The Order took possession of Ely House in March 1923 and it has served as its headquarters ever since.
On
its East side, St. Stephens Green is joined by Hume Street, at the top
of which is framed by Ely House, one of Dublin’s most impressive large
Georgian houses. The full width of Hume Street and four storeys high
over basement with 36 rooms. The mansion was the first to be built in
Ely Place and initially enjoyed most of the surroundings area as its
garden.
This
house was built in 1771 by HENRY LOFTUS, EARL OF ELY, whose family seat
was at Rathfarnham Castle. The house was a centre of 18th Century
social life in Dublin when the wealthy land owning families came to the
capital city for a social season revolving around the pursuit of
pleasure. The LOFTUS family had been in Ireland since 1560 and included
among its members a Protestant Archbishop of Armagh founder of Trinity
College and Lord Chief Justice.
For
the purist Ely House has a frontage of 73 feet to the street and is not
flanked by Georgian Terraces. The builder was Michael Stapleton a noted
Dublin stuccadore whose work is evident in the delicate interior
plasterwork. The external brickwork came from Bridgewater as ballast in
ships. Originally six bays wide the seventh, coincidentally number
seven Ely Place is noticeable by the zip line in the brickwork on the
left hand side. The external wrought iron railings and balconies are a
noticeable feature.
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