Abbey Lea, A Killiney History

The residence of the Australian Ambassador to Ireland is a unique 1909 Arts and Crafts home surrounded by period gardens facing south overlooking Killiney Bay. Purchased in 1965 by the Australian Government, its life before it was a diplomatic residence is extraordinary.

From the turn of the century, the home’s previous owners were politically, professionally and culturally engaged in the future of Ireland at a critical time in Ireland’s history. These stories about the property and its previous owners connect the people and homes of Killiney, Dalkey, Ballybrack and Dublin.

From Harry Clarke procuring contacts and artistic commissions at the house, discovering Oliver St John Gogarty’s poetry about raucous dinner parties, to the murder of the gardener on Strathmore Road by the IRA in May 1920, Abbey Lea, A Killiney History provides researched context and insight into Killiney life from more than 100 years ago.