Mount Merrion
Encyclopedia
Mount Merrion is an area of Dublin, Ireland
. It is roughly 7 kilometres (5 mi) south of the city centre. It is situated on and around a hill of the same name.
. With its close proximity to University College Dublin
at Belfield, many students live in the area.
The district is in the Dublin South
electoral constituency, and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
County (following the abolition of County Dublin
as an administrative division of the state).
Public transport is provided by Dublin Bus
on routes 5, 7b, 7d, 10a, 17, 46a, 46n, 47, 63, 84, 116, 118, 145 and 746.
The nearest DART
station to Mount Merrion is Blackrock
, while the nearest Luas
stations are Kilmacud
and Stillorgan on the Green line.
The Aircoach
services to Dublin Airport from Greystones calls at South Hill Avenue en route to the airport
:
Between the Convent of Mount Anville, above Dundrum, and the broad high road which leads to Stillorgan, rises the wooded hill of Mount Merrion, the centre of the landscape over Dublin Bay, which gradually becomes defined as the opalescent mists of the Irish sunrise fade away.
It is a landscape known to every visitor to Ireland who has stood on deck as the Holyhead mail steamer passes the Kish lightship. Around the wood some 1.2 km² (300 acres) of the richest grazing land in County Dublin slope gently to the high stone wall which surrounds the demesne. To the south and south-west the horizon is bounded by the swelling outline of the Wicklow and Dublin Hills. To the north the long low line of the Mourne Mountains, 100 kilometres (60 mi) and more away, are clearly visible when recent rains have left the washed air clear, while the islands of Lambay and Ireland's Eye give an added beauty to the sea-scape which lies beyond the wind-blown causeway which leads on and up to the rhododendron covered slopes above the ancient castle of Howth.
A double avenue of beech trees shades the roadway which runs, straight as a rule, for a full quarter of a mile to the entrance gates on the Stillorgan Road. This roadway, whose immaculate pebbled surface was raked daily, had a broad border of century old shaven turf, the pride of the Scottish gardener; so tended, brushed and rolled was it in those days that the most careless visitor would have hesitated to sully the velvety perfection of the surface with a profane foot. Yet the gardener, his voice, with its rich Highland brogue quivering with fury at the bare recollection, would tell how a distinguished citizen of Dublin, having ridden to pay his respects to his lordship, had, on departing, cantered gaily down the sacred border, divots flying from his horse's heels; so that the whole length was scarred and pitted with hoofmarks, as though the plague had passed over it, and it was only after months of patient labour that the unbroken serenity of the surface was restored.
Fitzwilliam family in the 14th century. The family was originally based in Dundrum
having came to Ireland in the year 1210. In the 1900s, the lands were built up as a residential area.
The Fitzwilliams built a castle on the lands at Merrion which are today the property of the Sisters of Charity
and St Mary's Home and School for the Blind. Merrion features on the 1598 map "A Modern Depiction of Ireland, One of the British Isles" by Abraham Ortelius
as "Mergon".
By 1710, the castle was in such a bad state of repair that Richard, the 5th Viscount Fitzwilliam, selected 100 acres (0.4 km²) on which he built Mount Merrion House, surrounding the house by an 8 feet (2.4 m) granite wall. The house was completed in 1711 and served as a new seat by the 5th Viscount Fitzwilliam on the hill at Mount Merrion. The Fitzwilliam family left for England around 1726. Although the family no longer lived in Mount Merrion House, they retained possession of it, and rented the house out.
The next Fitzwilliam to take a major interest in Mount Merrion was Richard, the 7th Viscount, who remained a bachelor all his life. It was he who willed £100,000 to build the Founders Museum in Cambridge, his former university. Prior to his death in 1816, he bequeathed his vast estates to his cousin, the 11th Earl of Pembroke
. Mount Merrion was occupied for a time by Lord Herbert of Lea
, and later by Sir Neville Wilkinson
, from 1903 to 1914.
On first edition OSI Maps (early to mid 19th century) the townland is named 'Mount Merrion or Callary', and that name is still in evidenced by Callary Road which runs to the east of Foster Ave.
pitches and Deerpark Tennis Club) and landscaped land for more informal pursuits. Its location and altitude also provide it with a great view of Dublin city towards the north, which is often used by photographers for panoramas and also by developers to assess the impact of development on the cityscape. Crowds also gather in Deerpark to look out at the annual Skyfest
fireworks display around St. Patricks Weekend
which is sometimes held in Dublin city centre. It can also be a good vantage point for observing the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis
, when they are visible in the Dublin area. There is also a view of parts of the Dublin mountains to the south. It is claimed that Strongbow
's white stallion is buried somewhere in Deer Park.
"Perhaps the most interesting remaining part of the 18th century development is the landscape element. The present Deerpark is a public park to the west of the house and included a wooded area which corresponds exactly to the walled woodland area laid out with radial paths shown on the earliest map (1757). The position of the 'gazebo' is now a platform with an assembly of cut stone elements lying on the ground, the origin of the material is not known to me. I believe that the radial form of the landscape can still be detected and consider that this may offer scope for an exercise in landscape conservation." (from historical research, carried out by Denis Cogan, 1999)
See also: "Mount Merrion: 1711-2011", by local historian, Joe Curtis.
The club participates in the Dublin Lawn Tennis Council (DLTC) Leagues in the greater Dublin area. These include Winter League, Summer League, Floodlit & Senior Leagues.
Deerpark opened its new clubhouse in August 2010, which is looked after on a day-to-day basis by Head Coach/Centre Manager Ciaran Redmond. The club's Junior Tennis Programme features coaching, social competitions and league participation.
In 2005 the club recorded its biggest success to date when its under 18s representatives won the Leinster Football Association Youths' Cup.
Also deer park has recently opened up a new playground.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It is roughly 7 kilometres (5 mi) south of the city centre. It is situated on and around a hill of the same name.
Location and access
Mount Merrion is 3 kilometres (2 mi) southwest of the area known as Merrion and 5.6 km west of Dún LaoghaireDún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
. With its close proximity to University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
at Belfield, many students live in the area.
The district is in the Dublin South
Dublin South (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin South is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...
electoral constituency, and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. Located to the south-east of Dublin city, its county seat is the town of Dún Laoghaire. It is one of the four constituent parts of the Dublin Region...
County (following the abolition of County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
as an administrative division of the state).
Transport
The main artery through the area is the N11 dual carriageway.Public transport is provided by Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus is a public transport operator in Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of 172 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes and 18 night routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. The company, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is...
on routes 5, 7b, 7d, 10a, 17, 46a, 46n, 47, 63, 84, 116, 118, 145 and 746.
The nearest DART
Dublin Area Rapid Transit
The Dublin Area Rapid Transit is part of the suburban railway network in Ireland, running mainly along the coastline of Dublin Bay on the Trans-Dublin route, from Greystones in County Wicklow, through Dublin to Howth and Malahide in County Dublin.Trains are powered via a 1500V DC overhead catenary...
station to Mount Merrion is Blackrock
Blackrock railway station
Blackrock railway station serves Blackrock in County Dublin, Ireland.The station opened on 17 December 1834.The station is served by the 7, 7a, 8, 17, 45 and 114 buses....
, while the nearest Luas
Luas
Luas , also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System, is a tram or light rail system serving Dublin, the first such system in the decades since the closure of the last of the Dublin tramways. In 2007, the system carried 28.4 million passengers, a growth of 10% since...
stations are Kilmacud
Kilmacud
Kilmacud is a suburban area in Dublin in the local authority area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.Kilmacud is the area west of Stillorgan. In essence, it is a collection of middle-class housing estates built in the 1950s by a range of small private construction companies to cater for the growing market...
and Stillorgan on the Green line.
The Aircoach
Aircoach
Aircoach is a Republic of Ireland based subsidiary company of the United Kingdom based FirstGroup. It provides airport bus express coach services from Cork, Greystones, Bray, South Dublin and Dublin City Centre to Dublin Airport. It also operates contracted bus service for airport car parks...
services to Dublin Airport from Greystones calls at South Hill Avenue en route to the airport
Mount Merrion the Old
Quoting from "Mount Merrion the Old", by Sir Neville WilkinsonNeville Wilkinson
Major Sir Nevile Rodwell Wilkinson, KCVO was a British officer of arms, British Army officer, author and a dollhouse designer.-Early life and military career:...
:
Between the Convent of Mount Anville, above Dundrum, and the broad high road which leads to Stillorgan, rises the wooded hill of Mount Merrion, the centre of the landscape over Dublin Bay, which gradually becomes defined as the opalescent mists of the Irish sunrise fade away.
It is a landscape known to every visitor to Ireland who has stood on deck as the Holyhead mail steamer passes the Kish lightship. Around the wood some 1.2 km² (300 acres) of the richest grazing land in County Dublin slope gently to the high stone wall which surrounds the demesne. To the south and south-west the horizon is bounded by the swelling outline of the Wicklow and Dublin Hills. To the north the long low line of the Mourne Mountains, 100 kilometres (60 mi) and more away, are clearly visible when recent rains have left the washed air clear, while the islands of Lambay and Ireland's Eye give an added beauty to the sea-scape which lies beyond the wind-blown causeway which leads on and up to the rhododendron covered slopes above the ancient castle of Howth.
A double avenue of beech trees shades the roadway which runs, straight as a rule, for a full quarter of a mile to the entrance gates on the Stillorgan Road. This roadway, whose immaculate pebbled surface was raked daily, had a broad border of century old shaven turf, the pride of the Scottish gardener; so tended, brushed and rolled was it in those days that the most careless visitor would have hesitated to sully the velvety perfection of the surface with a profane foot. Yet the gardener, his voice, with its rich Highland brogue quivering with fury at the bare recollection, would tell how a distinguished citizen of Dublin, having ridden to pay his respects to his lordship, had, on departing, cantered gaily down the sacred border, divots flying from his horse's heels; so that the whole length was scarred and pitted with hoofmarks, as though the plague had passed over it, and it was only after months of patient labour that the unbroken serenity of the surface was restored.
Fitzwilliam family
The lands originally came into the possession of the NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
Fitzwilliam family in the 14th century. The family was originally based in Dundrum
Dundrum, Dublin
Dundrum , originally a town in its own right, is now a suburb of Dublin in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Ireland.The area is located in the postal districts of Dublin 14 and Dublin 16.-History:...
having came to Ireland in the year 1210. In the 1900s, the lands were built up as a residential area.
The Fitzwilliams built a castle on the lands at Merrion which are today the property of the Sisters of Charity
Sisters of Charity
Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name. The rule of Saint Vincent for the Daughters of Charity has been adopted and adapted by at least sixty founders of religious orders around the world in the subsequent centuries....
and St Mary's Home and School for the Blind. Merrion features on the 1598 map "A Modern Depiction of Ireland, One of the British Isles" by Abraham Ortelius
Abraham Ortelius
thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius (Abraham Ortels) thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius (Abraham Ortels) (April 14, 1527 – June 28,exile in England to take...
as "Mergon".
By 1710, the castle was in such a bad state of repair that Richard, the 5th Viscount Fitzwilliam, selected 100 acres (0.4 km²) on which he built Mount Merrion House, surrounding the house by an 8 feet (2.4 m) granite wall. The house was completed in 1711 and served as a new seat by the 5th Viscount Fitzwilliam on the hill at Mount Merrion. The Fitzwilliam family left for England around 1726. Although the family no longer lived in Mount Merrion House, they retained possession of it, and rented the house out.
The next Fitzwilliam to take a major interest in Mount Merrion was Richard, the 7th Viscount, who remained a bachelor all his life. It was he who willed £100,000 to build the Founders Museum in Cambridge, his former university. Prior to his death in 1816, he bequeathed his vast estates to his cousin, the 11th Earl of Pembroke
George Herbert, 11th Earl of Pembroke
General George Augustus Herbert, 11th Earl of Pembroke and 8th Earl of Montgomery, KG, PC was a British peer, army officer and politician.-Early life:...
. Mount Merrion was occupied for a time by Lord Herbert of Lea
Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea
Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea PC was an English statesman and a close ally and confidante of Florence Nightingale.-Early life:...
, and later by Sir Neville Wilkinson
Neville Wilkinson
Major Sir Nevile Rodwell Wilkinson, KCVO was a British officer of arms, British Army officer, author and a dollhouse designer.-Early life and military career:...
, from 1903 to 1914.
On first edition OSI Maps (early to mid 19th century) the townland is named 'Mount Merrion or Callary', and that name is still in evidenced by Callary Road which runs to the east of Foster Ave.
Deer Park
Deer Park was landscaped by the 5th Viscount Fitzwilliam. The park lands comprise the area behind the site of Mount Merrion House. The park is now open to the public. It was created in 1971 from a collection of open public spaces and some acquisitions of private land. The park contains both sporting facilities (soccer and Gaelic footballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
pitches and Deerpark Tennis Club) and landscaped land for more informal pursuits. Its location and altitude also provide it with a great view of Dublin city towards the north, which is often used by photographers for panoramas and also by developers to assess the impact of development on the cityscape. Crowds also gather in Deerpark to look out at the annual Skyfest
Skyfest
Skyfest is an annual fireworks display, accompanied by background music compiled by Mark McCabe, which takes place in Ireland. It forms the centrepiece of the annual St. Patrick's Festival in the country and is usually held on the Saturday before or after Saint Patrick's Day, a national holiday in...
fireworks display around St. Patricks Weekend
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...
which is sometimes held in Dublin city centre. It can also be a good vantage point for observing the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis
Aurora (astronomy)
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
, when they are visible in the Dublin area. There is also a view of parts of the Dublin mountains to the south. It is claimed that Strongbow
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke , Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland . Like his father, he was also commonly known as Strongbow...
's white stallion is buried somewhere in Deer Park.
"Perhaps the most interesting remaining part of the 18th century development is the landscape element. The present Deerpark is a public park to the west of the house and included a wooded area which corresponds exactly to the walled woodland area laid out with radial paths shown on the earliest map (1757). The position of the 'gazebo' is now a platform with an assembly of cut stone elements lying on the ground, the origin of the material is not known to me. I believe that the radial form of the landscape can still be detected and consider that this may offer scope for an exercise in landscape conservation." (from historical research, carried out by Denis Cogan, 1999)
Recent history
The estate at Mount Merrion started to be sold off to property developers Mount Merrion Estates around 1925, as this area of Dublin rapidly built up with suburban housing in mid-20th century. Mount Merrion House itself was sold to the Catholic church in 1936. The main house was converted for use as a Catholic church, and a new church, the Church of St. Therese, was built alongside in 1956. Much of the house was demolished in the late seventies. However, the front block of the house was retained and a new community centre was built onto the back of it. The plans for recent construction work on the community centre originally involved demolition of the house, however the plans were amended due to protests. The stables survive, beside the church. The original granite gateway were salvaged and now stands as the entrance to Willow Park School on the Rock Road (ironically Willow Park's own original gateway on Booterstown Avenue was later removed). Part of the estate eventually became the prestigious men-only Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club on Appian Way. These lands were part of the Fitzwilliam and later Pembroke Estates. Maps such as John Roque's (1760) and Barker's Estate Maps (1762) show much of what is now Deerpark as a formal walled garden and many of the prominent avenues and boundaries of the nearby Mount Merrion House lands form the basis of the present local road network.See also: "Mount Merrion: 1711-2011", by local historian, Joe Curtis.
Sport
Deerpark now hosts sports such as football and tennis. The football pitches are used by Mount Merrion Youths Football Club and Kilmacud Crokes GAA club. The tennis club, established in 1976, is known as Deerpark Tennis Club. There is also ample space for informal leisure pursuits.Deerpark Tennis Club
Deerpark Tennis Club is a community tennis club, founded in 1976. The club has six synthetic surface courts, all floodlit. Competitions are organised throughout the year including the Club Championships(August), Team Tennis, Captain's Prize, Club Nights and Christmas Turkey tournaments.The club participates in the Dublin Lawn Tennis Council (DLTC) Leagues in the greater Dublin area. These include Winter League, Summer League, Floodlit & Senior Leagues.
Deerpark opened its new clubhouse in August 2010, which is looked after on a day-to-day basis by Head Coach/Centre Manager Ciaran Redmond. The club's Junior Tennis Programme features coaching, social competitions and league participation.
Mount Merrion Youths Football Club
Mount Merrion Youths Football Club is a community-based club. The club first represented Mount Merrion at the 1974 Community Games. In 2007 the club established its first representative all-girls team. All representatives of the club operate on a voluntary basis. The club proposes to build a flood lit all-weather pitch in the Deer Park. .In 2005 the club recorded its biggest success to date when its under 18s representatives won the Leinster Football Association Youths' Cup.
Gaelic Games
Although there is no club in Mount Merrion, many of the residents play for Kilmacud Crokes. Crokes play their juvenile matches in Deer Park. Local school, Scoil San Treasa, promotes the playing of both football and hurling.Also deer park has recently opened up a new playground.
External links
- http://humphrysfamilytree.com/Fitzwilliam/mt.merrion.html Fitzwilliam family tree
- http://www.deerparkmountmerrion.com - Details of proposed changes to the park