My ancestors - O'Rahilly - Contents

40 Herbert Park, Dublin

40 Herbert Park, at the start of Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin.
Home of the revolutionary The O'Rahilly from 1910 to his death in the 1916 Rising.

Google Street View captures 40 Herbert Park before it was demolished in 2020.
This is 40 Herbert Park in 2017 street view.
If the 2017 view is not showing up, click through, and select "See more dates".

History, 1910 to 2020

40 Herbert Park was built 1910.
[P102/105] is a lease to The O'Rahilly of a brand new house, "No.2 Herbert Park", signed 3 Aug 1910.
[P102/106] is a letter of 23 Aug 1910 about when the new house will be ready for occupation.
The house was re-numbered as no.40 Herbert Park.
The O'Rahilly is listed at 40 Herbert Park in [Thom's] 1911 onwards.
In the entry at 40 Herbert Park in [Census, 2 April 1911] the house has 12 rooms.
The O'Rahilly left Herbert Park to fight in the 1916 Rising, in which he was killed, April 1916.

After The O'Rahilly's death, the family continued to live in the house.
Rory O'Rahilly was born at 40 Herbert Park in July 1916 (after his father's death).
The O'Rahilly's widow Madame O'Rahilly was on Republican side in the Civil War. She was arrested 4 Nov 1922 when the Free State raided 40 Herbert Park.
Madame O'Rahilly died at her house, 40 Herbert Park, in 1961.

Her son Maolmuire Ó Rathaille lived at 40 Herbert Park. He died 1981.
His widow died at 40 Herbert Park in 2015.
The house was for sale as at 2017. It was sold out of the family.

Demolition, 2020

The house was demolished in 2020 to build a huge high-rise apartment complex on this and adjoining sites.
The development:

• herbertparkshd.com
• This has an overview and site layout and drawings of 40 Herbert Park.
• See site notice in 2020. Original in planning notices.
• The architectural heritage report suggests a plaque to The O'Rahilly will be erected after demolishing his house.

Media about the demolition:

• Irish Times video of protest against the demolition by O'Rahilly GAA clubs, 30 Aug 2020.

• Hidden Histories: O'Rahilly House, Newstalk radio, 13 Sept 2020. This incorrectly says the house was built as part of the 1907 exhibition. The exhibition map shows that is wrong. This is one of three new residential houses laid out in a row with gardens. These three would never have been built as part of a fair. [P102/105] and [P102/106] show it is a brand new house in 1910.

• Video of demolition, 29 Sept 2010.
• Large number of media items in 2020.

Plan of 1907 Irish International Exhibition, at what would become Herbert Park.
See full size. From Irish Times, May 6, 1907.
N is pointing down to the left (see compass).
No.40 was one of three houses built soon after on the site of the exhibition.
No.40 was built on the site of the Exports Hall (to the LHS here).

40 Herbert Park does not exist on 1887 to 1913 map. Published 1911.
40 Herbert Park would be built in the ".871" plot.
This map could have been made before the 1907 exhibition (building work for which began in 1905-06).
Or the map could have been made after the 1907 exhibition buildings were cleared, but before the new houses were built in 1910.

40 Herbert Park on modern map.
Formerly here.

40 Herbert Park on modern map.

The O'Rahilly's dramatic entry at 40 Herbert Park in [Thom's, 1914].

The O'Rahilly's note to his wife at 40 Herbert Park, as he lay dying in the 1916 Rising.
Printed in [O'Rahilly, 1991].

40 Herbert Park.
Photo 2020. See larger and full size.

The front door.
Photo 2020. See larger and full size.

40 Herbert Park. The garden already gone.
Photo 2020. See larger and full size.