St. Helen's, Booterstown

St. Helen's is a period house built in the early 1750s and located in Booterstown, County Dublin, Ireland. Originally called Seamount, the property was developed by Thomas Cooley, a Dublin barrister and MP of Duleek, with a registry of deeds entry dating to 20 June 1754. Over the following centuries it passed through the hands of several notable owners, including Hugh Gough, 1st Viscount Gough, Sir John Nutting, and the Congregation of Christian Brothers. The building displays the motto "Mors Potior Macula", meaning "Death rather than infamy". In the late 20th century the house was converted into a hotel. The Radisson Hotels became the operator of St. Helen's as a five-star hotel in 1998. In 2024 the Radisson Blu St Helen's hotel was acquired by the Scally family, and the house is now part of the Hayfield Family Collection, which has retained many of the original decorative features. The property is operated as a five-star hotel by the Scally Hotel Collection and is owned by the Scally Family. The house is set within historic gardens that were laid out in terraces by Hugh Gough, 1st Viscount Gough, and named after his various campaigns. The gardens were designed by Ninian Niven and by 1870 were vastly planted with 12,000 plants in the formal gardens. A sculpture called Continuum by Linda Brunker, commissioned by the Cosgrave Property Group, was unveiled in 1998 in the front gardens. The house was listed as a National Monument in 1994 following the demolition of a 19th-century wing, which sparked fears that it might suffer a similar fate to Frescati House. Senator Cosgrave noted the house as "one of the finest Georgian houses in the borough and probably one of the finest in the country". Today, St. Helen's operates as a luxury hotel with meeting rooms named after notable past owners and local history, including Pembroke, The Belville Room, The Concourse, The Jacobean Boardroom, Lord Gough Room, The Robert Alexander, and Shrewsbury Suite. The hotel is located in south County Dublin and continues to preserve many of its original decorative features.

St. Helen's is a period house built in the early 1750s and located in Booterstown, County Dublin, Ireland. The house was originally called Seamount, and an entry in the Registry of Deeds shows on 20 June 1754 an agreement between the first owner Thomas Cooley and Richard Viscount Fitzwilliam to let "all that one acre of land plantation entered in and on the west to the high road leading from Dublin to Wicklow". Thomas Cooley, noted as being a Dublin barrister and MP of Duleek, was finishing the house and some outbuildings. The house was sold in 1795 to Robert Alexander, an early patron and churchwarden of St. Philip and St. James Church, Booterstown. He died in 1829. From 1830 the house was occupied by Right Hon. John Doherty, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. It was passed to him from a Mrs. Wall who purchased it from a representative of Robert Alexander. While he lived there he oversaw some further improvements. Colonel Henry White bought the house from John Doherty, and at this time the name of the house changed to St. Helen's. He then sold it in 1851 to Hugh Gough, 1st Viscount Gough. Hugh Gough became a Baronet in 1842 in recognition of his military services in China. In 1846 while commander in chief of forces in India, he was raised to Baron. He was raised again in 1849 to Viscount Gough due to his achievements during the Sikh rebellion and the annexation of the Punjab. In 1857 he became Knight of St. Patrick. In 1863, the house was enlarged to the designs of the architect John McCurdy. At another time the architects Carmichael and Jones were brought to work on the house, but they were dismissed for alleged negligence. It is noted in the Valuation Office of 1865–1867 that the property was 56 acres and 6 perches. Hugh Gough's wife, Frances Maria Gough, died here on 15 March 1863. He died in the house a few years later aged 90 on 2 March 1869. From 1869, George Gough, 2nd Viscount Gough, occupied the house until his death in 1895. George Gough was a captain in the Grenadier Guards until he retired in 1850 aged 34. George's son sold the house after his father's death. In 1899, the next owner, Sir John Nutting, improved the house greatly spending thousands of pounds. The facade of the house was faced with Portland stone to harmonise the 18th and 19th century parts of the house. He also remodelled the interior with Italian Carrara marble and decorative plasterwork. A repoussé copper frieze depicting ships and galleons made around 1900 by James Smithies of Manchester, was added to the dining room. In 1903 Sir John Nutting was given the title of the Nutting Baronetcy of St. Helens. He later died in 1918 and the house was auctioned off. In 1925 the Christian Brothers bought the house and used it as their headquarters. In 1927 the large ballroom was converted for use as a chapel. In the late 1920s, the Archbishop of Dublin instructed some land to be sold as he felt the church held too much land. The land to the rear west was sold to build the houses of St. Helen's Road, which can be entered from Rock Road. Around 1968 land to the south was used to build two new Christian Brothers schools, Coláiste Eoin and Coláiste Íosagáin. The house and 71 acres were sold in 1988. In 1990 Seán Dunne's property company, Berland Homes, built the houses of St. Helen's Wood. The Corporation of Dún Laoghaire bought 9 acres for road reservation with the intention of using it as part of the then proposed Eastern Bypass with the M50 motorway. In 1994 the house was listed as a National Monument. In 1996 the Cosgrave Property Group bought the house from Berland Homes for £2m to develop it into a hotel. In 1996 Shannon Homes paid £5.6m for 13.69 acres to the rear northeast of the house and built the Seamount apartments. They were completed for sale in 1998. The Radisson Hotels became the operator of St. Helen's as a five-star hotel in 1998. In 2024 the Radisson Blu St Helen's hotel in south Co Dublin was acquired by the Scally family. The house is now part of the Hayfield Family Collection who have kept many of the original decorative features.

• 2024

  Radisson Blu St Helen's hotel acquired by the Scally family; now part of Hayfield Family Collection.

• 1998

  Radisson Hotels became operator of St. Helen's as a five-star hotel.

• 1996

  Cosgrave Property Group bought the house for £2m to develop into a hotel.

• 1994

  House listed as a National Monument.

• 1988

  House and 71 acres sold.

• 1927

  Large ballroom converted for use as a chapel.

• 1925

  Christian Brothers bought the house and used it as their headquarters.

• 1903

  Sir John Nutting given title of Nutting Baronetcy of St. Helens.

• 1899

  Sir John Nutting improved the house, adding Portland stone facade and Italian Carrara marble interior.

• 1863

  House enlarged to designs of architect John McCurdy.

• 1851

  Colonel Henry White sold the house to Hugh Gough, 1st Viscount Gough; name changed to St. Helen's.

• 1830

  House occupied by Right Hon. John Doherty, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.

• 1795

  House sold to Robert Alexander.

• 1754

  Registry of Deeds entry shows agreement between first owner Thomas Cooley and Richard Viscount Fitzwilliam.

Luxury five-star hotel set in a historic Georgian period house with preserved original features and gardens.

• Five-star hotel accommodation

• Meeting and event spaces (Pembroke, The Belville Room, The Concourse, The Jacobean Boardroom, Lord Gough Room, The Robert Alexander, Shrewsbury Suite)

• Historic gardens with sculpture Continuum by Linda Brunker

1. 1St. Helen's, Booterstown - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2St. Helen's, Booterstown - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org