My wife's ancestors - Fitzwilliam - Contents

Merrion Castle, Co.Dublin

• References:
  • MERRION in [Ball, vol.2, 1903]
  • "Merrion Burial Ground" in [Flanagan, 1996].

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • For tombstone inscriptions in Merrion graveyard see:
    • [Blacker, pp. 52, 470]
    • Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead

Merrion Castle stood opposite Merrion gates, in the grounds of what is now St.Mary's School for the Blind,
Elm Park Stream ran through it, see [Sweeney, 1991],
earliest mention of a castle there is 1334,
first mention in Fitzwilliam family is in time of Thomas Fitzwilliam late 1400s,
it was made the seat of the family by Sir Thomas Fitzwilliam, Kt temp c.1550,
abandoned by 5th Viscount Fitzwilliam 1710,
Merrion Castle had sunk into decay by 1729 [Walsh's Impartial News Letter, 16th May 1729],
the ruins of Merrion Castle were described by Austin Cooper in 1780, and were being removed in 1780-1.

The site is now St.Mary's School for the Blind.
"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" [Wilkinson, 1925].
There is an area of residences at St.Mary's called "Fitzwilliam".
The stream still runs through it, diverted under the Merrion Rd, discharges into the sea on the strand.

A new community building at St.Mary's, Merrion, near the road, on the NE side of the St.Mary's "campus".
Into the S wall (visible) of this building were incorporated, when it was built (perhaps c.1995), two stones believed to have come from the old Fitzwilliam castle. These were: "A carved stone plaque bearing the Fitzwilliam coat of arms and a stone head, both of medieval date" [Pearson, 1998].
Photo 2000. See full size.

Close-up of the head and plaque, above.

Close-up of the plaque, above. See full size.

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

The site of the old Church of Merrion is now indicated by the old disused Merrion Burial Ground, small graveyard off the Blackrock Rd, behind the garage, on S side of Tara Towers Hotel.
Now a little park, gravestones face out to sea.
No remains of church itself [Flanagan, 1996].
Photo 1999.