Falkiner — The Phcenix Park, its Origin and early History. 469 



" tlie poxmcl by whicli the waters of a swift-running river named the 

 Liffey " had course to the former having two great breaches or gaps in 

 it, and the weirs "for the taking of samon" urgently needing repair. 

 But sorry as was the spectacle thus presented by Her Majesty's Hoiise 

 of Kilmainham, no attention whatever was paid by Elizabeth to the 

 frequent remonstrances of her representatives in Ireland at the neglect 

 of the place. After Fitzwilliam's departure, the ancient priory was 

 degraded to a granary, though many years were still to elapse ere it 

 ceased to be officially regarded as a possible Viceregal habitation. In 

 1599, when the favourite Essex was about to come over on the luck- 

 less mission which was to lead him to the scaffold, orders were given 

 for the putting in readiness of Her Majesty's House of Kilmainham 

 for the Lord Lieutenant's reception; but a sum of £153, expended by 

 the Lords Justices in repairs pursuant to this order, incurred the 

 disapproval of the Treasury, who endorsed the item in the accounts 

 "a house of pleasure without Dublin, and therefore a superfluous 

 charge."^ 



The later Elizabethan viceroys, exercising their office for the most 

 part through Lords Justices, were little inconvenienced by the loss of 

 the only official residence outside Dublin Castle. But early in the 

 reign of James I. that vigorous administrator Sir Arthur Chichester, 

 who was Lord Deputy for twelve years, of which eight were spent in 

 Ireland, did his best to get the place put into order. In 1605, he 

 applied for " £1000 harpe, making £750 sterling for the repair of the 

 house at Kilmainham, as a residence for the Lord Deputy in the 

 summer months, when the castle is somewhat noisome by reason of the 

 prison." Eour years later he was obKged to name £3000 as the sum 

 necessary, describing the place as " a goodly vast building, but like to 

 be utterly ruined and blown down the next winter." Chichester 

 plaintively added that he made this representation only in discharge 

 of his duty, "Kilmainham being His Majesty's only house in this 

 kingdom meet for the deputy to reside in," but not expecting that any 

 attention would be paid to his remonstrance. 



It being plain that King James and his ministers cared nothing for 

 the place, and were only desirous of getting rid of the cost of keeping 

 it from further dilapidation, divers of his officers in Ireland began to 

 set covetous eyes on Kilmainham, and memorials were addressed to the 

 king pointing out its ruiaous condition, and the valuelessness of the 

 lands attached to it, and expressing a loyal readiness to relieve the 



1 Cal. Irish State Papers, 1599-1600. 



