Dawn breaks on working mornings with bright sunshine between the dark trees

Dawn breaks above the skeletal trees and the dew-covered lawn this morning (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2014)

Patrick Comerford

The new semester is well and truly under way, with daily cycle of worship in the chapel, lectures, seminars, faculty meetings, tutorial groups and shared meals, as well as dissertation supervision and essay marking.

Winter is still snapping back in cold bites throughout the day, and the drive along the Dodder is beautiful but interspersed with reminders that I should not try to deceive myself yet that Spring is knocking at the door.

Morning mist still covers any open expanse of grass by the river bank, on the slopes behind Rathfarnham Village, and on the lawn in front of my office. The tall trees are still bare, and in the early morning shortly before sunrise their black branches look elegant but skeletal against the deep blue of the sky.

The tall trees are elegant but skeletal against the pre-dawn blue sky on the banks of the Dodder in Rathfarnham (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2014)

Sunday afternoon an evening provided a light break between a working weekend with the part-time MTh students and the return of the full-time students on Monday morning for the new semester.

In the afternoon, I attended a birthday party for a three-year-old ... I had taken part in her baptism almost two years ago. I learned more about drumming on Sunday afternoon than I ever imagined, and was gently tutored about the differences between drums from Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Gambia and Mali, the differences between drums made from cow’s skin or the skin of goats, antelopes and even horses. And the different sounds made by the depth and carving of the wooden bases, with their different carvings, shapes and designs.

Learning about African drums at a child’s birthday party (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2014)

On Sunday evening, two of us had dinner in the Gables in heart of the village of Foxrock, beside Leopardstown racecourse. The award-winning restaurant and wine shop are housed in a pretty old Victorian property that once housed Findlater’s food shop.

One of us had a Warm Salad of Five Mile Town Goats Cheese and Beetroot, with mesculin leaves, roasted beetroot, orange and a hazelnut dressing; and a Spring Risotto, with grilled courgettes, aubergines, scallions, oven roasted tomatoes and parmesan shavings. And one of us had Crayfish Tails and New Potato Salad, with scallions, celeriac remoulade, mixed leaves and a citrus dressing; Fish Pie, which was a combination of salmon, prawns, mussels, cod and smoked haddock, cooked in a white wine sauce with creamed potato and a mixed leaf salad; and crème brulee.

Although the Gables has an impressive wine list, we shared a carafe of Pinot Grigio. And we followed the meal with two double espressos.

Outside in the cold evening, we strolled in the bright winter light through Foxrock village, window shopping in the Guinness Gallery and the estate agents.

The deep blue nights this week are bright and star-filled. I hope it stays that way for the next few nights, and that the full moon is bright and clearly visible on Thursday evening.

Remembering Samuel Beckett and the Arts and Crafts Movement in leafy Foxrock

Cooldrinagh, on the corner of Kerrymont Avenue, is the best-known house on Brighton Road, for this was the childhood home of Samuel Beckett (Photograph: myhome.ie)

Patrick Comerford

With an hour or more on my hands between two celebrations of the Eucharist in Tullow Parish Church on Brighton Road, Carrickmines on Sunday morning [4 August 2013], I took the opportunity for a quiet and contemplative early morning walk along Brighton Road, between the church and Foxrock Village.

This section of Brighton Road has a sylvan feeling to it at this time of the year, with an overarching canopy of trees providing a gentle ceiling of foliage between Foxrock Village and the leafy suburban residential areas.

The overarching canopy of trees provides a gentle ceiling of foliage on the walk along Brighton Road to Foxrock Village (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2013)

Along the footpaths, there is a mixture of soft and hard boundary treatments, with mature planting and hard edges that are generally made up of tall granite walls, and with a consistently good quality and continuity along the edge.

The narrow footpaths on both sides of Brighton Road contribute to the rural character of this area, complemented by residential lanes leading to some back land developments.

The original soft roadside boundary has been lost at Hollybrook (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2013)

One noticeable exception is the recent development at Hollybrook, where the original soft roadside boundary has been replaced by a low granite wall and railings, opening up unrestricted views into the development.

Many of the houses on Brighton Road stand on large, irregular plots of land, and some plots are exceptionally large. Some of the houses are embassy residences, and the houses have a variety of architectural styles, with the older, late 19th century houses standing at the mid-section on both sides of the road, and the later 20th century houses at either end of the road.

The first phase of development took place along the eastern side of the road before the development of Foxrock as a garden suburb. These large detached houses are set in substantial grounds well back from the road.

Lis-na-Carrig is the sole survivor from this period. It is a large, detached, two-storey house with a central three-bay section that is flanked by lower two-storey ranges to the side and rear. It has a centrally placed door-case with classical detailing and fanlight.

Cooldrinagh … now hidden behind trees and fencing (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2013)

One of the best examples of the Arts and Crafts period is Cooldrinagh, standing at the corner of Brighton Road and Kerrymont Avenue. This is the childhood home of the Nobel Laureate for Literature, Samuel Beckett, who was born here on Good Friday, 13 April 1906.

The house and garden at Cooldrinagh, as well as the surrounding countryside where Beckett often went walking with his father, the nearby Leopardstown Racecourse, the Foxrock railway station and Harcourt Street station at the city terminus of the line, all feature in his prose and plays.

Cooldrinagh was built by the playwright’s father, William Beckett, in 1903, and was designed by Frederick George Hicks.

Cooldrinagh has features that are typical of the Arts and Crafts style, including clay rooftiles, and a timber porch and veranda.

The architect, Frederick Hicks (1870-1965), was born in Banbury, Oxfordshire, a son of Joseph Hicks, a linen draper. He went to Taunton School and received his architectural training at the London Architectural Association School and at Finsbury Technical College, while he was articled to John William Stevens.

In 1890, at the age of 20, Hicks came to Dublin to take up a trial appointment in the office of James Rawson Carroll, where Frederick Batchelor was then the chief assistant. He remained with Carroll for 2½ years. After a year in the office of William Henry Byrne, and 3½ years as chief assistant to Thomas Drew, he set up in practice on his own in Dublin in 1895. He was working from the same premises as Frederick Augustus Butler at 5 Saint Stephen’s Green until Butler’s death in 1903, the year Cooldrinagh was built.

Carrickbyrn, on the opposite side of Brighton Road, was designed by Frederick Batchelor (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2013)

In 1905, Hicks went into partnership with Frederick Batchelor at 86 Merrion Square, and the partnership of Batchelor and Hicks lasted until 1922, when Batchelor retired. Hicks then worked on his own until he retired in 1945.

Hicks also exhibited frequently at the Water Colour Society of Ireland’s exhibitions and at the Royal Hibernian Academy, and had a good bass voice, singing at concerts. He died at home at The Tower, Malahide shortly before his 95th birthday, and was buried in of Saint Andrew’s Church of Ireland churchyard, Malahide.

Brighton Road also has a group of three 1890s houses that are in the Arts and Crafts Style. They share a number of common features, including the off-centre front entrance. Houses of this period usually have their doorways placed off-centre, and in many cases they are placed in a more discreet and less formal manner behind verandas and porches.

Carrickbyrn was designed by Frederick Batchelor for Sir William Ireland de Courcv-Wheeler, President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Cloncarrig ... with rock-faced granite walls and brick dressing that are rarely found in the area (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2013)

Another grouping of houses dates from the 1890s to 1930s. They have characteristic elements of houses of this period, each in its own unique way. A notable exception within the group is Cloncarrig, with its squared rock-faced granite walls and brick dressing, a treatment of the elevation rarely found in the area.

There is a group of houses dating from the 1930s on that show a variety of architectural styles and boundary treatments.

Some of these houses have a quality that adds to the rich architectural tapestry of Foxrock, but their boundary treatments and entrances do not maintain the sylvan character of the area.

The Gables, formerly Findlater’s grocery shop, opened in 1904 and was designed by William Kaye-Parry (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2013)

At the end of Brighton Road, Foxrock village stands at the junction with Westminster Road and Torquay Road. The village retains a certain rural character, with its mixture of small-scale businesses.

The best-known landmark at this junction is The Gables, the former Findlater’s grocery shop, which opened in 1904.

This building was designed by William Kaye-Parry (1853-1932) and has many features that are characteristic of the Edwardian period, including a high gabled pitched roof covered in red clay tiles, incorporating a third storey. The timber shopfront has fluted timber piers at ground floor level. The finishes include red brick at ground floor level, with dashed render to the upper floors and half-timber cladding to the gables.

William Kaye-Parry’s father, William Parry, owned the Salthill Hotel in Salthill, Co Dublin. He was articled to John McCurdy (1870-1873), and then studied for a degree in engineering (BAI) in Trinity College, Dublin (1875).

He was surveyor to the Kingstown Estate (1889-1903), and entered into partnership with George Murray Ross in 1898/1899. He was a founder member of the Dublin Sanitary Association, which developed into the Dublin Artisans’ Dwelling Company. He died in London after a long illness in 1932.

Brighton Terrace ... a collection of single-storey artisan cottages that add to the rural village atmosphere of Foxrock (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2013)

In stark contrast, Brighton Terrace is a collection of single-storey artisan cottages. This was originally one terrace of 12 cottages and two terraces of four cottages, but five of the cottages were demolished to facilitate access to Brighton Lodge, a late 20th century housing development.

The communal space in front of the cottages is lined with vegetation, providing a rural village atmosphere, complemented by the of the overhanging high tree canopy from the garden plot on the opposite side of Brighton Road.

The other buildings in Foxrock village date from the mid-20th century. Although they are well maintained, they have poorly designed shopfronts and signs.

But here I also found a welcome double espresso before strolling back to Tullow Parish Church for the Parish Communion.

On the way back, I noticed a tranquil site that looks like a rural backwater. Its tranquillity has been preserved and its seclusion protected, possibly, because it backs onto Leopardstown Racecourse. But there is an application for planning permission for a major development here too. Another quiet corner of Brighton Road may be about to disappear.

Another quiet corner of Brighton Road may be about to disappear (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2013)

Later, two of us had lunch in Pod’s Pizza, next door to Vanilla Pod in the Iveagh Mall at the Park, Carrickmines. We had a Superfood Pizza (with Feta Cheese, Tomato, Broccoli, Walnut, Sweet Potato, Figs and Spinach), Risotto, a glass of wine, an Americano and a double espresso. It all came to less than €32, the place is family friendly, and we promised ourselves a return visit.

We stopped briefly at Leopardstown Park, to photograph the house that was the birthplace of the great Cambridge theologian, FJA Hort of Westcott and Hort fame, before continuing on to Portrane for the second day of the great August bank holiday sale in aid of Heart to Hand.

A walk in the gardens at Killruddery and by the shore in Bray

Killruddery is one of Ireland’s great historic houses (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2012)

Patrick Comerford

Bray is preparing to welcome Katie Taylor home tomorrow [Monday] with her gold medal. Despite heavy rain throughout the afternoon, Bray was alive and bright today, with music and crowds along the Promenade, and air of excitement everywhere.

Earlier in the afternoon, we were in Killruddery, which has been home to the Brabazon family and the Earls of Meath since 1618. This is one of Ireland’s great historic houses and the gardens deserved more of our time for walks and exploring.

Killruddery has been home to the Brabazon family and the Earls of Meath since 1618 (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2012)

We started our walk in the Walled Garden, first built around 1830. This is four acres of space within tall red brick walls. A long walk leads past potatoes, spinach, lettuce, asparagus, broccoli, swedes, courgettes, beans and herbs. There are pear, apple, damson and fig trees and at the heart of the garden is a perfect picnic spot. Close-by are hens and a cockerel, and pigs in an open pen.

The gardens at Killruddery are the oldest in Ireland still surviving in their original 17th century style (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2012)

The gardens at Killruddery are the oldest in Ireland still surviving in their original 17th century style, with 18th and 19th century additions. They were designed for the entertainment of a large number of people and the scale is comparable to that of a park. They are mainly the work of the 4th and 6th Earls of Meath, who engaged Bonet, a French landscape architect and a pupil of Le Notre.

The middle section of the garden, ‘The Angles,’ is a series of walks flanked by hornbeam, lime and beech hedges that meet at two centre points. Beyond ‘The Angles’ is an avenue of Ilex trees dating from the 17th century and steps leading to what was the bowling green. This area is under restoration.

The Long Ponds are twin canals 187 metres long and known as miroirs d’eaux or reflecting ponds (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2012)

The Long Ponds are twin canals 187 metres long and known as miroirs d’eaux or reflecting ponds.

Opposite ‘The Angles,’ on the far side of the Long Ponds, is a wooded area known as the Wilderness. A gate leads out to the Park and a statue of Venus. The circular granite edged pond is 20 metres in diameter and the four Victorian cast iron statues at the entrances depict the four seasons of the year.

Beyond the Beech Hedge Pond are the gardens laid out in a 19th century style. A low yew hedge encloses a rose and lavender garden with a fountain in the centre.

Killruddery House is one of the most successful EIizabethan-Revival mansions in Ireland. In the 1820s, the 10th Earl of Meath engaged Richard Morrison and his son William, fashionable architects of the day, to remodel Killruddery.

In the 1950s part of the house was demolished and the house was greatly reduced to its present size. However, much of the Morrisons’ design and architecture remains.

The glass dome in Orangery was designed by Richard Turner (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2012)

We were brought through the house, ending finally at the magnificent Orangery. This was designed and built by William Burn in 1852 after the fashion of the Crystal Palace in England. The original glass dome was the work of Richard Turner, who designed the curvilinear range at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin and at Kew Gardens in London.

The Orangery in KIllruddery was designed by William Burn after the fashion of the Crystal Palace (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2012)
The Orangery houses a collection of marble statues gathered in Italy in 1830-1850. Classical sculptures include Ganymede giving water to Zeus disguised as an eagle, Cyparissus with his dying deer, and Cupid with Pysche and Venus. A collection of busts includes Homer, Socrates, Napoleon, William Pitt and the Duke of Wellington.

From Killruddery we returned to Bray and stopped for a moment at the former Town Hall and Market House, built by the Earls of Meath as a gift to the town. In front of the Town Hall is a monument to the Brabazon family with their heraldic wyvern, which we had seen throughout the house at Killruddery. Above was a banner preparing to welcome Katie Taylor back to Bray tomorrow.

The Brabazon wyvern fountain and the Town Hall in Bray ... preparing to welcome Katie Taylor home (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2012)

The Meath family were generous patrons, giving Dublin the Meath Hospital, the Coombe Hospital and the Brabazon Home. What a sad reflection on life today that the Town Hall they gave to Bray has not remained a public building but is used by a well-known fast food chain!

We parked on the seafront, and walked back in the rain to have lunch in Campo De Fiori, on the corner of Strand Road and Albert Avenue. The restaurant takes its name from a square in Rome, known as the “field of flowers” because in ancient days it was decorated with nice daisies, poppies and many wild flowers.

Walking along the seafront in Bray this afternoon (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2012)

Earlier in the day, I was in Tullow Church on Brighton Road in Carrickmines to preside at the early morning Eucharist at 8.30 and to lead Morning Prayer and preach at 10.30.

Tullow Church serves about 200 families in the Church of Ireland parish in the Carrickmines, Foxrock and Cornelscourt area.

Between the two services I strolled in early morning drizzle as far as Foxrock village, and back again.

Tullow Parish traces its history back to a church dating from the late 12th century and said to have stood on the site of an earlier church founded by Saint Brigid. Tullow or Tully (an earlier version of the name) means hillock and the original name was Tullagh na nEspuc (the Hill of the Bishops). Legend says the “Seven Bishops of Cabinteely” started out from there to visit Saint Brigid in Kildare.

The 12th century church was in use until about 1615, and was supplied with clergy from Christ Church Cathedral in the city centre. By 1630, the church had been badly damaged in storms. It was abandoned and fell into ruins, and the parish was united with Monkstown.

Tullow Parish Church on Brighton Road, Carrickmines, Co Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2012)

The story of the present church begins in 1860. The parish church in Monkstown was finding it difficult to accommodate the growing numbers of church-goers on Sundays and Foxrock was a growing suburb served by new suburban rail stations in the Foxrock and Carrickmines on the Harcourt Street line to Bray.

The Revd John Fawcett, a curate in Taney, was nominated to the new parish of Tullow, which first used a schoolhouse on Ballycorus Road until the new church was consecrated in 1864.

The church, designed by Welland and Gillespie, had a simple rectangular shape and gothic-style spire. It was built in granite at a cost of £1,600. The rectory beside the church was built in 1890. The church was extended by JF Fuller in 1904, so that the original building became the transepts and the nave and chancel were added at right angles.

The East Window, which was added on 1959, shows four scenes from the life of Christ – the Annunciation, the Incarnation, the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Below is a discreet carved inscription quoting John Donne: “The whole life Christ was a continual passion ... His birth and his death were but one continual act, and his Christmas Day and his Good Friday are but the evening and the morning of one and the same day.”

The East Window in Tullow Parish Church (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2012)