The Stillorgan Obelisk built in 1729, is possibly the first obelisk to be built in Ireland.
It was on the grounds of Stillorgan Park House by Lord Allen who commissioned the famous architect Edward Lovett Pearce to design it. Edward Lovett Pearce was one of the leading architects of his time (his other works include the original Houses of Parliament on College Green and Castletown House) and took inspiration for it from Bernini’s Obelisk in Rome. It stands at an impressive 100 feet is made of granite and is believed to have been built either to provide local employment during the famine that year or it was a monument to his wife, Lady Allen. Legend has it that the second Viscount of Stillorgan, Joshua Allen, had his favorite horse buried beneath the obelisk. It is now located on a housing estate on Carrysfort Avenue.
