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The remains of the old Guinness mansion in St Anne's Park were demolished in 1968

The excavation trench showing the old bay window of the drawing room

An archaeological dig of the former Guinness family mansion in St Anne’s Park, Raheny, has uncovered the external wall of a sculpture room and the bay window of a drawing room.

T he excavation of the lost mansion was carried out by a team of 23 volunteers over five days in late September 2021 to establish the extent of subsurface remains of the house.

The mansion itself dates back to 1873 and was once intended as the official residence of the Taoiseach before it was destroyed by a fire in 1943.

A preliminary excavation report has revealed two phases of extensive remodelling of the building carried out between 1873-1880.

The team revealed the exterior masonry wall of the statue room and part of the bay window of the adjoining drawing room.

The statue room at the old Guinness mansion in St Anne's Park

“It was of great interest to reveal the external wall of the ornate sculpture room,” a spokesman for Dublin City Council said.

“This small room linked to a picture gallery to the south and to the drawing room, the coffee room and, via a curious circular vestibule, to the large dining room and conservatory further north.”

“An archival photograph of the sculpture room suggests it was a tall space, roughly square on plan, and elaborately articulated by blind and open arcades on each wall.

“On the geometric parquet floor were a series of circular plinths and white marble statues of classical figures, putti and busts.”

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In 2021, large fragments of carved Portland Stone were discovered and are on display in the courtyard of the Red Stables in the park.

Further archaeological testing, under licence, of another mound to the north of the site is planned in the coming week.

“One of the great pleasures of a community archaeology project is to witness the commitment, enthusiasm and rigour of the volunteers as they engage in the archaeological process and gradually uncover the archaeology,” the spokesman added.

“Some people shared childhood memories of rambling in the ruins of the house, while for others it was their first time learning about the park’s wider historical significance.”

Two trenches were prepared for excavation, but only one site was excavated at the east side of the house.

Finds such as the carved stone and fragments of plasterwork were removed for archaeological processing before the trench was refilled, covering back over the remains of the house.

The site director James Kyle is currently preparing the preliminary archaeological report which will be the official record of the excavation.

The estate was largely built by the two great-grandsons of Arthur Guinness – Sir Arthur Edward Guinness (Lord Ardilaun) and Benjamin Lee Guinness.

Lord Ardilaun had no children and so the estate passed to their nephew Bishop Plunkett. The estate was sold in 1939 to Dublin Corporation for about £55,000.

The residence was destroyed by a fire in 1943 and the ruins were later demolished in 1968.

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