Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Architect, of Dublin. Robert John Stirling was born in Dublin on 8 December 1841. He appears to have been a son of JOHN STIRLING [2]  JOHN STIRLING [2] and was a brother of WILLIAM STIRLING. H WILLIAM STIRLING. H e was educated in Belfast and at Queen's College, Cork, where he obtained the Diploma in Civil engineering in 1860.(1) He received his architectural training from his father. In 1860 he entered the employment of the Board of Public Works as a draughtsman.(2) He remained with the Board for twenty-four years; from the late seventies onwards he was a land improvement inspector, while also being briefly (circa 1874) in private practice as a land surveyor and valuer with JAMES HARGRAVE BRIDGFORD  JAMES HARGRAVE BRIDGFORD as a land surveyor and valuer. On leaving the Board's employment circa 1884, he set up in private practice and became surveyor to the Civil Service Building Society, a post which he held until 1893. He was subsequently appointed architect to the Dublin estates of Trinity College. His pupils and assistants included FRANCIS BROWNRIGG CRAIG  FRANCIS BROWNRIGG CRAIG and FREDERICK WILLIAM HIGGINBOTHAM. FREDERICK WILLIAM HIGGINBOTHAM.

Stirling died at home in Dublin on 10 May,1915, after a long illness. He was married to Annie Edith, daughter of Frederick Sheperd,of Dublin, and had one surviving son, who was a solicitor in Dublin, and two daughters. He was a member of the Royal Dublin Society and of the Convocation of the Royal University.

RIAI: elected associate, 21 April 1864;(3) resigned, January 1871;(4) passed for ballot, 9 April 1883;(5) elected member, 12 December 1891, having been proposed by JOHN JOSEPH O'CALLAGHAN  JOHN JOSEPH O'CALLAGHAN and seconded by JOHN LOFTUS ROBINSON JOHN LOFTUS ROBINSON ;(6) elected fellow, 26 Jan 1895.(7)
GLFI: member of Lodge 153, Dublin, 1872; worshipful master, 1876.

Addresses: Work: 66 Lower Mount Street, 1874; 23 Eustace Street, 1877-1878;(8) 107 St Stephen's Green (and Dundalk), 1886; 4 Nassau Street, 1887-88; 3 Nassau St, 1889-1893;(9) 25 Westmoreland Street, 1894; 16 Westmoreland Street, 1895-1897-1898; 10 Leinster Street, 1898(10)-1900; 24 Clare St, 1901-1911;(11) worked from home from 1912.
Home: 17 Cambridge Road, Rathmines, 1870-1872; 57 Haddington Road, 1874-75; 42 Cullenswood Avenue, Ranelagh, 1876-77; 6 Harcourt Street, 1879-1884; 25 Harcourt Street, 1882-1885; 6 Wellington Road, 1887-89; 45 Pembroke Road, 1891 until death.

See WORKS.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from the biography of Stirling in E. Macdowel Cosgrave, ed., Dublin and County Dublin in the Twentieth Century (1908), 269, which is accompanied by a portrait photograph, and his obituary in IB 57, 22 May 1915, 236. (A precis of the latter is in Bulding News 108, 28 May 1915, 626.).

(1) He received the BE degree in 1877.
(2) Jones transcript from OPW records.
(3) RIAI council meeting minutes, 16 April 1864, 14; general meeting minutes, 21 Apr 1864, 142.
(4) RIAI council meeting minutes, 5 Jan 1871, 153.
(5) RIAI council meeting minutes, 9 Apr 1883, 225.
(6) RIAI council meeting minutes, 30 Nov 1891, 292; general meeting minutes, 12 December 1891, 301.
(7) RIAI council meeting minutes, 1 Oct 1894, 317; general meeting minutes, 26 Jan 1895, 312-3.
(8) Freeman's Journal, 30 May 1877.
(9) RIAI council meeting minutes, 30 Nov 1891, 292.
(10) Irish Times, 21 Sep 1898.
(11) Irish Times, 12 Oct 1901;  IB 43, 24 Oct 1901, 905.


42 work entries listed in chronological order for STIRLING, ROBERT JOHN


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Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, CAMDEN STREET UPPER, BLEEDING HORSE TAVERN
Date: 1871
Nature: Alts. & imps.for Andrew Wren, who has purchased premises.
Refs: IB 13, 15 Nov 1871, 299;  Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 658.

Building: CO. LIMERICK, NEW PALLAS, POLICE BARRACKS
Date: 1874
Nature: 2 storey block with cellar and 3-storey tower with pyramid roof. Drawing signed by R.J.Stirling. Contractor: Patrick Kenna.
Refs: Drawings in NA, OPW drawings collection, OPW5HC/4/264

Building: CO. DUBLIN, GLENAGEARY, HOUSES (002)
Date: 1877
Nature: Tenders invited for erecting 2 new villas, May 1877.
Refs: Freeman's Journal, 30 May 1977.

Building: CO. WICKLOW, BRAY, QUINSBOROUGH ROAD, HOUSE
Date: 1878
Nature: Tenders invited for erecting new house, Mar 1878.
Refs: Freeman's Journal, 14,15 Mar 1878.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, SMITHFIELD AREA, HOUSES
Date: 1880
Nature: Tenders invited for erecting 'Offices, Stores, &c. and Sixteen Artisans' Dwellings on the site of Old Smithfield Prison'.
Refs: Irish Times, 23 Aug 1880, 8.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, CABRA, NORTH DUBLIN UNION CHILDREN'S HOME
Date: 1881
Nature: Competition entrant with W.H. Beardwood.  Their design placed second by adjudicator, Walter C. Doolin.
Refs: Irish Times, 21 Apr,12 May 1881..

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, WESTLAND ROW, NO. 033 (CO-OPERATIVE STORES)
Date: 1883
Nature: Rebuilding, for Official Co-Operative Society. Estimated cost: £4,850.
Refs: IAA, PKS B11/45, A07, p.170 (Apr 1883)

Building: CO. FERMANAGH, CROM CASTLE (NEWTOWNBUTLER)
Date: 1886
Nature: Made copy of sections of rooms on S front by Blore.  Does this mean that he was employed there?
Refs: Copies of sections of rooms on S and W fronts drawn by Blore in PRONI, D1939/2/23/12D,13C,98,99B (see PRONI e-catalogue).

Building: CO. MEATH, BALLYGARTH CASTLE (JULIANSTOWN)
Date: 1889
Nature: Adds.& alts. incl. new billiard room with neo-classical decoration, for Major Charles Pepper.
Refs: Architect 41, 29 Mar 1889, suppl. p.2; Christine Casey & Alistair Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North Leinster (1993), 324

Building: CO. MAYO, CASTLEBAR, HOUSES
Date: 1892
Nature: Block of artisans' cottages to be built.
Refs: Architect 47, 26 Feb 1892, suppl. p. 11

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, LEESON STREET LOWER, NO. 095
Date: 1892
Nature: New sewerage and extensive repairs.
Refs: Irish Times, 12 Dec 1896.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, BRIDE STREET NEW, GUINNESS TRUST TENEMENTS, BLOCKS A-E
Date: 1893-1901
Nature: 3 5-storey tenement blocks for Guinness Trust (on model of Trust's London tenements designed by Mervyn Macartney). Contractor: Meade & Son.Clerk of Works: W. Gulliver, London. (Casey gives these blocks to Joseph & Smithem.)
Refs: IAA, PKS 0731, A07 (May 1893, p.442); IB 36, 1 Jun 1894, 131;  Irish Times, 13 Jul 1894;  F.H.A. Aalen, The Iveagh Trust: the first hundred years, 1890-1990 (Dublin, Iveagh Trust, 1990), 23-27(illus.);    Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 655, Pl.84.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, LINCOLN PLACE, NO. 019-20
Date: 1894
Nature: Proposed rebuilding, for William Burke. Builder: Meade & Son. Estimated cost: £3,500.
Refs: IAA, PKS 0740 and A07 (Apr 1894, p.442)

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, BLACKHALL PLACE, BLUE COAT SCHOOL
Date: 1894
Nature: Erection of cupola (not to Ivory's design) to complete tower designed by Ivory.
Refs: Architect , ? ? 1894, ? (B of I); Sean O'Reilly & N.K. Robinson, New Lease of Life: the Law Society's building at Blackhall Place (1990), 19;  Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005),252.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, COLLEGE GREEN, TRINITY COLLEGE, RUBRICS
Date: 1894-97
Nature: Additional storey to Nos. 22-26. Dutch gables. Amount of tender: £3,000. Also rebuilding of No. 1 and alts. & repairs to No.2. Builder: S. Bolton & Son.
Refs: IAA, PKS A07, p.262 (Apr 1894); Trinity College muniments, MUN/P/2/414a E. McParland, 'The college buildings' in C.H. Holland, ed., Trinity College Dublin and the idea of a university' (1991), 169,170;  Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005),400.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, COLLEGE GREEN, TRINITY COLLEGE, PATHOLOGY BUILDING
Date: 1895p
Nature: Design appr. 1895. (Is this the same as 'proposed addition to the Medical School' in PKS A07?;  now occupied by Mechanical Engineering and named the Parsons Building.)
Refs: IAA, PKS A07, p.263 (Oct 1895); E. McParland, 'The college buildings' in C.H. Holland, ed., Trinity College Dublin and the idea of a university' (1991), 162-3;  Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005),411.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, DONORE AVENUE, CHURCH OF ST VICTOR (CI)
Date: 1896;1906-1912
Nature: New chapel-of-ease in St Catherine's parish. FS laid 11 Apr 1896 by Archbp. Plunket. Contractor: Crampton. Extension (N transept, chancel, vestry, tower and porch containing principal entrance.), 1906-1912. Dedicated, 16 Oct 1912. Contractor: J. & P. Good (£2,295). (Rededicated as Church of St Catherine and St James, 1988.)
Refs: IAA, PKS 0874, B20/55, A08 (Mar 1906); Irish Times, 13 Apr 1896, 10 Apr 1897;  IB 38, 15 Apr 1896, 90; 54, 13 Apr 1912, 236(illus. in supplement); Building News 102, 19 Apr 1912, 558;  Irish Times, 17 Oct 1912;  Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 624-5;  exterior illus. in Claude Costegalde & Brian Walker, The Church of Ireland: an illustrated history (2013), 295.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, COLLEGE GREEN, TRINITY COLLEGE, GRADUATES' MEMORIAL BUILDING
Date: 1899
Nature: One of three architects (with T.N. Deane and Thomas Drew) to submit proposal for same. Drew's design selected.
Refs: Design in TCD, MS MUN/MC/91/; E. McParland, 'The college buildings' in C.H. Holland, ed., Trinity College Dublin and the idea of a university' (1991), 171(illus.)

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, PEMBROKE ROAD, NO. 062
Date: 1901
Nature: Restoration.Tenders invited, Oct 1901.
Refs: Irish Times, 12 Oct 1901; IB 43, 24 Oct 1901, 905

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, LINCOLN PLACE, LINCOLN CHAMBERS?.
Date: 1906
Nature: Alts. & adds. to former opthalmic hospital completed. To be let out in shops & offices. Contractor: Scott, Usher's quay.
Refs: IB 48, 1 Dec 1906, 968; 57, 22 May 1915, 236

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, COLE'S LANE, HOUSES (004)
Date: 1907
Nature: 4 new houses on estate of Hickman & Bell. Contractor: P. Shortall. (£1,144).
Refs: IB 49, 20 Apr 1907, 288

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, RINGSEND, IRISH LABOUR HOME & YARD
Date: 1907
Nature: New portable galvanized buildings. Contractor: William Harbrow, S Bermondsey Station, London.
Refs: IB 49, 9 Mar 1907, 176

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, WILLIAMS PLACE, HOUSES (005) & SHOP
Date: 1907
Nature: 5 cottages & shop on estate of Col. R. Norton. Contractor: P. Shortall.
Refs: IB 49, 20 Apr 1907, 288

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, BRIDE STREET NEW, HOUSES
Date: 1907
Nature: New houses for Daniel Tallon, Esq. Tender of Patrick Shortall, 42 York St, for £5,000, accepted.
Refs: IB 49, 29 Jun 1907, 457

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, TYRONE STREET, NO. 013-16 (SUTTON & CO.)
Date: 1907
Nature: Stores & stabling being erected, for Sutton & Co., general carriers. Contractor: P. Shortall, 42 York St (£1068). Contractor for ironwork & roofing: Smith & Pearson (£680).
Refs: IB 49, 16 Nov 1907, 797

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, ARRAN ROAD, HOUSES (002)
Date: 1907
Nature: Pair of semi-detached houses being built in arran Rd and similar pair on Achill Rd, for Mr A. Butterly (on Butterly Estate). Contractor: Thomas Michael, Drumcondra.
Refs: IB 49, 10 Nov 1907, 797

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, ACHILL ROAD, HOUSES (002)
Date: 1907
Nature: Pair of semi-detached houses being built in Achill Rd and similar pair on Arran Rd, for Mr A. Butterly (on Butterly Estate). Contractor: Thomas Michael, Drumcondra.
Refs: IB 49, 10 Nov 1907, 797

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, COLLEGE GREEN, TRINITY COLLEGE
Date: 1908
Nature: New gate lodge in Lincoln Place being constructed. Contractor: G.W. Scott & Co.
Refs: IB 50, 25 Jul 1908, 465

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, BOLTON STREET, NO. 030-34
Date: 1908
Nature: Reconstrcution of 5 houses on Crosbie Estate. Contractor: P. Shortall.
Refs: IB 50, 22 Feb,25 Jul 1908, 117,465

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, PEARSE STREET, QUEEN'S ROYAL THEATRE
Date: 1909
Nature: Reconstruction and enlargement for lessee, Frederick Wentworth Marriott Watson (building leased from Trinity College, Dublin). Reopened 27 Sep 1909. Contractor: J. & P. Good. Plasterwork: John Ryan (designed by A. Scott like that in Father Mathew Memorial Hall?). Figures & emblems : Frederick McGowan.  Ornamental ironwork by J. & C. McGloughlin Ltd.(Theatre was part of Trinity College estate)
Refs: Irish Times, 6 Aug 1908;  Freeman's Journal, 6 Aug 1908,27 Sep 1909; IB 51, 23 Jan,20 Mar,15,29 May,2 Oct 1909, 49,161,292,326-8(illus.),627; 59, 9 Jun 1917, 293; Building News 108, 28 May 1915, 626-7.

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, D'OLIER STREET, NO. 016 (D'OLIER CHAMBERS?)
Date: 1910
Nature: Remodelling of premises of former Star & Garter Hotel as shops and offices.
Refs: IB 52, 9 Jul 1910, 443

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, PEARSE STREET, NO. 193
Date: 1911
Nature: New shop premises in lower portion of building. Contractors: Jones & Sons, Stephen's Gn.
Refs: IB 53, 9 Dec 1911, 822

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, FITZWILLIAM PLACE NORTH (GRANGEGORMAN), NO. 003 & 4
Date: 1911
Nature: To be reconstructed. On King's Hospital Estate. Contractor: James Dougan, Donnybrook.
Refs: IB 53, 24 Jul 1911, 493

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, CASTLE AVENUE (CLONTARF), HOUSES (002)
Date: 1911
Nature: 2 new houses started for John Kennedy, Castlewood House, Clontarf. Contractor: John Dillon, Drumcondra (c.£1,500).
Refs: IB 53, 15 Apr 1911, 246; IA & C 1, 22 Apr 1911, 172

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, CAPEL STREET, NO. 007-8 (BAXENDALE & CO.)
Date: 1911
Nature: Internal structural alts., consisting principally of replacement of existing floors with stronger ones, also new passenger lift. Contractor: P. Shortall, TC, Upper Temple St. Steelwork by J. & C. McGloughlin, Gt Bruswick St..
Refs: IB 53, 11 Nov 1911, 757

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, PEARSE STREET, NO. 008-11 (NUZUM & NICHOLL)
Date: 1911-12
Nature: New premises for L.L. Nuzum & T.J. Nicholl on site of Nos. 8-11 Pearse St. Ruabon brick with buff terracotta dressings. Contractor: G. W. Scott & Co. On Trinity College estate.
Refs: IB 53, 30 Sep 1911, 661; 54, 13 Apr 1912, 234

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, DAME STREET, NO. 074 (YEATES)
Date: 1913
Nature: Structural alts.for Ada Yeates & Sisters, law stationers. Contractor: G. & A. Scott & Co., Usher's Quay. Shopfitter: Judge & Son, N Circular Rd.
Refs: IB 55, 15 Mar,12 Apr 1913, 176,249

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, HOWTH ROAD (CLONTARF), HOUSE
Date: 1913
Nature: Large house just off Strand Rd and Howth Rd to be erected for G.W. Irwin.
Refs: IB 55, 11 Oct 1913, 655

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, STRANDVILLE AVENUE (CLONTARF), HOUSES (002)
Date: 1913
Nature: 2 2-storey houses about to be built for Miss Scott, Howth Rd..
Refs: IB 55, 19 Jul 1913, 475

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, STRANDVILLE AVENUE (CLONTARF), HOUSES (002)
Date: 1913
Nature: New.
Refs: IB 55, 19 Jul 1913, 475

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, HOWTH ROAD, HOUSE
Date: 1915
Nature: To be erected on Howth Rd by G. Irwin, Fairview, adjoining terrace in course of erection by same.
Refs: IB 57, 14 Auag 1915, 366

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, COLLEGE GREEN, TRINITY COLLEGE, NEW SQ
Date: ?
Nature: 'For many years he was architect to Trinity College, for whom he carried out a good deal of work, including the reconstruction of New Square…'
Refs: Obituary in IB 57, 22 May 1915, 236