Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Strand House (formerly Stonetown House), Stonetown townland, Limerick city.
Stephen O'Mara
moved to Strand House c.1909.
His widowed daughter
Mary Rynne
moved in there with him.
(Her husband had died in 1907.)
Mary Rynne writes letter of
25 Jan 1910
from Strand House.
Stephen's wife Ellen Pigott
died at Strand House in Oct 1910.
Stephen O'Mara and his daughter Mary are
listed
in 1911 census
at Strand House.
There are two servants living with the family.
The house has 16 rooms, and
14 windows in front of house.
There are
6 out-buildings - consisting of
1 stable, 2 coach houses, 1 harness room, 1 cow house and 1 fowl house.
Stephen's grandson
Stephen Sullivan
was born at Strand House in 1913.
His daughter
Nell Sullivan
died at Strand House in 1919.
|
De Valera was at Strand House on the night the Treaty was signed in London:
On 5th Dec 1921, Eamon de Valera, Dick Mulcahy and Cathal Brugha were down in Limerick reviewing troops of Volunteers, while Treaty negotiations reached a climax in London. Dev received Freedom of the City. The younger Stephen O'Mara was Mayor of Limerick at this time. De Valera, Mulcahy and Brugha stayed night of 5-6 Dec with old Stephen O'Mara in Strand House. Early in the morning a phone call came through with the news that the Treaty had been signed in London (signed in early hours of 6 Dec 1921). Old Stephen O'Mara saw them off at the station. "the split had come but no one told Grandfather that the Treaty was signed". He heard it for the first time as he walked home. He said: "I have just seen the Chief off at the station. I am sure there's a truth in these rumours". |
Stephen O'Mara died 1926.
The younger
Stephen O'Mara
then lived at Strand House.
His sister-in-law, the writer
Kate O'Brien,
often stayed at Strand House and wrote there.
She finished writing
The Ante-Room
there in 1934.
The dedication in the book reads:
"To Nance and Stephen O'Mara under whose kind roof
the greater part of this book was written,
I dedicate it with my love and gratitude."
|
The second "Strand House":
Stephen O'Mara demolished Strand House c.1943. He built a second "Strand House" at the site in 1943. In the late 1940s, Stephen O'Mara donated the grounds of Strand House to Limerick Corporation provided it was used to build a new town hall (NOT a park). If they used it for any other purpose they were to give him the value of the land.
The third "Strand House":
|
Limerick Corporation did not use the Strand House grounds for a new town hall.
In 1962 they sold the site to
InterContinental Hotels, gave money to O'Mara family.
Hotel built on site.
The hotel was bought in 1970 by
Jurys Hotels.
It was Jurys Hotel, Limerick, for many years.
The old hotel is now demolished.
Site was re-developed as
"The Strand", Limerick
(apartments)
and the Strand Hotel.
The first and second Strand Houses are both demolished.
Ivy Bank ("New Strand House") survives.
No trace of Strand House left.
Some of the old wall survives.
The family of Daniel
Gabbett of Strand House.
From GABBETT in
[Burkes Irish, 1899, pp.159-160].
Daniel
Gabbett listed at "Strand House"
in
[Slater's directory, 1846, Munster, p.260].
Though the name "Stonetown House" still appears on map of 1870.
Ordnance Survey of Ireland map.
Date created: 1870.
From here.
Shows that Stonetown House is exact same building as Strand House.
The gate, lodge, avenue, and front of house were on the E side.
The garden on the W side.
Strand House
on 1887 to 1913 map.
Note
Ivy Bank
next door.
The site of Strand House on modern map.
The red cross is the approximate site of Strand House,
which is entirely gone.
See
street view.
See
satellite view.
The grounds of Strand House before re-development.
See full size.
Formerly at thestrandlimerick.com.
Eamon de Valera
staying with Stephen O'Mara at Strand House, as the Treaty was being signed in London,
night of 5-6 Dec 1921.
This was taken the morning after the Treaty was signed, 6 Dec 1921.
Back (Left to Right):
Michael Rynne
(aide-de-camp to Dick Mulcahy),
Dick Mulcahy
(Chief of Staff of IRA).
Front (Left to Right):
Mary O'Mara,
Eamon de Valera (President of the Irish Republic),
Stephen O'Mara,
Cathal Brugha
(Minister for Defence).
This is front door (see doorbell).
This has been printed elsewhere flipped left-right.
But apparently the above is the correct way round (doorbell on RHS).
See full size.
Strand House letterhead in letter of 17 Jan 1923.
See full page.
See also
Strand House letterhead in letter of
25 Jan 1910.
See also
Strand House letterhead in letter of
19 Jan 1914.
Stephen O'Mara's life was under threat until the end of the War of Independence.
He served as Mayor of Limerick until 1923.
He later organised a memorial to O'Callaghan and Clancy
at the corner of the Strand House site near the bridge.
See
street view.
The two parts of the strand are named
O'Callaghan's Strand and Clancy's Strand after them.
Also O'Callaghan Ave.
The memorial to the murdered Mayors.
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