(c) 2016 Mount Merrion Historical Society
Mount Merrion House (Stillorgan Road)
By GERARD O'KELLY / Posted: October 28, 2014
There has always been confusion between Mount Merrion Lodge and Mount Merrion House.
In 1711, the Fifth Viscount Fitzwilliam vacated Merrion Castle, which was on the lands now accommodating the Home of the Blind, Merrion Gates, Merrion Road. He moved to Mount Merrion where he constructed Mount Merrion Lodge on an estate surrounded by an eight foot high granite wall. This Lodge is today part of the Mount Merrion Community Centre, off The Rise. For further details on the establishment and development of the Mount Merrion estate please visit our 'Local History' pages using this link.
Mount Merrion House on the other hand, was built in the early 19th Century outside the estate wall on land where the present Stillorgan Park Hotel stands on the Stillorgan Road. It was later enlarged by the addition of gabled wings and a fine portico in granite stone resulting in a fine Victorian mansion. It also had a beautiful garden that overlooked Blackrock and Dublin Bay. All these very expensive alterations were made by the Brudenell Family who were wealthy salesmasters in Smithfield in Dublin city. The interior of the house was decorated with gilded plasterwork, fine woodwork and stained glass windows. The house also contained a private oratory and a library with false doors and murals. A builder named M.P. Kennedy owned land nearby and built a number of fine houses on its grounds.
On 2nd September 1975, the State Funeral of Eamonn de Valera was photographed passing by Mount Merrion House. The photographs captured other elements of local interest that have since disappeared, i.e. to the right of the wing of Mount Merrion House can be seen a Texaco petrol sign. The associated garage and petrol station was originally owned by Mr. Jack O’Gorman and family who lived on The Rise.
The row of shops next to the garage were occupied by a Chemist (Mrs. O’Shea), a sweet shop (Mr. And Mrs. Bull), a butchers shop (Mr. Desmond McDonagh), a boot and shoe repairing service run by a Mr. Lennon and the next was a drapery shop run by a Mrs. Tew who lived on Sycamore Road. The last shop was a grocery shop. At the end of the row was the entrance to a large house called “The Gables” belonging to a Mr. and Mrs. Keegan. They had a mini farm in their grounds with a black Kerry cow for their own supply of milk.
The photographs can be viewed by clicking on this link. The collection includes images of the State Funeral of Garret Fitzgerald passing the same place in 2011, some 36 years later.
Mount Merrion House was demolished in 1986. Fact is sometimes stranger than fiction, Def Leopard filmed the video for the song 'Pour some sugar on me' while inside the house as the wrecking ball knocked the house around them!
By GERARD O'KELLY / Posted: October 28, 2014
There has always been confusion between Mount Merrion Lodge and Mount Merrion House.
In 1711, the Fifth Viscount Fitzwilliam vacated Merrion Castle, which was on the lands now accommodating the Home of the Blind, Merrion Gates, Merrion Road. He moved to Mount Merrion where he constructed Mount Merrion Lodge on an estate surrounded by an eight foot high granite wall. This Lodge is today part of the Mount Merrion Community Centre, off The Rise. For further details on the establishment and development of the Mount Merrion estate please visit our 'Local History' pages using this link.
Mount Merrion House on the other hand, was built in the early 19th Century outside the estate wall on land where the present Stillorgan Park Hotel stands on the Stillorgan Road. It was later enlarged by the addition of gabled wings and a fine portico in granite stone resulting in a fine Victorian mansion. It also had a beautiful garden that overlooked Blackrock and Dublin Bay. All these very expensive alterations were made by the Brudenell Family who were wealthy salesmasters in Smithfield in Dublin city. The interior of the house was decorated with gilded plasterwork, fine woodwork and stained glass windows. The house also contained a private oratory and a library with false doors and murals. A builder named M.P. Kennedy owned land nearby and built a number of fine houses on its grounds.
On 2nd September 1975, the State Funeral of Eamonn de Valera was photographed passing by Mount Merrion House. The photographs captured other elements of local interest that have since disappeared, i.e. to the right of the wing of Mount Merrion House can be seen a Texaco petrol sign. The associated garage and petrol station was originally owned by Mr. Jack O’Gorman and family who lived on The Rise.
The row of shops next to the garage were occupied by a Chemist (Mrs. O’Shea), a sweet shop (Mr. And Mrs. Bull), a butchers shop (Mr. Desmond McDonagh), a boot and shoe repairing service run by a Mr. Lennon and the next was a drapery shop run by a Mrs. Tew who lived on Sycamore Road. The last shop was a grocery shop. At the end of the row was the entrance to a large house called “The Gables” belonging to a Mr. and Mrs. Keegan. They had a mini farm in their grounds with a black Kerry cow for their own supply of milk.
The photographs can be viewed by clicking on this link. The collection includes images of the State Funeral of Garret Fitzgerald passing the same place in 2011, some 36 years later.
Mount Merrion House was demolished in 1986. Fact is sometimes stranger than fiction, Def Leopard filmed the video for the song 'Pour some sugar on me' while inside the house as the wrecking ball knocked the house around them!
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