Is that a shimmering light in the window of Iveagh House? This grand Georgian building, now home to Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, has a history as elaborate as its ornate interiors. Iveagh House wasn’t always one structure. It began as two separate houses, numbers 80 and 81 on St. Stephen’s Green. Designed in 1736 by the renowned Richard Castle, number 80 even served as the residence of the famous Irish barrister and Master of the Rolls, John Philpot Curran. Fast forward to 1862, and enter Benjamin Guinness, grandson of the Arthur Guinness. He purchased both houses and, with a keen eye for design, combined them into the magnificent Iveagh House we see today. He adorned the Portland stone facade with his family’s heraldic symbols, a testament to his lineage. But Iveagh House holds a secret, whispered down through generations. They say a young, ailing servant girl, employed by the Protestant household, was denied her last wish to see a Catholic priest. She resorted to prayer, her rosary beads clutched tight. But her master, upon discovering her, flung the beads from the window in anger. Now, every year on Holy Thursday, a glowing cross appears in one of the windows, a silent echo of the servant girl’s faith. Coincidence? Perhaps. But as you stand before Iveagh House, its grand facade bathed in the Dublin sunshine, you might just find yourself glancing at the windows… just in case.
Irish Mercantile Marine Memorial Stone
In a time of global conflict, Ireland stood apart, a small island nation clinging to neutrality. Yet, the Irish Mercantile