Falkiner — The Plicenix Park, its Origin and early History. 477 



entered into with a public servant of high distinction. Sir John 

 Temple, who held the office of Solicitor-Greneral from the Eestoration 

 to the Revolution, had inherited from his father, the well-known author 

 of a history of the Rebellion, and long the Master of the Rolls in Ireland, 

 large interests in the neighbourhood of the Park which he was 

 desu'ous of increasing. He now added to his eminent legal functions 

 the role of builder and contractor, and undertook to build a wall 

 eight feet high from the Park Gate to Chapelizod in consideration of 

 the sum of £200, and a grant of the lands thus omitted from the Park 

 between the road and the river. The contract was duly carried out. 

 The Park assumed the shape it has ever since substantially retained,^ 

 and the strip of land lying along the river bank from Kingsbridge to 

 Chapelizod was added to the possessions of the Temples of Palmers- 

 town. 



Meantime neither the delinquencies of Dodson nor the subsequent 

 alteration in the scope of the Park had been allowed to delay the 

 equipment of the lands as a deer park. Deer were brought from 

 England ; and Marcus Trevor, Viscount Dungannon, who had already 

 received a patent as Master of His Majesty's Game and Parks in 

 Ireland, was designated as Ranger in 1668. Two keepers were at 

 the same time appointed. There appears also to have been an inten- 

 tion to create an office higher than either of these, that of Lieutenant 

 of the Park, which was intended by Ormond to be held by his son, the 

 gifted Earl of Ossory, in conjunction with the house at Chapelizod 

 acquired from Sir Maurice Eustace.^ This idea, which was taken from 

 the constitution of the Royal Park at "Woodstock, as well as a proposed 

 designation of the Park as Kingsborough Park, was abandoned, and the 

 offices created were confined to those of the Ranger, who was also keeper 

 of the walk of iN'ewtown, with a residence on the site of the present 

 Viceregal Lodge, and of two keepers, one for what was called 

 Kilmainham walk, and the other for the lodge and walk of Ashtown. 

 The Eilmainham keepership was apparently abolished when the lands 

 south of the Liffey were assigned to the Royal Hospital. But another 

 was established at Castleknock Gate, with a residence on the site of 

 Mountjoy Barracks. The separate establishment of Ranger and 



1 So far as the writer is aware, no alteration in the line of the boundary walls 

 took place from the erection of Temple's Wall until 1786, when the limits of the 

 Park were slightly curtailed at the Eastern boundary, near Park Gate, to enable 

 the "Wide Street Commissioners to widen the road leading from Barrack-street to 

 Island Bridge. 



^ Draft King's Letter to Attorney- General, Ormonde MSS., undated. 



