RICHMOND HILL RATHMINES
THE NEW EMPIRE RESTAURANT USUALLY FEATURES SOME MURALS [RICHMOND HILL RATHMINES]
Last week I visited Rathmines and was disappointed to discover that the walls of the restaurant did not feature any street art but this gave me an excuse to discuss Richmond Hill.
Two notable Irish women, poet Dora Sigerson Shorter and novelist Annie M. P. Smithson, shared a connection to Richmond Hill in Dublin. Dora Sigerson Shorter spent part of her childhood there, while Annie M. P. Smithson resided at number 12 until her death.
Dora Maria Sigerson Shorter (16 August 1866 – 6 January 1918) was a prominent Irish poet and sculptor. After marrying Clement King Shorter, an English journalist and literary critic, in 1895, she wrote under the name Dora Sigerson Shorter. Born in Dublin, she was the eldest of four children of surgeon and writer George Sigerson and writer Hester Varian. The Sigerson family home at 3 Clare Street was a hub for artists and writers, exposing Dora to key figures of the burgeoning Irish Literary Revival. She studied at the Dublin School of Art alongside W.B. Yeats. A significant figure in the Revival, she published numerous poetry collections from 1893 onwards. Her sister, Hester Sigerson Piatt, was also a writer, and Dora's circle of friends included writers and poets such as Katharine Tynan, Rose Kavanagh, and Alice Furlong. Following her marriage, she lived in London until her death at the age of 51. While the exact cause of death remains undisclosed, her friend Katharine Tynan suggested in a biographical sketch that she died of a broken heart following the 1916 executions.
Annie Mary Patricia Smithson (26 September 1873 – 21 February 1948) was an Irish novelist, poet, and passionate Nationalist. Born Margaret Anne Jane into a Protestant family in Sandymount, Dublin, she later adopted the names Anne Mary Patricia upon converting to Catholicism. Her parents, who were first cousins, raised her until her father's early death. Her mother remarried Peter Longshaw, a chemical factory owner, around 1881. Smithson disliked her stepfather, always referring to him as "Mr Longshaw," and the marriage produced five more children.
Initially aspiring to a career in journalism, Smithson instead trained as a nurse and midwife in London and Edinburgh before returning to Dublin in 1900. In 1901, she worked as a district nurse in Milltown, County Down, where she fell in love with a married colleague, Dr James Manton. Unable to pursue the relationship, she left Milltown in 1906. Although they maintained correspondence, she destroyed his letters after her conversion to Catholicism in March 1907, a pivotal moment that also ignited her fervent Republican and Nationalist sympathies. She joined Cumann na mBan and actively campaigned for Sinn Féin in the 1918 general election.
During the Irish Civil War, Smithson sided with the Republicans and nursed those involved in the siege at Moran's Hotel. Imprisoned by Free State forces in 1922, she was dramatically rescued from Mullingar prison by Linda Kearns McWhinney and Muriel MacSwiney, who posed as a Red Cross delegation. Her political convictions led to her resignation from the Queen's Nurses Committee and a shift to private nursing. From 1924 to 1929, she worked in the impoverished Dublin Liberties, and her experiences there informed a series of articles on child welfare published in the Evening Mail.
From 1929 to 1942, she served as Secretary and Organiser of the Irish Nurses Organisation, contributing to the Irish Nurses' Magazine and editing the Irish Nurses Union Gazette. Her literary career began in 1917 with the publication of her best-selling novel, Her Irish Heritage, dedicated to those who perished in the 1916 Easter Rising. She went on to publish twenty novels and two short story collections, including successful titles like By Strange Paths and The Walk of a Queen. Her writing, often romantic in style, drew heavily on her personal experiences, with nationalism and Catholicism as recurring themes. Her autobiography, Myself – and Others, was published in 1944.
From 1932, Smithson shared a house in Rathmines, Dublin, with her stepsister and her family. She died of heart failure at 12 Richmond Hill, Dublin, and was interred in Whitechurch, County Dublin. Her novels are featured in Brian Friel's 1990 play, Dancing at Lughnasa, and several of her works were reprinted by the Mercier Press between 1989 and 1990.
PEACE PARK
WAS DERELICT BACK IN JANUARY 2019 [HAS SINCE BEEN RESTORED AS THE PEACE PARK]
The Peace Park, located on Nicholas Street opposite Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin, has a complex history. Originally opened in 1988 as a symbol of Ireland's yearning for peace, it fell into disrepair and was closed to the public for nearly a decade.
The park occupies the site of Dublin's old Tholsel, a significant building from the Norman invasion until its demolition around 1809. The Tholsel served various functions, including civic hall, guildhall, court, and gaol. It also housed a merchants' exchange and the City Recorder's Court, where punishments, such as whipping and dragging behind a horse and cart, or flaying and pillorying, were meted out for crimes less serious than murder. These brutal punishments ceased by the late 1700s. The remains of St. Nicholas Within church stand to the south-west of the park.
Designed as a sunken garden in the late 1980s to minimise traffic noise, the park was officially opened in 1988 during the Troubles. Its paving consists of Liscannor Flagstone from County Clare, known for its fossilised traces of unknown organisms. Despite its peaceful intentions, the park became a haven for antisocial behaviour, leading to its indefinite closure in 2009/2010. One local resident I spoke to when I first photographed the derelict park in 2019 confirmed that it had been closed for years due to such issues.
Before its 2019 redevelopment, the park featured a bronze 'Tree of Life' statue, a fountain, and engraved quotes from Irish poets W.B. Yeats and Patrick Kavanagh. The 'Tree of Life' was installed for Dublin's Millennium celebrations in 1988, alongside other projects like the Molly Malone statue. The "Millennium Child" sculpture by John Behan, depicting three bronze children playing, stands in front of the park. It was unveiled by President Mary McAleese in November 2000 to celebrate the children of the new millennium. By 2019, however, the park was derelict and locked, a far cry from its original purpose. It has since been redeveloped and reopened.
CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION
THE CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION IN BOOTERSTOWN [A HOUSE OF GOD IN DISGUISE]
The Church of the Assumption in Booterstown, County Dublin, stands as a testament to both faith and discretion. This unassuming Roman Catholic church, which looks more like a grand house than a place of worship, has a fascinating history interwoven with the Fitzwilliam family and the changing religious landscape of Ireland.
The story begins with the establishment of the Parish of the Assumption, Booterstown, in 1616. This extensive parish originally encompassed a vast area, stretching from Irishtown through Donnybrook, Milltown, Churchtown, Rathfarnham, and up to the summit of Three Rock Mountain. Its boundaries also included Sandyford, Seapoint, Dundrum, Stillorgan, and Galloping Green. Over time, several new parishes were carved out of this large area, including Donnybrook (1747), Dundrum (1879), Blackrock (1922), Mount Merrion (1948), Merrion Road (1964), and Newtownpark (1967), reflecting the growth and development of the surrounding communities.
The present church building, however, dates back to the early 19th century. Replacing an older chapel on the site, its foundation stone was laid on 6 August 1812. The construction was financed by Richard Fitzwilliam, 7th Viscount Fitzwilliam, who, remarkably, instructed the architect to design the church to resemble a private residence rather than a traditional ecclesiastical building. This unusual request stemmed from Fitzwilliam's desire to avoid causing offence to his Protestant tenants and acquaintances in the area. He sought to provide a place of worship for his Catholic tenants without drawing undue attention or potentially stirring religious tensions.
Completed and dedicated on 15 August 1813, the Feast of the Assumption, by Dr. John Troy, Archbishop of Dublin, the church's outward appearance belies its true purpose. Its design is a subtle nod to the Catholic faith while respecting the sensitivities of the local community.
A further intriguing detail is the high cross located outside the church. Erected around 1868, it was funded by a bequest from an unnamed female servant from the Pembroke estate. While her generosity is evident, her name remains curiously absent from historical records, adding a layer of mystery to the church's story.
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