The House by the Churchyard

This grand old house (pictured) on Main Street, Chapelizod, in the city of Dublin, wouldn't look out of place on Merrion or Mountjoy Square. Sadly though, its windows are broken and steel girders wrap around it to stop its collapse. In 2021 An Taisce (the National Trust for Ireland) listed it among Ireland's Top 10 Most-at-Risk buildings. If the house were a person, it would be described as close to death with a 'do not resuscitate' order placed upon it.

An amazing feature of the house's history is that it is the setting for Sheridan Le Fanu's 1863 novel The House by the Churchyard. Per Wikipedia: 'The work inspired several later Irish writers, including James Joyce and Bram Stoker, who drew upon its Gothic horror and suspense features for their own novels. It has been considered by many critics as a precursor to the psychological horror genre.'

So, in terms of literary cachet the house is up there with Joyce's House of the Dead on Usher's Island. It is lamentable to see this historic building just wasting away. I'm not in a position to do so myself but if there is a benefactor out there who wants to cement their legacy, investing in Chapelizod's house by the churchyard could turn it into one of Dublin's foremost literary museums. With the Phoenix Park close by, I'm sure that the tourists would flock.

©Brian Ahern 2025

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