Á r a s an Uachtaráin The Residence of the President of Ireland
Treoir do Chuairteoirí Tour Guide www.president.ie
President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins The history of Áras an Uachtaráin – ‘the home of the President’ - reflects the rich and complex narrative of a nation. While it may have been established as a vice regal lodge in a country under British rule, this beautiful building is now in the ownership and care of the people of Ireland and has been the home of the President of Ireland since 1938. At Áras an Uachtaráin Presidents of Ireland, on behalf of the nation, have welcomed world leaders and foreign dignitaries to Irish shores. We have also, in this historic house, honoured many of our own heroes whose achievements have made us proud on the international stage, and regularly welcome individuals, groups and communities from all over the island of Ireland. It is always a great pleasure for Sabina and me to welcome the many citizens who visit the Áras each year to attend these receptions, tours and official events. The genuine pride of those involved in the maintenance and presentation of the house and its gardens, which have played a central role in many significant moments of our nation’s story, is evident and uplifting. I hope your visit to Áras an Uachtaráin will provide you with much pleasure and your own special memories of the unique part of Ireland’s heritage that Áras an Uachtaráin constitutes. Beir Beannacht.
Built in 1751 as the Park Ranger’s house, it was bought by the British Government in 1782 as the residence for the Viceroy, the representative of the monarch in Ireland. After the Act of Union formed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801, the house was extended to reflect its increased ceremonial importance and became the centre for fashionable society. The portico was added as well as the main ballroom, now the State Reception Room. In the 1840s the formal gardens were laid out and the dining room and drawing room were added at opposite wings. On one of her three visits, Queen Victoria planted the Wellingtonia on the lawn. Her grandson, George V, visited in 1911. Irish independence came a decade later but the royal link continued: the house became the residence of the Governor General, an office set up under the AngloIrish Treaty. With the election of Éamon de Valera’s first Fianna Fáil Government in 1932, the symbolism of the building and of the Governor General was altered. The Governor General no longer lived there and the house was effectively abandoned.
The Governor General was replaced by an elected President under the 1937 Constitution and a decision was taken to demolish the house and re-build a Presidential residence on the site. Pending that however, the first President, Douglas Hyde, moved in on a temporary basis. This became a permanent arrangement over the years and the status of the house was assured as Áras an Uachtaráin. Major refurbishments were carried out by the Office of Public Works in the 1940s and 1950s and the house was opened to the public in April 1998. The house, gardens and ancillary buildings are continually being developed by the OPW, as seen in the recent transformation of the former Racquet Hall into Seomra de hÍde. Áras an Uachtaráin is both a family home and a venue for formal state occasions. The President and his wife Sabina live here and the President also carries out many of his official duties here. These duties include receiving visiting Heads of State, new Ambassadors, dissolving Dáil Eireann and presenting new Government Ministers with their Seals of Office. Among the visitors received here over the years have been Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, President Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama, President John F. Kennedy, Senator Hillary Clinton, President Charles de Gaulle, H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and many of the world’s contemporary leaders.
The State Corridor
The State Corridor, also known as the Franchini Corridor, was originally part of the orchestra pit for the adjoining ballroom and is lined on one side with busts of the Presidents to date. The other side features stucco panels cast from originals in Riverstown House in Cork, the work of the Lafranchini brothers, the 18th century Swiss stuccodores who also worked on Carton and Castletown Houses. The chandeliers are Waterford crystal and the fireplaces are by the 18th century Italian crafts-man, Bossi, whose family was reputed to know the secret of how to colour.
The State Dining Room
The State Dining Room was built in 1849 for a visit by Queen Victoria and contains furniture by James Hicks of Dublin and portraits of past Presidents. The table was used for Cabinet meetings in Leinster House up to 1960 and is still used for the first meeting of new Governments after their members receive their seals of office from the President. Portraits of past Presidents by contemporary artists line the walls. The early 19th century fireplaces were originally a gift to Archbishop Murray of Dublin and were brought to the house by the first Governor General, Tim Healy.
The State Reception Room
The State Reception Room dates from 1802 and was formerly the ballroom. Its ceiling centrepiece is a plaster cast of a Lafranchini panel from Riverstown House showing Time Rescuing Truth from Discord and Envy. The handwoven Donegal carpet, designed for the house by Raymond McGrath, includes the riverine heads from the Custom House representing the principal rivers of Ireland and the phoenix rising from the flames. The original giltwood furniture is by Mack, Williams and Gibton of Dublin and the fireplace is also by Bossi. The four paintings, by the 17th century artist, Thomas Mullen, show Killarney at different times of the day.
The Council of State Room The Council of State Room was part of the original house, built in 1751, and is now generally used as a reception room.
Its gilded rococo plaster ceiling is attributed to Bartholomew Cramillion and depicts scenes from four of Aesop’s Fables. The main painting, by Simon Coleman, depicts the first meeting of the Council of State, a presidential advisory body, in 1940. The couch and chairs are replica Louis XIV.
The State Drawing Room
The State Drawing Room was also part of the original house and its ceiling dates from then. The chandelier commemorates the 1801 Act of Union with its entwined shamrocks, roses, thistles, and leeks and originally hung in Dublin Castle. The wall lights were made from a second similar chandelier. The Louis XIV couch and chairs came from the Palace of Versailles as a gift during Éamon de Valera’s Presidency. The room has two Adam chimneypieces.
The President’s Study
The President’s Study is part of the original house. The ceiling came from Mespil House in Dublin when it was being demolished in 1948. It is also attributed to Cramillion and depicts Jupiter and the Four Seasons. The mahogany library furniture dates from the 18th to the 20th centuries and was all made in Dublin.
The Entrance Hall
The Entrance Hall dates back to 1751 when Nathaniel Clements built the original Park Ranger’s house. It has a magnificent coffered barrelvaulted ceiling and fluted Doric columns. Busts of James Clarence Mangan and Daniel O’Connell are on either side of the door into the State Drawing Room. Also of note is the wooden wine cooler designed by Francis Johnston who designed the portico of the house as well as the GPO in Dublin.
The Gardens
Áras an Uachtaráin is set amid 130 acres of parkland and gardens dating back to the construction of the house in 1751. The formal gardens were created in 1840 by Decimus Burton with later additions by Ninian Niven. They contain many Victorian features, including ceremonial trees, an arboretum, wilderness, pleasure grounds, avenues, walks, ornamental lakes and walled gardens. Visitors pass through the formal gardens to the Queen’s Walk, flanked on either side by ceremonial trees, and into the upper walled garden which is bounded on the south by a Turner peach house.
Time-line 1751 Nathaniel Clements built the original two-storied brick house. 1782 The house was bought from Robert Clements by the British Government as an occasional Viceregal residence, and its first Viceroy was Lord Carlisle. 1802 Robert Woodgate, and later Francis Johnston, transformed the original design of the house with the inclusion of the main ballroom/state reception room and the magnificent stone south portico. 1840 Decimus Burton laid out the formal gardens. The Florencecourt yew trees were planted at a later date. 1849 Jacob Owen designed the dining room and matching drawing room, now An Grianán. 1921 Timothy Healy, the first Governor General, the British Crown’s representative in the Irish Free State, took up residence after Independence and it became home to the Governors General until 1930. 1938 When Douglas Hyde became the first President of Ireland, the house became Áras an Uachtaráin-the home of the President. 1945- Major internal improvements and 1959 refurbishments were made under Raymond McGrath, the OPW Principal Architect. 1997- Other major refurbishment works, including Present Seomra de hÍde and the West Courtyard have been undertaken by the Office of Public Works.
Ă ras an UachtarĂĄin, the residence of the President of Ireland, mirrors the history of Ireland from the 18th century to the present.
ร r a s an Uac h ta r รกi n The Residence of the President of Ireland
www.president.ie