Steward’s House, Farmleigh to be official Taoiseach’s residence
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From Ireland.com
Farmleigh lodge planned as residence for future taoisigh
Liam Reid and Mark BrennockThe Government is refurbishing a house in the grounds of the Farmleigh estate in the Phoenix Park with a view to using it as an official Taoiseach’s residence.
Office of Public Works (OPW) sources have confirmed that the refurbishment of the Steward’s House on the estate, to be completed next year, is being carried out with the specific aim of providing a suitable residence for the Taoiseach.
There is political sensitivity at Government level about the project, with some concerned that it could be depicted as a lavish “perk” for the Taoiseach. A spokeswoman for the Taoiseach said Mr Ahern has no interest in using it, and will remain living in his relatively modest home off Griffith Avenue, Dublin.
“It [ the Steward’s House] could be used as a Taoiseach’s residence in future, but it won’t be used by him [ Mr Ahern]”, she said.
The four-bedroom Steward’s House is described by the Office of Public Works as a “domestic-scale” building which would be highly suitable as a family home. A high specification security system is being installed for the house and grounds.
Up to now Ireland has not followed the practice common in other countries of having a State-provided residence for the prime minister of the day.
However, modern security requirements, coupled with the advantages of having a house in which the Taoiseach can work and receive visitors on official business, has led to the earmarking of this house for the use of future taoisigh.
Gardaà are increasingly uneasy at the difficulty of providing adequate security for the private residences of future taoisigh, particularly for those who live in apartments.
This issue arose when Albert Reynolds, as taoiseach, lived in a Dublin apartment.
It could also arise were Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny to become taoiseach, as he currently lives in a city centre apartment when in Dublin.
An official OPW spokesman declined to confirm or deny that the house may be used in future for this purpose. “It is envisaged that the Steward’s House will be used as a stand-alone guest facility to complement the activities at the main house”, he said. “Any additional use will be a matter for Government to decide upon.”
The Steward’s House, close to White’s Road at the edge of the Phoenix Park in Castleknock, was the home of the manager of Farmleigh estate. More recently, the OPW architectural staff used it as offices.
When the refurbishment is completed the house will comprise four bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room, and family rooms. The house can be accessed separately from the main Farmleigh estate.
Visiting dignitaries stay in Farmleigh House.
Any images anyone ?
Aha – The Residence Question rears its contentious head again.
The huge amounts of money spent on upgrading Bertie’s home (and the T
Put Bertie in a house on Henrietta Street . . . . . maybe number 10? . . and rail it off like downing street. .. . actually make that number 11 – just to prove a point 😉
I guess it makes sense to put this in the farmleigh complex, but I can’t help being sorry that the opw building isn’t being used; its so handsome and a new use needs to be found for it if the opw is moving to trim (?).
So what will be the country estate?
I wonder if we could expect haughey to gift that Island to the State, or even Kinseally in Dublin. Do the State some service.
@Graham Hickey wrote:
Likewise “four bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room, and family rooms” doesn’t immediately suggest the residence could be used for official engagements which is surely one of the greatest advantages of having such a facility – that it can act as a flexible location for public work and family life?
no it makes sense – it means that farmleigh will be used for all this as the stewards house is in the grounds
sounds reasonable to me … had a good look for images, no luck so far … just found reference to it in an OPW report …
Good point for larger functions Paul.
But I’m thinking along the lines of the great machine that is Downing Street, with state rooms that are just a corridor a way from the private quarters (or No 11 as it is at present). It’s a hugely flexible space, allowing more efficent use of prime ministers’ time, and aids in getting more work done and/or easing the pressures of the head of government.At the same time, I suppose we have to factor in that we already have a Downing Street here, just without the residential element – the Department of the Taoiseach at Govt Buildings, which includes the cabinet room, Taoiseach’s office, and all advisors and their offices on hand too, not to mention ‘state rooms’ of a sort downstairs – almost identical to Downing Street.
So it’s a public-private divide arrangement that looks set to be introduced – just it would seem to be a wasted opportunity were a public element not to be included in the new residence, and were it not to be at least somewhat distinctive (let’s avoid ‘iconic’ :)) in the public eye.
A new-build would be more preferable to an average period piece should it turn out to be such.Anyone have even the slightest idea what this Steward’s House even looks like, where it is or when it was built?
The living accomodation in Downing Street has been described as pokey and small, its best described as a flat – so much so that I believe that the Blairs when first elected moved into no 11 instead as the chancellor’s accomodation was more spacious, and Gordon Brown was at that time single.
any chance you could scan & post it fergair ?
A bit off-topic, but just thinking for a while – who came up with the rather prosaic term ‘Government Buildings’? It’s a name you’d more readily associate with Australia or New Zealand rather than a western European country.
Did Charlie dream it up or was it a civil servant insider job? Or did it exist before the wholescale takeover in the late 80s?This is the pic that was in the paper recently- part of an Irishman’s Diary from the Sat 4th Feb Irish Times. Apologies for the quality but the image is pretty small in the original.
(No photographer’s name attached.)thanks for that ctesiphon, not very impressive from that angle, awkward position too jammed in against the roadway …
@Graham Hickey wrote:
A bit off-topic, but just thinking for a while – who came up with the rather prosaic term ‘Government Buildings’? It’s a name you’d more readily associate with Australia or New Zealand rather than a western European country.
Did Charlie dream it up or was it a civil servant insider job? Or did it exist before the wholescale takeover in the late 80s?Interesting point, according to “Building for Government” the complex was built as the “Royal College of Science and Government Buildings”. Due to the fact that the Dept. of Agriculture and Technical Instruction and the Local Government Board were to be located there. The buildings was comemenced by the British administration and ironically was completed just in time for the hand over to the Irish Free State. The central element was opened as the College of Science in 1911 and the two wings, due to hold the respective departments in 1922.
I couldnt’ see it being impressive from any angle. If, as posted here, the OPW is quitting its mansion on the Green (what a loss to the east side of the square) then it’d be as good a building as any. Would easily be large enough to function as an appropriate residence for our Head of Government, is appropriately dignified and has space for hosts of other functions, offices etc.
And a quick commute to work 😀I can’t see the public going for that..a little too nice for the “Shower in Power” would be my guess.
The Steward’s House is just too…proletarian to be honest. And if it’s beside the road, is that not a bit dodgy from a security point of view?
Anything that separates the leader of the day from the experiences of the people is a bad thing. Some concessions may have to be made for security reasons, but I’d prefer if he drove his own car or took public transport, lived in a normal house according to his means used aer lingus and so on. It’s hard to make good decisions when you’re too far apart from the real world. He should live a life according to his not insubstantial salary.
Making a permanent residence is a step towards monarchy and moves away from the idea that a change of regime leads to any difference. The parties are already too similar without this.
Down with that sort of thing!
Well having Taoiseach Enda Kenny living in the PVC clad house that he does would really be too much for me to stomach 🙂
The Steward’s House is certainly, eh, ‘modest’. And there was me thinking there was this tucked away amongst the horse chestnuts of the Park:
(anyone care to guess what country?)I’d agree with you up to a point Frank, but there is a logic in combining the governmental and residential aspects of the post of Taoiseach/Prime Minister. It would seem to make for more efficient use of that person’s time, as well as provide the public with a more solid concept of the Department of the Taoiseach.
Whereas in the UK everything is issued or declared directly or on behalf of the PM via ‘Downing Street’, we get the nonsense of ‘spokespeople’ or ‘advisors to the Taoiseach’ etc. There is no concept of a strong leading force in Goverment in Ireland which is a shame I think.Certainly it could argued that is a good thing: advisors etc cannot operate under a ceremonial prime ministerial cloak as we have seen in the UK, but sure we already have that sort of culture here anyway. By and large I think it is a shame we don’t have a physically recognisable Department of the Taoiseach (though RT
I bought a postcard of the palace of the people, pic above, in bucharest when i visited there about ten years ago and thought i was going to be lynched, an angry crowd gathered to shout at me: its bad taste fto buy a postcard of a symbol of tyranny. The funny thing is that the vendor joined in at shouting at me. The avenue leading up to the palace was quite striking in an ozimandias sort of way, a overblown tyrant-chic imitation of beaux art done in now crumbling concrete, massive ornate buildings clearly being used as tenements.
Would it be possible to have an apartment within farmleigh itself, I don’t know how its laid out. Wouldn’t the proposed location be needlessly difficult to look after from a security point of view?
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