Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Decorative plasterworker, of Dublin, active from about 1761 until 1795. James McCullagh worked from Lower Abbey Street and later from 48 Mary Street. He was admitted to the Plasterers and Bricklayers Guild in 1761, became Master in 1778, and was a member of the City Council of Dublin in 1781. He died in 1795. According to Curran, McCullagh did some work at the Rotunda for John Ensor in 1774. In the same period he carried out decorative plasterwork throughout Powerscourt House (1771-1774) in South William Street, Dublin, assisted by Michael Reynolds and MICHAEL STAPLETON MICHAEL STAPLETON . He may be the same person as the 'John McCulla' who was paid for decorative plasterwork at Headfort House in January 1774.(1)   McCullagh was the builder of Nos. 5 & 6 Mountjoy Square.(2)

The English decorative plasterworker Joseph Rose, who worked extensively for Adam, kept a sketchbook of designs in which he included some copies 'from McCulaugh's book'.(3)



References

All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from The Georgian Society Records I, 16, and C.P. Curran, Dublin Decorative Plasterwork of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (1967), 73-4, 75.

(1) John Harris, Headfort House & Robert Adam (RIBA, 1973), unpaginated). 
(2) Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 202. 
(3) Margaret Jourdain, English decorative plasterwork of the Renaissance (London, 1926), 251.


3 work entries listed in chronological order for MCCULLAGH, JAMES *


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Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, PARNELL STREET (& CAVENDISH ROW), ROTUNDA (ROUND ROOM)
Date: 1774
Nature: JM 'did some plasterwork in the Rotunda[Round Room] for John Ensor'.
Refs: C.P. Curran, Dublin Decorative Plasterwork of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (1967), 75

Building: CO. MEATH, HEADFORT
Date: 1774a
Nature: 'John McCulla' was paid for decorative plasterwork at Headfort House in January 1774.
Refs: John Harris, Headfort House & Robert Adam (RIBA, 1973), unpaginated).

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, WILLIAM STREET SOUTH, NO. 059 (POWERSCOURT HOUSE)
Date: 1774a
Nature: Decorative plasterwork throughout house, notably stair hall and study.  Assistant: Michael Reynolds.
Refs: Georgian Society Records I, 16; C.P. Curran, Dublin Decorative Plasterwork of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (1967), 75;  Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 509-10.