Steward’s House, Farmleigh to be official Taoiseach’s residence

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

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.

Was a picture of it in the Irish Times recently, I think. Looks awful and middling.

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.)

@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?

dublin apartments ? refurbished house in phoenix park ? what a joke. Leinster House should be the offical residance and they should build a new capital hill styled building in phoenix park

that would be nicolae ‘ass hat’ ceauşescu’s gaff in bucharest

i like zaha hadid’s proposal from the 70’s …… http://www.zaha-hadid.com/ …presentation wise it’s pretty sharp as well…. fickle i know

@ctesiphon wrote:

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.)

I know its an old pic to quote, but damn does that ever look like a railway station.

@Maskhadov wrote:

dublin apartments ? refurbished house in phoenix park ? what a joke. Leinster House should be the offical residance and they should build a new capital hill styled building in phoenix park

Words fail me…

It will never happen but I always thought that Tyrone House on Marlborough St. that houses the department of education would be an excellent residance. From the outside its a very sober afair but the true beuty lies inside. To locate such an important building here would give one of the sabbiest areas of Dublin a huge lift.

Well actually the apartment idea was a very good one. The leinster house as the Dail is a joke. Just look how small the place is on TV. How can that be anything other than a offical residence

Why change the Dail at all – it’s only ever full on about 6 occasions during the lifetime of a government (vote on a Taoiseach and 5 budgets). Aint broken don’t fix it.

On the point of having a Taoiseach’s official residence – why? We’ve survived without one since the foundation of the State and Farmleigh is suitable for all official government entertainment. Just because we have one of the highest paid heads of state in Europe doesn’t mean he should be housed in palatial accomodation – at least if they use their own accomodation they can retain some link with reality.

I don’t a residance ever being created as the concept of a residance payed for with tax payers money will always prove unpopular, if you look at Downing St. it was a present form the monarch and only accepted on the condition that it be for the PM of the day. Unless some wealthy individaul would be willing to pay for a Taoiseach’s house 😮 its unlikely to happen.

Aside from the security concerns of the location should’nt the leader of the country be located in the centre of the capitol city?

Also, any one have any info or pictures on the competition in 1970’s to build a residance at Ashtown Castle in the Park. I saw one the runner up designs by Meagher and DeBlacam that would have been ground breaking if realised. The proposal was scrapped by CJH, afterall who would want to leave Abbeyville anyway

I went looking on Google Maps and, while I can’t be certain whether or not this is the building, there seems to be a little complex of whitish looking houses just north of Farmleigh Hse on White’s Rd. There seems to be some sort of courtyardy business there, suggesting that the bit adjacent to the road is actually an out-house of some sort with the main building removed from the wall..

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=farmleigh,+phoenix+park,+dublin,+ireland&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&ll=53.365749,-6.358616&spn=0.004654,0.009978&z=17

@crestfield wrote:

Unless some wealthy individaul would be willing to pay for a Taoiseach’s house 😮

Ah, hindsight… 😀
So will Biffo be moving in on May 6th or 7th? It might be a nice little ceremony. He could motor up Chesterfield Avenue, stop at the Aras and then go straight up to the house with his bags. Maybe throw an envious glance into Deerfield as he goes past.
In any case, I imagine there’ll be a little bit more of a focus on this residence in the months ahead than there has been. Oh and by the by, it may not be a great structure but The Steward’s Houses is an appropriate name for the residence of the country’s temporary leader. Unless it’s changed to Aras an Taoiseach… because of course nothing could be left in English in this Anglophobic State, could it? :p

Unless it’s changed to Aras an Taoiseach… because of course nothing could be left in English in this Anglophobic State, could it

to be fair there is very little official use of Gaelic in the United Kingdom and dominions.

Just on the general matter, great to see Evie Hone’s My Four Green Fields window in the full glare of publicity yesterday – usually skulking as it does in the background of the staircase hall. What a stunningly sharp and vivid memorable backdrop.
And apt too in da Bert context.

Of course the Taoiseach should have an official residence; the (Scottish) First Minister has one at Bute House, a swanky pile in the middle of an Edinbugh New Town terrace. Never understood why they don’t knock Agriculture House and built something half decent, including a contemporary rebuild of Kildare Place which could have a residence (which usually = office, meeting and reception rooms, etc.) for the T and the two ‘speakers’ of the Dail and Seanad. Ever been mooted?
Crestfield: you’re confusing Downing Street with Chequers; I’m sure DS was just a private residence that was ‘acquired’ at some point – Chequers was a gift on the terms you state.

Yep the vista spot on Peter – always dodgy camera positions that get it wrong! Incidentally the drum of the dome is put to the delightfully ceremonial use of a canteen.

The security savings alone should negate much criticism of a Taoiseach’s residence. A host of new pricey equipment has to be installed in a new house every time there’s a change in the position.

The difference in the Irish situation however is that we already have a Downing Street administrative-wise in the form of Government Buildings, where all ceremonial receptions are also held. There’s Farmleigh and the Castle for larger events. As such only a residence is really required, perhaps with a single reception space. A contemporary new-build would be preferable, given every other aspect of the Oireachtas is houses in a converted shell of one kind or another.

No way should the chairs of the Houses have residences; there isn’t the history attached to the ceremony of the positions as in London.

@GrahamH wrote:

Incidentally the drum of the dome is put to the delightfully ceremonial use of a canteen.

You’re KIDDING? 😮 Of all the places… Of all the places to stick the canteen.

“Where’ll we put the restaurant?”
“Sure that dome’s empty..”

I was told today that Cowen stays in the Merrion when in Dublin, so I can imagine why he mightn’t be happy to move to the Steward’s House. Personally I think there’s more scandal in the building staying vacant than in him using it. I heard somehere (was it here?) that the cost of refurbishment was €600,000. If he doesn’t move in, I’ll write to him and ask him why 😀

Oh! And then write to the OPW and offer my services as house-sitter.

grahamH: you’re the local man with the knowledge, but if you’ve no respect for the speaker, why shoukld you have any for the house?

Surely the best place for the Taoiseach, given recent events, would be the State Apartments in Dublin Castle. 30 second commute?

@alonso wrote:

30 second commute?

To where? The Bridewell?

Peter- I suspect part of the reason the chosen camera angle is usually off centre is to try to minimise the intrusion of Ag House into the shots.

Cells?

Esmeraldaaaaaaa!!!!

is he living there?

and the family?