The Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Co.Dublin

And in particular The Garden Lodge in the formal gardens.

References:

"The Royal Hospital Kilmainham", Edward McParland, Country Life, 9th and 16th May 1985, reprinted as booklet for [IAA]
Sources yet to be consulted:
- The story of the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Childers and Stewart, 1921
- Royal Hospital records:
  - [NAI]
  - [PRO.UK]

The Garden Lodge, The Royal Hospital, Kilmainham.
Looking N. Wellington Monument in distance in background.
Photo 2000.

The Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, W of Dublin city centre,
was founded by the 1st Duke of Ormonde for the care of old soldiers (inspired by the Hotel des Invalides in Paris).
Building started 1680, opened 1684.
It is Dublin's first major classical building,
gardens date from early 1700s.

The "Garden Lodge" is thought to be designed by Sir Edward Lovett Pearce, designer of the Irish Houses of Parliament, would be c.1730.
It is a pretty little turreted house at the end of the formal gardens to the N,
go down huge stone steps into wide open garden, lodge at far end,
2 turrets, pointed roof, spiral staircase in RHS turret, gate into small enclosed stone yard at back,
over the wall beyond it is St John's Rd, the dual carriageway running along past Heuston Station (the Garden Lodge is visible from the Dublin-Galway train).
[O'Brien and Guinness, 1994] say it was "originally a garden banqueting house".
Liam Cosgrave calls it "the steward's or gardener's house", "The ruin of this house can be seen from St. John's Rd".

Alderman Michael Flanagan lived in the Garden Lodge for a time around 1867.

The Royal Hospital was handed to Free State 1922,
remaining pensioners left and hospital closed 1929,
fell into decay in the mid-20th cent.

It was finally restored by Office of Public Works,
beautiful restoration of main building finished 1984, like a new building suddenly arose in Dublin,
although the interior was gutted to house the Irish Museum of Modern Art.
Garden Lodge beautifully restored 1991.
Also called the "Garden House".

Location of the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham.
Click to toggle map/satellite view. Click to zoom in/out. Drag to move.
From Google Maps.

Close-up centred on the Garden Lodge at the N end of the garden.
Click to toggle map/satellite view. Click to zoom in/out. Drag to move.
Drag image to move S to see Royal Hospital.
From Google Maps.

The Garden Lodge (centre) in the formal gardens of The Royal Hospital, Kilmainham.
Photo from the SW (looking NE) 2000.

The garden, showing the Garden Lodge.
Photo 2007. See full size.
From here. See terms of use.

The Royal Hospital, from the garden (view from under the Garden Lodge).
Photo 2007. See full size.
From here. See terms of use.

The Royal Hospital, from the garden.
Photo 2006. See full size. From here.
See similar 2007 photo from here.

The Royal Hospital, lying empty, 1977.
View from W avenue.
See full size. From here. Used with permission.

St. John's Road traffic camera (junction near the RHK graveyards).
From Dublin City Council.

Movie of courtyard at archeire.com.
Starts in SE corner. Rotates to S side (museum) to W side (avenue) to N side, ends in NE corner.

Royal Hospital, Kilmainham
- Irish Museum of Modern Art
Royal Hospital, Kilmainham (and here)
images (and public domain)
The graveyards are off the avenue heading W.
I have searched:
- (on left) The officers' graveyard.
- (on right) Bully's Acre, a general graveyard, in which is found:
  - Joseph Flanagan, of Thomas St, starch manufacturer, erected grave "in memory of his father and mother, brother" [poss. brothers] "and sisters and 4 of his children who died young", no date.
- (on far right) The pensioners' graveyard.

Send me additions and corrections to this site