The drawing room ceiling in Killruddery, County Wicklow. This part of the house was designed for the tenth Earl of Meath by Richard and William Vitruvius Morrison in the 1820s. Usually the names of craftsmen employed in such tasks remain unknown but specific information has been found about this ceiling. The principal plasterer was Henry Pobje of Dublin but he didn’t work alone. Fifty years ago in 1968 when Elizabeth, Countess of Meath was repainting the room, she discovered on top of one section of the cornice the name of Simon Gilligan, together with the date 24th April 1824, which was presumably when the plasterwork was completed.
A wonderful find! It is so important for owners restoring old properties to record the names of the tradesmen/women who actually carry out the work, as well as the names of previous workers when they find them, as here. Where would Irish buildings be without the contribution of all those modest men over the centuries?
Any list of buildings where the “La Francini” brothers worked. They were Stucco Plasterers. My ancestor(s) worked with them. Thomas (O’)Carroll was one.
If you google search my site, you will find many of the places where the brothers worked. You should also consult a book by Prof Christine Casey “Making Magnificence” which discusses their work in England and Ireland. I hope this is of help.