Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Architect and builder, of Dublin, active from circa 1770 until circa 1800. Graham Myers, who was born in Whitehaven, Cumberland, on 26 April 1746,(1) was the eldest son of CHRISTOPHER MYERS [1]. CHRISTOPHER MYERS [1]. (2) Details of his early training and career are not known.(3) Either he or his father was presumably the 'Myers' who, in collaboration with SAMUEL SPROULE SAMUEL SPROULE , submitted an entry in the Royal Exchange Competition of 1768-9 which was judged one of the three best Irish designs.(4) In 1776 he is listed as a subscriber to the edition of George Richardson's Book of Ceilings, which was published in that year.(5) He was in London in the summer of 1779, when he was married to a Miss Cockren (Cochrane? ) of Harwich.(6) In 1789 he was appointed architect to Trinity College, Dublin,(7) immediately following the death of his father who had previously held the position. According to O'Dwyer he held the post of architect to the Barracks Commissioners jointly with his father from 1777 to 1783, single handedly - after a spell as an Inspector of Barracks - from 1793 to 1799, and in conjunction with JOHN GIBSON  JOHN GIBSON from 1799 until his death in 1801.(8) His will was proved in the Prerogative Court in 1801.(9)

Graham Myers appears also to have been in business as a builder. He is probably the 'Mr Myers' who had a deal yard in Great Brunswick Street in 1793.(10) Bryan Bolger records measuring work by Myers at his house in St Stephen's Green in 1793.(11)

See WORKS.



References



(1) Records of Holy Trinity church, Whitehaven, Cumberland (information from www.familysearch.org, courtesy of F. O'Dwyer.)
(2) Memorial of an indented release, 3 Jun 1780, in Registry of Deeds 336/91/223915 (information from Kenneth Severens).
(3) D. Stillman, English Neo-Classical Architecture (1988), 531, n.6, says that, according to Hayward's list in the Prints & Drawings Department, British Museum, an architect named Graham Myers was in Rome in 1769.
(4) IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc. 2008/44.
(5) Freeman's Journal, 14-18 Mar 1869.
(6) Faulkner's Dublin Journal, 29-31 Jul 1779.
(7) TCD Minutes, 11 Jul 1789 (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc. 2008/44); Myers's work at TCD is one of the subjects in collection of letters from various persons to Sir William Chambers, 1752-1790, in British Architectural Library manuscripts collection, CHA.2. his salary in 1796 was £25 per quarter (TCD muniments, MUN/P/2/172/16.
(8) F. O'Dwyer, 'Building empires: architecture, politics and the Board of Works 1760-1860', Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies 5 (2002), 131.
(9) Arthur Vicars, Index to the Prerogative Wills of Ireland 1536-1810 (1897), 344.
(10) Wide Streets Commissioners Minutes, 8,22,29 Mar 1793 (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc. 2008/44).
(11) Bryan Bolger MSS, NA/PRO 1A/58/124,126.


5 work entries listed in chronological order for MYERS, GRAHAM


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Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, CORK HILL, ROYAL EXCHANGE
Date: 1768-69
Nature: 'Myers & Sproule' competition entrants. (Perhaps Christopher Myers[1])
Refs: B 27, 2 Oct 1869, 781.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, COLLEGE GREEN, TRINITY COLLEGE, CHAPEL (1787)
Date: 1787-1796
Nature: GM executant architect for completion of Chamber's design for chapel (begun under Christopher Myers)
Refs: Bolger MSS, NLI MS 10,711(4) and TCD Misc. Box IV (2228) (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc.2008/44); J. Ferrar, View of Dublin (1796), 15; John Harris, Sir William Chambers (London, 1970), 95-6,206, Pl. 151;  Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 397.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, ST STEPHEN'S GREEN, HOUSE(S)
Date: 1792-93
Nature: Bolger measures stone & brickwork for GM at his new buildings Stephen's Gn, Oct 1792, and sundry works done by GM at his house, Stephen's Gn, Jul 1793.
Refs: Bolger MSS, NA/PRO 1A/58/124, 1A/58/126

Building: CO. LIMERICK, LIMERICK, PROSPECT ROW, NEW BARRACKS (SARSFIELD BARRACKS)
Date: 1795?-1797
Nature: New barracks on ground leased from J.T,. Monsell, 1795.  Contractor:  John Gibson.  Cost: £13,500.

Refs: Denis Carroll, Michael Deegan, Stephen Kelly & William Sheehan, Images of Sarsfield Barracks (Dublin, 2008), 11.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, HENRIETTA STREET, KING'S INNS
Date: 1800
Nature: Designs submitted by GM, but those of Gandon chosen.
Refs: E.McParland, James Gandon (1985), 165;  Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 158.