Aldborough House
Aldborough House (sometimes Aldboro House) is a landmark Georgian building in Dublin, Ireland. Built as a private residence in 1796, it was used for periods as a school, barracks and post office depot, before becoming vacant in the early 21st century. While vacant the building was subject to vandalism and a fire, and as of 2016 is listed by An Taisce - The National Trust for Ireland as in poor condition.[1]
History
The house was commissioned by Edward Stratford, 2nd Earl of Aldborough, and the bulk of the structure completed by 1796. Though the foundation had been laid down in 1792, the house was still not fully completed by 1798. Edward Stratford died in 1801, and the house remained uninhabited between 1802 and 1813.[2]
In 1813, Professor Gregor von Feinaigle leased the building and opened it as a school. To support its use for education, the house was extended to include large classrooms and a chapel. Prof Von Feiangle died in 1819 and by 1830 the school had closed. It was acquired by the Government in 1843, and used as a military barracks during the Crimean War (1850s) and Fenian Rising (1860s).[3]
From the late 19th century it was used as the stores department of the Post Office. The Commissioners of Public Works made alterations to support this purpose in the late 1890s.[4] The house remained in the ownership if the Department for Posts and Telegraphs (later Telecom Éireann) through the 20th century.
Today
Telecom Éireann was replaced by Eircom in 1999, and the Aldborough House site was put up for sale at that time. A number of prospective buyers were identified, with the site passing through the hands of the Irish Music Rights Organisation before being sold to a development company in 2005.[5] The house remained uninhabited and undeveloped for some years after the sale, and was subject to vandalism. Following the theft of lead from the roof, water damage required emergency repair works - funded part by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and part by Dublin City Council. In 2013 a suspected arson attack caused further damage.[6] As of January 2016, the future of the building remains in question,[7] and An Taisce listed the structure as being in "very poor" condition and at "critical" risk level.[1]
References
- 1 2 "Aldborough House, Dublin 1 - The National Trust for Ireland". An Taisce. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ↑ "1803 - Aldborough House, Portland Row, Dublin - Architecture of Dublin City - Archiseek.com". Archiseek.com. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
- ↑ "DG08 Aldborough House | Dublin City Council". Dublincity.ie. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ↑ "Commissioners of Public Works (Ireland) : sixty-seventh report with appendices". Commissioners of Public Works. 1899.
- ↑ "Left to ruin: A rare glimpse inside Dublin's last, great Georgian mansion". TheJournal.ie. 15 November 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ↑ "Buildings at risk: Aldborough House, Dublin". Irishtimes.com. 31 Mar 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ↑ "What's Going On With Aldborough House?". Dublininquirer.com. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
Coordinates: 53°21′18″N 6°14′53″W / 53.355°N 6.248°W
