Butterfield

Butterfield House

Butterfield House

Butterfield House, Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, County Dublin, Ireland

Reproduced by kind permission of Duchas

Butterfield House
Reproduced by kind permission of Duchas

Butterfield House

Butterfield House, Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, County Dublin, Ireland

Reproduced by kind permission of Duchas

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Butterfield House, in the townland of Butterfield, dates from the eighteenth century. It was once the home of John Hely Hutchinson, Prime Sergeant of Ireland, and later Provost of Trinity College. Hely is accredited with the donation of a fair green to Rathfarnham Village in return for a high wall being built around his property.

Butterfield House has been associated with Robert Emmet in the past, as have other properties along Butterfield Avenue, but the rumour that stayed there under a false name was later refuted. The house appears on the Ordnance Survey of 1843 and is listed in both Thom's Directory and Griffith's Valuation in the 1850s as being occupied by Mr. Charles M. Dunn. The house still stands today, and is used as apartments and offices.

Old Orchard House

Old Orchard House

Old Orchard House, Rathfarnham, County Dublin, Ireland

Reproduced by kind permission of Duchas

Old Orchard House
Reproduced by kind permission of Duchas

Old Orchard House

Old Orchard House, Rathfarnham, County Dublin, Ireland

Reproduced by kind permission of Duchas

Enlarge image

Old Orchard stands on the right hand side of Butterfield Avenue approaching Rathfarnham Village. Robert Emmet is said to have leased this house between April and July of 1803 while making preparations for his ill-fated uprising, under the name of Robert Ellis. However, Washington House, further along the same road, also has this claim and to this day it is debated as to which house he actually resided in. Lewis's Dictionary lists the occupant of Old Orchard House in 1837 as P. Larkin. Griffith's Valuation in the 1850s lists a Mr. Graham Kennedy.

Today, Old Orchard is the home of the Grainger family.

Orchardstown House

Orchardstown House, in the townland of Old Orchard was built in about 1800. It appears on the 1843 Ordnance Survey map and Griffith's Valuation. The NIAH assessment describes it as a detached multiple-bay two-storey house, with partial parapet, and in good condition.

Riversdale House

Riversdale House in the townland of Butterfield, is located as one turns right onto Butterfield Avenue from Old Bridge Road. It shares its name with Riversdale in Woodbrook, which became the home of W.B. Yeats in his last years. It appears on the Ordnance Survey of 1843. Thom's Directory (1854) lists the occupier as William Gordon; Griffith's Valuaton (1850's) lists W. Pidgeon. The house is still standing.