Hugh Darley Explained

Hugh Darley (1701–1771) was an 18th-century Irish architect and stonecutter who is most notable for his work as builder, stonecutter, supplier and architect on various buildings and projects in the Trinity College Dublin campus.

History

The third son of Henry Darley, a stonecutter and quarry owner of Newtownards, County Down, he had moved to Dublin by 1725 where he is recorded as working on buildings at Bachelor's Walk.^[1] He is also recorded as working at various times in counties Westmeath, Antrim, Down and Louth.

He was living at 10 Lower Abbey Street, 1761–1763 and later at Marlborough Street, 1764–1771.

His immediate family included elder brothers Moses Darley (died 1754) and Arthur Darley (1692–1742) who were also both involved in the building trade while his great-grandnephew was the architect Frederick Darley and another grandnephew was the poet George Darley.^{[2] [3]} His son John (born 1731) became collector of customs at Newry.

Over the course of two centuries, the extended Darley family were particularly heavily involved in the provision of stone and building services to Trinity College Dublin.^{[4] [5]} In the 1750s, Darley is recorded as employing over 100 men on college related building works alone.^[6]

He appears to have owned the quarries at Ardbraccan (limestone) for a period as well as at Golden Hill (granite) near the village of Kilbride, County Wicklow.^[7]

For a period, Edward Smyth was apprenticed to Darley who recommended him to work with James Gandon.^[8]

Notable building projects

• Trinity College Dublin, west front (1752-59) as builder and superintendent^{[9] [10]}
• St. Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda (1748) as architect^[11]
• Four Courts (1749) as stonecutter
• Provost's House, Trinity College Dublin (1759) as builder
• Trinity College Dublin - rebuilding of Dining Hall (1760) after its collapse
• Mayoralty House, Drogheda (1769)^{[12] [13]} - as architect and superintendent

Notes and References

1. Web site: Hugh Darley . www.dia.ie . 28 August 2024.
2. Book: Abbott . Claude Colleer . The Life and Letters of George Darley, Poet and Critic . Clarendon P. . 29 August 2024 . en . 1967.
3. Web site: Darley Collection . Royal Irish Academy . 28 August 2024 . en . 15 May 2024.
4. Web site: CRAFTVALUE masons . CRAFTVALUE . 28 August 2024 . 14 April 2020.
5. Mahaffy . J. P. . NOTES ON THE ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY OF TRINITY COLLEGE. Who built the West Front of Trinity College? . Hermathena . 28 August 2024 . 11–18 . 1910. 16 . 36 . 23037017 .
6. Book: Dickson . David . Dublin: The Making of a Capital City . Harvard University Press . 29 August 2024 . en . 24 November 2014. 978-0-674-74504-9 .
7. Web site: Hugh Darley (1701-1771) @ Architecture @ Archiseek.com. 28 August 2024. archiseek.com.
8. Web site: Smyth, Edward (1743-1823) Architecture @ Archiseek.com . 19 September 2024 . 6 June 2009.
9. Web site: TRINITY COLLEGE, WEST FRONT . www.dia.ie . 28 August 2024.
10. Book: Casey . Christine . Dublin: The City Within the Grand and Royal Canals and the Circular Road with the Phoenix Park . Yale University Press . 29 August 2024 . en . 1 January 2005. 978-0-300-10923-8 .
11. Web site: St Peter's Drogheda – Drogheda, Ardee and Collon Union, Kilsaran Union. 28 August 2024. drogheda.armagh.anglican.org.
12. Web site: Dictionary of Irish Architects . www.dia.ie . 28 August 2024.
13. Book: Collins . Sean . Drogheda, Gateway to the Boyne: Paintings and Stories from the Land of Boann . Dundurn . 29 August 2024 . en . 1998. 978-1-900935-08-1 .