SMIRKE, ROBERT (SIR) #

English architect, for whom see Howard Colvin, A Biographical dictionary of British architects 1600-1840 (4th edn., 2008), 934;. In 1815 Robert Smirke won the competition for a testimonial to Wellington in Dublin with a design for a massive obelisk with an equestrian statue of Wellington at its base. The site had not been settled upon. When Smirke visited Dublin in March 1816, the committee had voted by the narrowest of majorities - thirty-two to thirty-one - to build the monument in the centre of Merrion Square,(1) but a site in Phoenix Park was eventually preferred. Smirke was in Dublin again in 1817 for the laying of the foundation stone,(2) which took place on June 18th, the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo. Building proceeded over the next five years, but lack of funds prevented the execution of Smirke's design in full, and the equestrian statue was never carried out.(3)

Much later, in 1839, Smirke became an honorary member of the newly-formed Institute of the Architects of Ireland at the invitation of RICHARD MORRISON. RICHARD MORRISON. (4)

See WORKS, for Irish work only.

References

(1) James Greig, ed., The Farington Diary VIII (1928), 62.
(2) Op. cit., 184.
(3) Margaret Richardson, ed., Catalogue of the Drawings Collection of the Royal Institute of British Architects S (1976), 64.
(4) Letter of acceptance, 10 Dec 1839, in RIAI archives (photograph in Jones file, IAA).

2 work entries listed in chronological order for SMIRKE, ROBERT (SIR) #

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Building:	CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, PHOENIX PARK, WELLINGTON TESTIMONIAL
Date:	1814ca;1817-1822
Nature:	RS wins Wellington Testimonial competition of 1815 with design for massive obelisk with equestrian statue at base. Lack of funds prevented design from being executed in full and equestrian statue not carried out. FS laid 18 Jun 1817 (anniversary of Battle of Waterloo). Contractors: Cockburn & Williams.
Refs:	Design(?), 1817, in NLI, AD 1927 (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc.2008/44); 3 sketch designs in Victoria & Albert Museum, RIBA Drawings Collection SC93/1(1-3)] see British Architectural Library Catalogue, http://riba.sirsidynix.net.uk/uhtbin/cgisirsi/LJCJFkWRVy/MAIN_CAT/920028/9 (last visited May 2009) and  Margaret Richardson, ed., Catalogue of the Drawings Collection of the Royal Institute of British Architects S (1976), 64; 2 elevations sold Sotheby's, 25 Jun 1981, lot 49 (illus.);  Freeman's Journal, 8 Feb 1817;   J. Warburton, J. Whitelaw and R. Walsh, History of the City of Dublin (1818), ii,  1106; 'Annals of Dublin' (unpaginated) in Wilson's Dublin Directory (1823); APSD II, D, 77; James Greig, ed., The Farington Diary VIII (1928), 62, 184;  Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 308-9; Paula Murphy, Nineteenth-Century Irish Sculpture:  Native Genius Reaffirmed  (Yale University Press:  New Haven & London, 2010), 19-23(illus.).

Building:	CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, PHOENIX PARK, WELLINGTON TESTIMONIAL
Date:	1814ca;1817-1822
Nature:	RS wins Wellington Testimonial competition of 1815 with design for massive obelisk with equestrian statue at base. Lack of funds prevented design from being executed in full and equestrian statue not carried out. FS laid 18 Jun 1817 (anniversary of Battle of Waterloo). Contractors: Cockburn & Williams.
Refs:	Design(?), 1817, in NLI, AD 1927 (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc.2008/44); 3 sketch designs in Victoria & Albert Museum, RIBA Drawings Collection SC93/1(1-3)] see British Architectural Library Catalogue, http://riba.sirsidynix.net.uk/uhtbin/cgisirsi/LJCJFkWRVy/MAIN_CAT/920028/9 (last visited May 2009) and  Margaret Richardson, ed., Catalogue of the Drawings Collection of the Royal Institute of British Architects S (1976), 64; 2 elevations sold Sotheby's, 25 Jun 1981, lot 49 (illus.);  Freeman's Journal, 8 Feb 1817;   J. Warburton, J. Whitelaw and R. Walsh, History of the City of Dublin (1818), ii,  1106; 'Annals of Dublin' (unpaginated) in Wilson's Dublin Directory (1823); APSD II, D, 77; James Greig, ed., The Farington Diary VIII (1928), 62, 184;  Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 308-9; Paula Murphy, Nineteenth-Century Irish Sculpture:  Native Genius Reaffirmed  (Yale University Press:  New Haven & London, 2010), 19-23(illus.).