St Helen’s

It was a place that I had passed many times but had not visited until recently, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The old, Georgian-era house – now the Radisson Blu Hotel – has a wonderful history and it is a real treat.

St Helen’s front elevation

Built on land owned by Viscount Fitzwilliam in 1750 its first occupant was Thomas Cooley who was a barrister and Member of Parliament. And, due to the fact that it was built on a gentle slope and had a great view of Dublin Bay, it was known as Seamount.

The property has changed hands many times and was bought in 1851 by Lord Hugh Gough (born in Limerick 1779) who changed its name to St Helen’s, and lived there until he died in 1869. He had fought with distinction under the Duke of Wellington (born in Dublin 1769) in the Peninsular War and was wounded at the Battle of Talavera in 1808. In 1815 he was knighted, and later made a field marshal in a ceremony held in St Helen’s.

In 1899 Sir John Nutting bought the property and spent a lot of money extending and improving it. He had it faced with the distinctive Portland Stone, and inside Carrara marble is to be seen in the floor and fabulous pillars. In the Dining Room there is a beautiful copper border around the walls and a magnificently decorated fireplace. Apart from the house he also spent heavily on landscape gardening, lawns and stables. Later, he was given the title of Nutting Baronetcy of St. Helens. He died in 1918 and the house was bought by the Christian Brothers who used it as their headquarters until 1988. It was again on the market before its current operators, Radisson Blu Hotels, arrived in 1998.

St Helen’s gardens

Listed as a National Monument in 1994, and often referred to as ‘one of the most beautiful houses in the country’, there is plenty to see and enjoy here.

Tom Clarke Remembered

Whether you are travelling north or south, the views from the bridge are unique and wonderful. To the East the river widens as it reaches Dublin Bay and Howth Head beyond, while off to the west you take in the beautiful Samuel Beckett bridge and the beating heart of the busy city. The Tom Clarke Bridge is the first, or last one across the Liffey, depending on which way you are going, and was originally called the East-Link Toll Bridge. It was renamed on 3^rd May 2016, the hundredth anniversary of his execution in Kilmainham Gaol, having been opened the 21^st October 1984.

Tom Clarke

Tom Clarke was born in England on 11^th March 1858. His father, James (from Leitrim), was in the British Army and his mother, Mary Clogheen, was from Tipperary. After being posted to South Africa the family returned to Ireland and lived in Dungannon, Tyrone, where young Tom went to school, and the town that he always considered as home.

He went to America in 1880 where he joined Clan na Gael. Later, in 1883, he was stopped by police in London while carrying a bag of explosives, and he was sentenced to life in prison, spending fifteen years incarcerated. He returned to America and became a naturalised US citizen on 2 November 1905. He and his wife Kathleen returned to Ireland that year, and he was soon involved in politics.

As the senior figure in the Irish Republican Brotherhood he was the first signatory of the Proclamation on the 18^th April, due to the respect that the other six leaders held him in.

Tom Clarke Bridge

Due to the increasing level of traffic there was a need for a new bridge to the east of the city, and the project took a year and a half to complete. A simple design was a deliberate choice due to the pressures of time and money, and National Toll Roads operated the bridge until the 1^st January 2016 when Dublin City Council took over its ownership.

April – Springtime Is Here

April’s here, the days grow and  run

Brighter now, under a warming sun

East Pier for a walk

A long friendly talk

Gentle breeze whispers, let’s have fun

Walk On….(East Pier, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin)