Photograph of the Résidence de France, 53 Ailesbury Road in 1930.
Originally known as Mytilene, 53 Ailesbury Road was built for the Bustard family in 1885. It was designed by Alfred Gresham Jones, who designed other buildings around Dublin city including the buildings that now contain the Davenport Hotel and the National Concert Hall. It sits on a plot of land about 2 acres in size. You can read more about the history of the house here.
The Bustard family put Mytilene up for sale in the 1920s. It was described in a newspaper advertisement as "a house built regardless of expense" and "a choice residence, leaving little to be desired, either in function, condition, or surroundings".
53 Ailesbury Road was acquired by the French government in 1930 for the Légation de France to the Irish Free State. It also housed the residence of the first French Minister to the Irish Free State, M. Charles Alphand. A chancery was located nearby for many years but was sold in recent years and a new Embassy was opened in Merrion Square in 2015. 53 Ailesbury Road continues to be the official residence of the French Ambassador to Ireland.
No comments:
Post a Comment