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Merrion Castle, Co.Dublin

Merrion Castle, Merrion, Co.Dublin.
Merrion Castle stood opposite Merrion Gates, in what was later the grounds of St.Mary's School for the Blind.
See modern map.

Merrion Castle.
Drawn by Gabriel Beranger, 1766.
From Royal Irish Academy. Image from here. Creative Commons Non-Commercial use.
See full size.
See slightly different version. From NLI.

Fitzwilliam period

The earliest mention of a castle here is in a deed of 1334.
Merrion came into possession of a branch of the Fitzwilliam family in early 1400s.
It came into the possession of Thomas Fitzwilliam in late 1400s. He died 1517.
His son Richard Fitzwilliam leased out Merrion in 1519 when going to England for a time. He died 1528.
Merrion was made the seat of the family by his son Sir Thomas Fitzwilliam around 1550.
The Lord Deputy Sir Henry Sidney visited Sir Thomas at Merrion in 1565 after arriving in Ireland and before entering Dublin.
Sir Thomas died 1592.
His son Sir Richard Fitzwilliam died at Merrion in 1595.

His son, the future 1st Viscount Fitzwilliam, succeeded to Merrion in 1595.
See Merrion Castle in the "riding of the bounds" of Dublin in 1603.
The castle was damaged in the Irish Confederate Wars (1641 to 1653). It was overrun by the rebels in 1642. It was later taken and garrisoned by the Parliamentarians as at 1648. It was afterwards restored.
The 1st Viscount died c.1655.
The 2nd Viscount Fitzwilliam (1st Earl of Tyrconnel) died at Merrion Castle in 1667.
The 4th Viscount Fitzwilliam spent time living in England, and Merrion Castle fell into disrepair.
The 4th Viscount died 1704.

The castle was abandoned by the 5th Viscount Fitzwilliam in 1710.
Merrion Castle had sunk into decay by 1729.
The ruins of Merrion Castle were described by Austin Cooper in 1780, and were being removed in 1780-1781. But a ruin survived for many years.

The new "Merrion Castle"

A new building called "Merrion Castle" was built at the site in the 18th Century. This survives today at the far left (S end) of the new buildings.
[Pettigrew & Oulton, 1834] shows "Merrion Castle" (would be the new building) is then occupied by "Lady Harberton".
MERRION in [Lewis, 1837] lists "Francis Low" at the new Merrion Castle, and says the ruin of the old medieval castle is in the grounds: "In the demesne of Merrion Castle are the ivied ruins of the old castle from which it derives its name".
[Pettigrew & Oulton, 1838] shows Merrion Castle occupied by "Francis Lowe".
The entry for "Old Merrion" under MERRION in [Thom's, 1852] shows Francis Low at the new Merrion Castle, "in the grounds of which .. are the ivied ruins of the castle of the ancient proprietors."

St.Mary's school for the blind

The Sisters of Charity set up a home and school for the blind at Merrion Castle, starting in 1865.
Page 470 in [Blacker, 1860-74] says that the new "Merrion Castle" became St.Mary's Asylum for the Female Blind in 1865 and "additions on an extensive scale" were then made to the building.
[Smyth, 1994] says the ruin of the old medieval castle was only fully removed around 1866.
[Wilkinson, 1925] says: "No vestige remains of the old castle, but some of the stone may have been used in building the Asylum for Female Blind which now occupies the site".

The site became St.Mary's Centre, school for the blind and nursing home.
It had an area of residences called "Fitzwilliam".
It closed in 2020.
The site awaits redevelopment.

A medieval stone plaque, bearing the Fitzwilliam coat of arms, survives at the site. A medieval stone head also survives.
A bit to the SE (along the coast road) is Merrion graveyard.

The parish of Donnybrook in the [Down Survey, 1655 to 1658]. E (sea) is up.
Fitzwilliam holds most of the parish.
1st Viscount Fitzwilliam holds Merrion (plot 2 and plot 3) and Simmonscourt (plot 1).
"Merry Young Castle" (Merrion Castle) is marked.
This is part of the larger map of Donnybrook and Taney. From TCD.

"Merryoung" (Merrion) on Map of Dublin bay, 1685.
E (sea) is down.
See full size.

Merrion and Merrion graveyard on John Rocque's map of Dublin, 1757.
Merrion Castle existed as a large ruin at this time.
It must be the complex beside the stream, with the small bridge over it.
To the NW are "Lord Merrion's Brick Fields".
To the SE is Booterstown.

Merrion is visible (but not marked) in [Taylor and Skinner, 1777].
It is at the end of the road leading to the coast.
E is up.

Merrion in [Taylor and Skinner, 1777].

Merrion ("Merryon") on map of Dublin Bay, 1798.
On display at National Maritime Museum, Dun Laoghaire.
W is up. "Butters Town" is Booterstown.
See full size and other shot.

Merrion ("Merryon") on other copy of same map.
From South Dublin Libraries, which however thinks it is a map of 1728.
See full size.

Merrion Castle site on 1829 to 1842 map.
There is a new "Merrion Castle" building at the site.

Ordnance Survey of Ireland map. Date created: 1865. From here.
The castle site is marked.

Merrion Castle site on 1887 to 1913 map.
Elm Park Stream still flows today through the grounds.

Modern satellite view.
Site of castle is around the N end of the courtyard of St.Mary's School for the Blind.
On the outside is the front door (porch).
See street view.

3D view from Google Maps.
Site of castle is around RHS end of courtyard.
The 18th century Merrion Castle survives on the LHS end here.
See 2012 photo of front door (porch).

Elm Park Stream

Elm Park Stream ran through the grounds of Merrion Castle.
It is perhaps as close as we can get to re-imagining the old Merrion Castle.
The stream still runs through Elm Park golf club, through the grounds of St.Mary's, then it is diverted underneath the Merrion Road, and discharges into the sea on the strand.
See [Sweeney, 1991].

The Merrion Castle stream (Elm Park Stream) flowing through Elm Park golf club to the W (up) down into the St.Mary's site to the E (down).
3D view from Google Maps.

Bridge over the stream, looking N, showing (on LHS) St.Mary's (the site of the castle) and (on RHS) the stream heading towards the sea.
Photo 2012. See full size.

The Merrion Castle stream heading towards the sea. From the bridge above.
Photo 2012. See full size.
See other shot.

The Merrion Castle stream. From the bridge above, looking away from the sea (to the W).
Photo 2012. See full size.
See other shot.

St.Mary's (on RHS) from Merrion strand, showing on LHS where the Merrion Castle stream flows into the sea.
Photo 2000.
Once the castle would have been the only building visible in this shot.

View of the St.Mary's site for redevelopment.
From a 2022 report on the future of the site.

References

MERRION (and text) in [Ball, vol.2, 1903]

Sources yet to be consulted

The decay of Merrion Castle was reported in:
- Walsh's Impartial News Letter, Dublin, 16 May 1729. This is a continuation of the Dublin Mercury. Can't find surviving copy.
- The Flying Post, Dublin, 16 May 1729. Can't find surviving copy.