House of St John of God, Stillorgan Park, Co. Dublin
At the junction of Stillorgan Road and Stillorgan Grove in south Dublin, local maps once marked the location of Stillorgan Castle.
House of St John of God, Stillorgan Park, Co. Dublin
Though you won’t find any stone walls or turrets there today, this green space holds centuries of forgotten history. The First Edition Ordnance Survey maps from the 19th century clearly show a castle at this spot, though no visible remains have survived the passage of time.
The site’s history stretches back to medieval Ireland, when it formed part of the manor of Stillorgan. The estate passed through several notable hands over the centuries; first owned by John De Clahill, then Raymond de Carew, and by 1360 it had come into the possession of Sir John Cruise. Interestingly, historical records suggest the actual manor house may have stood about 355 metres to the north, at what was known as Stillorgan House, rather than at the castle site itself.
Today, the area is home to the House of St John of God at Stillorgan Park, with little to indicate its medieval past. The castle that once stood here has completely vanished, leaving only its mark on old maps and in historical records. For those interested in Dublin’s lost landmarks, this quiet corner of Stillorgan serves as a reminder that some of Ireland’s most intriguing historical sites exist only in archives and imagination, their physical presence long since erased by time and development.