A Day on Mount Pelier

CHAPTER XI

There are few places more attractive for a ramble on a summer’s day than the green, rounded hill of Mount Pelier, with the ruined shooting lodge on its summit, its extensive views over land and sea, and the various residences in its immediate neighbourhood, which in former times were associated with personages of social and historic importance. We start by taking the steam tram as far as Tallaght, turning to the left by the Oldbawn road at the end of the village, then crossing in succession Oldbawn Bridge and the Bohernabreena road, and continuing straight ahead into Oldcourt lane. Immediately on the left is Allenton, an old-fashioned house of the 18th century with high-pitched gables, deriving its name from Sir Timothy Allen, Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1762, who made it his residence, and whose monument may be seen in Tallaght church. At the rear are the remains of an ancient building, consisting of a narrow square tower, which looks like a belfry, and on the opposite side of the road are the ivied ruins of a massive entrance gate, apparently of very ancient date.

Following the devious course of this pretty country lane, in about three-quarters of a mile we reach a disused avenue on the right, opposite to which is the entrance to Oldcourt, a very ancient farm residence, with remains of an old garden, now overgrown and wild, and an extensive quadrangle of out-offices served by a water conduit taken from the adjoining stream. This house, which is mentioned in numerous inquisitions and grants for hundreds of years past, bears evidence of numerous alterations at different periods, but being untenanted, is gradually falling into decay.

We now enter the old avenue opposite, leading up to a building popularly known as “The Long House,” originally called “Dollymount,” and at a subsequent period “Mount Pelier House” - a name which has caused it to be confounded wit the ruin on top of the hill. The original heavy gate pillars and stone walls along the avenue still remain, as also a couple of stiles constructed for the use of foot passengers when the approach was closed during the absence of the proprietors. The house is two storeys high in front, with six windows on each side, and over the hall-door are the arms of the Ely family, surmounted by a coronet. The rooms had marble chimney-pieces and stuccoed ceilings, some portions of which yet remain; and the windows commanded a beautiful view of the County Dublin, the city and bay, with Howth, Ireland’s Eye and Lambay. On each side of the house was a large arched gateway, from which extended a long wing of out-offices, servants’ apartments, stables, &c., terminating at each end in a square three-storied tower with embattled top and pointed windows. Over the door of the left hand tower was, formerly, the date 1763, inscribed on the keystone of the arch

probably the date of erection or commencement.

This establishment was built as a hunting residence by Henry Loftus, Earl of Ely, the Count Loftonzo figuring so Prominently in *Baratariana, *whose wife, Frances Munroe, was aunt of the celebrated beauty, Dolly Monroe, after whom the Place was called “Dollymount.” It was originally surrounded and sheltered by a fine plantation of trees, some of which, mostly chestnuts, may still be seen to the left on approaching the building, and on the slope of the hill above it was a splendid wood of firs and larches, as dense as a tropical forest, not a trace of which now remains, the trees having been cut down and sold by a tenant who occupied the place after it had been abandoned as a residence by the owners.

Half a mile to the north-east is Orlagh College, formerly Footmount, now owned by the Augustinian Fathers, and easily identified by its spire peeping above the surrounding woods. This house was built about 1790 by Mr. Lundy Foot, the celebrated snuff manufacturer, of Westmoreland Street and Essex Street, who subsequently altered the name to Orlagh. He was an active magistrate, and as such was instrumental in bringing to justice the three Kearneys, who were hanged at Bohernabreena in 1816 for the murder of the gamekeeper of Friarstown. He was afterwards fired at, receiving desperate injuries, from which, however, he recovered, and ultimately was murdered in 1835 on his estate at Rosbercon, in the County Kilkenny, it was supposed by some relatives of the Kearneys, although this was only surmise, as the murderers were never discovered. His remains were some years afterwards removed to St. Matthew’s Church, Irishtown, where a tombstone records the manner of his death.

This Lundy Foot constructed the road from Ballycullen House to the entrance gate of Orlagh, and planted the fine woods around the house, as well as the trees on the roads adjoining it. After he went to the County Kilkenny, Orlagh was taken by Carew O’Dwyer, a prominent citizen and social figure in his day, who built a large banquetting hall in the house, and entertained with lavish hospitality.

Making our way over the gorse and heather up the slopes of tile hill from Mount Pelier House, we at length come into view of the old ruin on the top - an interesting and conspicuous object from afar, but proving a most unprepossessing structure on closer acquaintance. It is variously known to the Dublin folk as the Hell Fire Club House, the Haunted House, and the Shooting Lodge, although it really possesses no valid claim to any of these designations, it having been built, apparently as a mere freak, for use as an occasional summer residence, by the Right Honourable William Conolly of Castletown, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, about the year 1725*, *shortly after he purchased the Duke of Wharton’s estate in this neighbourhood.

Up to that date, there had stood from remote times upon the summit of the hill, a large cam similar to those on the tops of some of the adjacent mountains, consisting of a kind of rude wall or circumvallation of large flat stones set edgewise, within which a great quantity of smaller stones were collected into a heap. In the centre was a large monolith, 9 feet high, 6 feet wide, and 3 feet thick, and a similar stone about 5 or 6 feet high stood about 60 yards to the south-west. Nearly all these relics of a prehistoric age were utilised in building the house, which, it will be observed, is constructed of very rough and irregular materials, ill calculated to remain long in good repair. The building contained two large apartments and a hall on the upper floor, underneath which was the kitchen, where the jambs of the great fire-place may still be seen, a servants’ hall, and a small room at each end under a lean-to roof. The halldoor was reached by a lofty flight of steps, which with most of the other cut stone work, was taken away and used in the building of Mount Pelier House lower down the hill. In front was a semi-circular courtyard, enclosed by a low stone wall and entered by a gate.

Shortly after the house was built, the slated roof was blown off one night in a tremendous storm - by the agency of the devil it was popularly believed, on account of the sacrilegiou5 conduct of the builder in desecrating the old cam. But Squire Conolly was not a man to be easily beaten, and so he set to work and built a massive arched roof of stones keyed together as in a bridge, and of such impregnable strength that it has effectually withstood the efforts of wind or devil - whichever it was - from that day to this. This roof is perhaps the best built portion of the whole structure, consisting of flat stones set edgewise and the irregularities then filled in with gravel and mortar until brought to a uniform surface.

With regard to one of the names which seems to have taken the fancy of the public, it is to be observed that while the Hell Fire Club may have held some of its meetings in this house, it is tolerably certain that it was never one of the regular meeting-places of that mysterious and iniquitous body, the ordinary rendezvous of which was the Eagle Tavern, on Cork Hill.

The windows all face the north, evidently for the sake of the view, which must have been one of the chief attractions in selecting such a site. Standing in front of the building and looking eastward, one sees in succession Kilmashogue, the Three Rock and Two Rock Mountains, Tibradden, the dense woods of Glendoo, and then Cruagh and Killakee Mountains, due south lies Kippure, with the infant tributaries of the Dodder in deeply-sunk furrows by which they can be traced to their respective sources; and trending away in a southerly direction across the heather-brown slopes of Killakee is the great Military road, like a white ribbon flung across these desert solitudes - the sole mark of man’s dominion in that wild region. westward is Knockannavea or Tallaght Hill, beyond which may be discerned with a glass, the Bog of Allen and the serrated ruin of Carbury castle standing out boldly on the horizon. Farther off may be seen the double-topped Croghan Hill in Westmeath, with a n~ber of lower elevations in its neighbourhood, while in the same direction, but much closer at hand, is the picturesquely wooded hill of Oughterard. North-east lies Howth with its bright fields and pretty villas, set in the sapphire waters of tile bay, to the left is the greyish blur of smoke marking the position of the city, and then in succession along the coast, are Kingstown Harbour and the hills of Dalkey and Killiney.

There can be little doubt that this hill possessed an Irish name, like the other hills around it, and it is highly probable that this name was known to the Irish-speaking race who were to be found in Glennasmole down to the early part of the last century, but all trace of it has now, unfortunately, been lost among the country folk in the neighbourhood, to whom it is universally known as “Mount Pelia.” The modern name originated with the house on its summit, which was called Mount Pelier by the builder.

The descent may be made either directly down to the road near Killakee House, or through the steep little defile at the back of the hill, keeping to the left through the wood, and reaching the Military road beside the old reservoir. Turning homeward we pass the woods of Killakee House, and if desired, can take the private road through the demesne to Rockbrook. If, however, the road is adhered to, we presently pass on our left, the extensive stables of Killakee House, about a mile beyond which is the lofty gateway leading to the ruins of Mount Venus, a roomy old country house which stood on the summit of a prettily wooded round hill enclosed by splendid trees.

A short distance from this house, and adjoining the by-road leading to Rockbrook, is Mount Venus cromlech, standing within a walled enclosure, and nearly concealed by a grove of trees. The table stone has slipped from its original Position, and only two of the Supporting stones now remain upright. As stated in another chapter, the displacement of this top stone was attributed by Gabriel Beranger to an earthquake, which he also considered responsible for the formation of the precipitous little gorge at Kelly’s Glen.

A little lower down the road, inside the dashed wall so liberally inscribed with the names of excursionists, is Woodtown, now a school, built by George Grierson, King’s printer in the 18th century, who received £100,000 compensation for the loss of his office at the Union. With portion of the money he set up a wonderful farming establishment here, where he raised prize cattle and crops that brought him great renown at the agricultural shows, but made such inroads on his capital that, with the aid of a few similar enterprises, he soon succeeded in dissipating the whole of it, and died considerably in debt.

Resuming our journey, we next pass the Rathmines auxiliary reservoir, and crossing Billy’s Bridge, we join the Rockbrook road, passing in succession through the hamlets of Ballyboden and Willbrook before reaching Rathfarnham, from which the tram can be taken to town.

For those desirous of a somewhat longer walk than that *via *Tallaght, it will be an agreeable alternative to start instead from Rathfarnham, proceeding thence by Butterfield lane and the Bohernabreena road to Oldbawn, whence the route already described should be followed.

If Tallaght is made the starting point, and the return made by Rathfarnham, the total distance to be walked is 7½ miles, while if both start and finish are made at Rathfarnham the distance would be 10½ miles.

The route described in this chapter for ascending Mount Pelier has been selected for the purpose of seeing Oldcourt, Mountpelier House and Orlagh, but the easiest and most usual route is from the Military road near Killakee House (Lord Massey’s), from which there is a pathway up to the ruin on tile summit.

Cyclists might arrange to leave their machines at one of the cottages at Killakee, and then walk over the mountain.

In the preparation of this chapter much information has been obtained from Handcock’s History and Antiquities of Tallaght.

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