Famous People


James Gandon (1743-1823) Architect.

Gandon was born in 1743 in London. From 1749 he was educated at Shipley's Drawing Academy. On leaving the drawing academy he studied architecture under Sir Willam Chambers. In 1765, Gandon left William Chambers to begin practice on his own. Circa 1769 he entered an architectural competition to design the new Royal Exchange in Dublin. The plan chosen was by Thomas Cooley. However, Gandon's design was in second place and the competition brought him to the attention of the politicians planning to redesign Dublin. Gandon accepted an invitation to Ireland to supervise the construction of the new Custom House. The original architect had died, and Gandon was chosen to assume complete control for building and revising the plans. History has it that Gandon had to be smuggled in to Dublin because of the widespread opposition to the Custom House. This proved to be a great turning point in Gandon's life and Dublin was to become his home.

Gandon's other works in the city included The Four Courts, the Law Society building at King's Inn designed in 1795, the Rotunda Assembly rooms, and many other buildings in College Green and Trinity College. One of his most prestigious commissions, which came in 1785, was to extend Pearce's monumental Houses of Parliament. He also built the, well known today,curved screen wall which links his extension to Pearce's original building. This building is now the Bank of Ireland. James Gandon died in 1823 at his home 'Cannon Brook' In Lucan after spending 42 years in Dublin. He was buried at Drumcondra.

Patrick Sarsfield (c.1650-1693) Irish Patriot, Earl of Lucan.

Came from Anglo-Norman family long settled in Ireland. His father Patrick Sarsfield married Anne, daughter of Rory (Roger) O'Moore, who organized the 1641 Rebellion. The family possessed an estate of £2000 a year. Patrick, who was a younger son, entered Dongan's Regiment of Foot in 1678. During the final years of the reign of King Charles II he served in the English regiments but he returned to Ireland after the accession of King James II.

When King James disbanded his army and fled to France, Sarsfield accompanied him. In 1689 he returned to Ireland with the king. During the earlier part of the Williamite war in Ireland he did good service by capturing Sligo and securing all of Connaught for the Jacobites. The king, who is said to have described him as a brave fellow who had no head, promoted him to the rank of brigadier, and then major-general with some reluctance. It was not till after the Battle of the Boyne (July 1690) and during the Seige of Limerick, that Sarsfield came prominently forward. His capture of a convoy of military stores at Ballyneety delayed the siege of the town till the winter rains forced the English to retire.This achievement made him the popular hero of the war with the Irish. His generosity, his courage and his commanding height, had already commended him to the affection of the Irish. When the cause of King James was ruined in Ireland, Sarsfield was forced to arrange the disadvantageous Treaty of Limerick and sailed to France on December 22nd 1691 with many of his countrymen who entered the French service in what is known as the Flight of the Wild Geese. He received a commission as lieutenant-general (maréchal-de-camp) from King Louis XIV and fought with distinction in Flanders till he was mortally wounded at the battle of Neerwinden, on August 19th 1693. He died two or three days after the battle, at Huy in Belgium, where he is buried in the grounds of St Martin's Church. A plaque on the wall of this Church marks the approximate location of his grave.

In 1691 he had been created Earl of Lucan by King James. He married Lady Honora Burke, by whom he had one son James, who died childless in 1718. They also had one daughter.

BACK TO TOP