Abbeville, Dublin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Abbeville |
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Abbeville from the air
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| General information | |
| Status | Private dwelling house |
| Type | House |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Town or city | Kinsealy, Dublin |
| Country | Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°25′38″N 6°11′13″W / 53.4272115°N 6.1870269°W |
| Estimated completion | 1790 |
| Renovated | 1945 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | James Gandon |
| Developer | John Beresford |
| Known for | Former residence of Charles Haughey |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | Michael Scott (1945) |
Abbeville, also known as Abbeyville House, is a large country home built in the 1700s. It's located in Kinsealy, County Dublin, Ireland.
This house is famous for being the home of Charles Haughey, who was once the leader of Ireland (called the Taoiseach). The property has pretty streams, a pond, and even the old spot where a brewery used to be.
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History of Abbeville House
The land where Abbeville stands has a long history. Richard Montgomery grew up here in the 1700s. His father, Thomas Montgomery, rented the estate as his home in Dublin around 1736. Back then, the house had a different name.
Around 1790, a famous architect named James Gandon made the house much bigger and changed its look. He did this for John Beresford. The house has two main floors above a basement. The front of the house has seven sections, with two big curved parts on each side. It also has smaller, single-story sections extending outwards.
Some people say the house was named 'Abbeville' because John Beresford's son was going to marry a girl from a town called Abbeville in France. Beresford's first wife was also French.
In the early 1800s, a person who studied old things, Austin Cooper, owned the house for a while.
The Cusack family owned Abbeville for over 100 years, from about 1830 to 1940.
In 1945, the architect Michael Scott worked on the house. This was for Percy Reynolds, who bought the house in the 1940s.
In 1969, Charles J Haughey bought Abbeville. He was a government minister at the time. Later, in 1979, he became the Taoiseach, Ireland's prime minister. More changes were made to the house by Sam Stephenson.
In 2003, after he retired, Mr. Haughey sold the house to a company called Manor Park Homes. They planned to build new homes on the land after his death. Charles Haughey passed away in 2006.
Manor Park Homes faced financial difficulties during the Irish financial crisis. In 2012, Abbeville was put up for sale again. The asking price was much lower than what it sold for in 2003.
In 2013, a Japanese family, the Nishida family, bought the house. They own the Toyoko Inn hotel group.
Some parts of the Abbeville property were separated. These parts became homes for members of the Haughey family, including his wife. These homes are still owned by the family today.
Access to Abbeville
For most of its recent history, Abbeville House and its grounds have been private. Under an old property tax rule, the house could be exempt from tax if it was open to the public one day a year. This was often done during the annual Irish Cancer Society Daffodil Day.
Emsworth House Connection
Abbeville House has a secret tunnel! This tunnel connects to Emsworth House, which is nearby. James Gandon, the same architect who worked on Abbeville, designed Emsworth House. It was built in 1794 for James Woodmason. Woodmason was a London stationer who had joined Beresford in his banking business in Dublin.
See Also
Images for kids
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Abbeville from the air
