Frescati House - The Beginning of The End

The Beginning of The End

Frescati’s demise began in the late sixties, when speculators acquired it from the McKinleys. The grounds of the Frescati remained substantial. Even after land had been acquired for the Blackrock dual carriageway, the house retained at least 7 acres (28,000 m2). In the late sixties, the Dún Laoghaire Corporation acquired lands at Frescati to build a bypass. At the same time, Frescati and its lands were rezoned for commercial development. This meant a high financial potential for the lands. By 1970, Frescati had fallen into the hands of “Frescati Estates Limited”, a company controlled by the directors and owners of Roches Stores. The house at the end of the east wing continued to be occupied for some years, and appears in good condition where the rest of the house is boarded up. They sought planning permission to have it demolished. It was swiftly granted, provided that they secured permission for whatever was to be built on the site. Roches Stores controlled Frescati Estates. A department store, an office block, a hotel and a car park were planned for the site.