Firstly, I must say, these were bad ideas in my opinion - you might have a different view! However, with the benefit of hindsight, both proposals, taken seriously at the time, would probably now be regarded as architectural eyesores, given the beauty of both their locations. John Charles McQuaid, Archbishop of Dublin from 1940 to 1973, and a supporter of the cathedral project. In 1930, the Roman Catholic church purchased the gardens of Merrion Square, a twelve and a half ac

I recently posted a blog on the history of Powerscourt Paddock Ponds, the two artificial lakes in a glen in Powerscourt deer park and a popular place with walkers. From this I was contacted by Henry Pinkerton, who lived in the Paddock Lodge in the 1950's and he generously shared these photographs with me. The image below is taken from a newspaper in 1947, showing a snowy scene taken from above Paddock Lodge, looking east. The snows of 1947 began on 18th January 1947 and last