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Sandymount Park - The main (Gandon) building

The Gandon building.
See full size.
From here.

Origins

The main building at Sandymount Park, Co.Dublin, was designed around 1790 by the great architect of Dublin, James Gandon, for his friend, the landscape painter William Ashford.
Ashford painted for the 7th Viscount Fitzwilliam (succ 1776, died 1816), whose land the house was built on in Sandymount.
Ashford lived at Sandymount Park from around 1790.
He was living there when he painted views of the 7th Viscount's Irish house Mount Merrion House in around 1800 to 1806.
Ashford died there 1824.
He is buried in Donnybrook graveyard. See 2014 photo of grave. (His name is not on this Ashford family grave, but it is believed he is buried here.)

There was also a smaller building at Sandymount Park.
"Sandymount Park" originally referred to both buildings.
Later this (the main) building was called "Sandymount Park House" to distinguish it from the smaller building, which kept the name "Sandymount Park".
It was then called "Park House".
And then it was called "Roslyn Park".
Confusingly, the smaller building kept the name "Sandymount Park".

Joseph Dunn is listed at this building (now called Roslyn Park) in [Census, 1911].
The entry says it has 14 rooms, 4 windows in front of house, has 1 stable, 1 coach house, 1 harness room, 1 cow house and 1 fowl house.
Joseph Dunn is listed at Roslyn park, Sandymount strand, Pembroke, in [Thom's, 1919].
Joseph Dunn is listed at Roslyn park, Beach road, Pembroke, in [Thom's, 1945].

Roslyn Park school

Around 1950, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary set up a convent and school across the sites of both of the Sandymount Park buildings.
The school was called "Roslyn Park" secondary girls school.
Roslyn Park school, Strand Rd, is listed in [Thom's, 1951] onwards.
Other school buildings were erected in the grounds.
Roslyn Park school closed 1982.

Rehab

The buildings (the sites of both of the Sandymount Park buildings) re-opened 1983 as HQ of the Rehab charity.
The complex includes Roslyn Park College.
The commercial wing of the Rehab Group was called "Gandon Enterprises" but is now called Rehab Enterprises.

The Gandon building fell into a bad state in the 1980s.
It was restored (re-built), starting 1988, completed 1991.
[Article, 1991] says: "It remained derelict until 1988 when it was effectively demolished and rebuilt according to Gandon's plans of 200 years ago."

The building is now called the "Gandon Villa".
It is the HQ of Access Ability (try here) (part of Rehab).
Dublin City Council lists "Roslyn Park House" in its Record of Protected Structures.

Roslyn Park (the Gandon building) in the 1900s.
See full size.
Courtesy of Rehab Group.

Roslyn Park (the Gandon building) in 1983.
See full size.

Roslyn Park.
Photo 1984. See larger and full size.
From here in Patrick Healy Collection.
From South Dublin Libraries, Local Studies Collection See terms of use.

The Gandon building (Roslyn Park) restored.
Photo 2007. See full size.
See similar shot and other angle.

The Gandon building.
Photo 2007. See full size.
See other shot.

The W side.
Photo 2007. See full size.
See similar shot.

The E side.
Photo 2007. See full size.
See other shot and other shot.