Gardener and landscape architect. Ninian Niven, the son of a Scottish gardener of the same name who worked at Keir House near Stirling, was born at Kelvingrove near Glasgow, circa 1799. After serving his apprenticeship with Thomas Butler, head gardener at Bothwell Castle, and working at Belladrum Castle, Inverness-shire, he was invited to Ireland in 1827 to take up the post of head gardener at the Chief Secretary's Lodge in the Phoenix Park. In 1834 he was appointed curator of the Botanic Garden at Glasnevin, where he remained for four and a half years before resigning in August 1838. He then set up in business as a nurseryman and landscape gardener, first in Monkstown and then in Drumcondra. A visit to France fired an enthusiasm for French formal gardens and caused him to aim for an 'intermediate' style in which French and English principles of garden design were blended. From 1849 he took pupils in agriculture and horticulture. He died on 18 February 1879.
Addresses: Richmond Hill, Monkstown, <=1841->=1844; Clonturk Cottage, Drumcondra, 1847; Garden Farm, Drumcondra, <=1853->=1875.
See WORKS and BIBLIOGRAPHY. BIBLIOGRAPHY.
References
All information in this entry not otherwise attributed is from E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens and Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 36-42, and from the chapter on Nevin in E. Charles Nelson & Eileen M. McCracken, The Brightest Jewel: a history of the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin (1987), 83-96, which see for further details of Niven's career. A photograph of Niven, c. 1868, appears on p. 82.
From Post Office and Thom's directories.
20 work entries listed in chronological order for NIVEN, NINIAN
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Building: |
CO. DUBLIN, MONKSTOWN, MONKSTOWN AVENUE, MONKSTOWN CASTLE, PUBLIC GARDENS (PROPOSED) |
Date: |
1839 |
Nature: |
Design of proposed gardens by NN, for James Pim. |
Refs: |
N. Niven, 'A general outline…of the new public garden' in Prospectus of the proposed public gardens at Monkstown Castle (Dublin, 1839), 17-25; E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens and Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 38; Frederick O'Dwyer, 'The architecture of John Skipton Mulvany', Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies 3 (2000), 20
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Building: |
CO. DOWN, GREYABBEY HOUSE |
Date: |
1843 |
Nature: |
Proposal for garden.
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Refs: |
Drawing, s. &. d. 2 Dec 1843, in house (Archaeological Survey of County Down(1966), 405)
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Building: |
CO. MONAGHAN, CASTLE LESLIE (GLASLOUGH) |
Date: |
1843;1854 |
Nature: |
Designs for kitchen and fruit garden for Charles Powell Leslie III 1843 (unexecuted), and designs for pinetum and for conservatory in kitchen garden, 1854. |
Refs: |
Leslie MSS (PRONI microfilm MIC.606/G/2/4,2/5,2/6)
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Building: |
CO. KILKENNY, KILKENNY, PARADE, KILKENNY CASTLE |
Date: |
1852 |
Nature: |
Unexecuted proposal for parterre in front of courtyard, for John, 2nd Marquess of Ormonde, who died before it could be carried out. |
Refs: |
Design in IAA, Ormonde Loan Collection, 77/9.83; E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens and Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 38
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Building: |
CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, LEINSTER LAWN, DUBLIN INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION BUILDING |
Date: |
1852-53 |
Nature: |
Winter garden (unexecuted, or only partly executed?) |
Refs: |
E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens and Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 41; E. Charles Nelson & Eileen M. McCracken, The Brightest Jewel: a history of the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin (1987), 94
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Building: |
CO. DUBLIN, SANTRY COURT |
Date: |
1857;1863 |
Nature: |
Formal gardens for Sir Compton Domvile, Bt., 1857. Also proposal for geometric cottage garden, 1863. |
Refs: |
Dated plan in NLI, AD 2426 and 3310; also signed, dated design for cottage garden, AD 3426; E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens and Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 41
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Building: |
CO. DUBLIN, TEMPLEOGUE HOUSE |
Date: |
1862ca |
Nature: |
Formal gardens for Sir Compton Domvile, Bt. |
Refs: |
Signed and dated plan of old garden in NLI, old ref. AD 2426; E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens and Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 41
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Building: |
CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, EARLSFORT TERRACE, IVEAGH GARDENS |
Date: |
1863 |
Nature: |
Gardens for International Exhibition. |
Refs: |
Nicholas Sheaff, Iveagh House (Dublin, Department of Foreign Affairs, 1978), 54; E. Charles Nelson & Eileen M. McCracken, The Brightest Jewel: a history of the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin (1987), 94; Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 487.
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Building: |
CO. MONAGHAN, HILTON PARK |
Date: |
1870ca |
Nature: |
Formal gardens and terraces. NN visited house in Dec 1870.
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Refs: |
Kevin V. Mulligan, The Buildings of Ireland: South Ulster (2013), 356
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Building: |
CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, PHOENIX PARK, VICE-REGAL LODGE |
Date: |
? |
Nature: |
Parterre and possibly Yew Walk.
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Refs: |
E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens and Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 36(illus.),41; Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 296.
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Building: |
CO. DONEGAL, ARDS HOUSE |
Date: |
? |
Nature: |
Garden terraces 'designed by Mr Nevin[sic]'.. |
Refs: |
Ms letter from ? Murphy, Dunfanaghy, to A.J.R. Stewart, 28 Aug 1874, in IAA, Acc. 2007/47.1/2
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Building: |
CO. DUBLIN, KILLAKEE |
Date: |
? |
Nature: |
Gardens for Col. & Mrs Samuel White. |
Refs: |
E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens and Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 38-39(illus.)
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Building: |
CO. KILDARE, ATHGARVAN |
Date: |
? |
Nature: |
Pleasure grounds, for - Reeves. |
Refs: |
E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens and Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 41
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Building: |
CO. TYRONE, BARONSCOURT |
Date: |
? |
Nature: |
Lower parterre to connect upper parterre to lakeside terrace, for Duke of Abercorn.. |
Refs: |
E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens and Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 46(illus.),47
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Building: |
CO. WEXFORD, EDERMINE |
Date: |
? |
Nature: |
Gardens, for Sir James Power, Bt. |
Refs: |
E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens and Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 39
|
Author |
Title |
Date |
Details |
Niven, Ninian |
'On the villa plantations in the neighbourhood of Dublin' |
1833 |
Irish Farmer's and Gardener's Magazine 1 (1833), 6-8. |
Niven, Ninian |
'Observations on the Glasnevin Garden' |
1834 |
Irish Farmer's and Gardener's Magazine 1 (1834), 406-408. |
Niven, Ninian |
The Visitor's companion to the Botanic Garden, Glasnevin |
1838 |
Dublin, 1838. |
Niven, Ninian |
'A general outline…of the new public garden' |
1839 |
Chapter in Prospectus of the proposed public gardens at Monkstown Castle, (Dublin, 1839). |