
have been one of the most imposing houses in the area, east facing with panoramic views of Dublin
bay. It may have had a tower at some point, which the Pilkingtons (ship owners) used as an eagle's
nest to watch out for their ships coming into port. This was possibly the Demesne of Kilmacud on
45 acres.
In 1931 it became a home for the children of unmarried mothers. County homes could send children
at a cosy of 12s 6d weekly.
YEAR BUILT Original house built circa 1760 rebuilt circa 1835
VALUATION In 1912 the valuation was 265 pounds and in the 1901 census it is noted as
having 24 rooms occupied by family.
ARCHITECT Unknown
SOURCES Thom’s directories, contemporaneous newspapers, Wilson family in Surrey,
OSI Maps and NAI Census & Wills
OCCUPANTS
1835 - 1836 Edmund O’Beirne
1837 - 1857 Thomas Wilson
1858 - 1887 Joseph Wilson
1888 - 1919 Frederick C. Pilkington
1924 - 1931 William (Liam) Devlin
1931 Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul
1942 - 1960 Primary School known as Saint Philomena’s and the Secondary School as Marillac.
(130 boys housed here in 1960)
1971 Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and renamed St Raphaelas in 1977
1977 - to-date St Raphaela's Secondary School
STAFF
1849 Bernard Solan - Gate Keeper
1860 William Earl
1874 Mr Duffy - Labourer and daughter Anne RIP)
1875 Charles Hasell - Gardener
1878 Thomas Clarke
1889 Joseph Baker - Gardener
1893 John Murphy - Labourer (Living at gatelodge)
1893 Sarah Cullen - Servant
1894 Richard Cooper - Butler/Gardener
1866 - 1890 William Stuart - Stewart/Gardener
1890 Samuel Crowther - Coachman
1898 John Devlin - Yardman (living on site)
1899 - 1911 William Allen- Coachman
1900 Jeremiah Sutton - Gardener
1900 - 1931 Daniel James Cunningham - Gardener
1901 Bridget Shanley - Cook
John Meaney - Butler
Edward Gannon - Groom
Sarah Delany – 1st Housemaid
Laura Doney - Domestic
Mary Stepleton - Kitchen Maid
1906 John Henry Steer - Gardener
1904 - 1907 John Thornton - Gardener (Living in gatelodge)
1909 - 1911 William Hemplestall - Under gardener living on site
1911 William James McCabe - Gardener living on site
1911 John Meaney - Butler
Bridget Burke - Cook
Anne Gaffney - Kitchenmaid
Caroline Bill (Bell) - Professional Nurse
Lizzy Hagan - Housemaid
Mary Kennedy - Housemaid
1930 - 1963 Charles Gaskin - Labourer living as St Philomena's gatelodge on upper Kilmacud Road
1963 - 1978 Mrs Gaskin - Lodge opposite High Ridge Green (demolished in 1982)
CURRENT
STATUS Extant and in use as a part of St Raphaela's School.
CONTRIBUTOR © June Bow/Karen Poff
DATE April 2017