Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Landscape architect, of Dublin. Alexander McLeish, a pupil of J.C. Loudon from circa 1810 to circa 1813, set up as a nurseryman and landscape architect at Harold's Cross, Dublin, circa 1814.(1) In 1815 he submitted a tender of £950 for unspecified work at the Trinity College botanic garden.(2) The nursery side of his business did not thrive, but he developed a very successful career as a garden designer. He introduced the first cast-iron hothouses in Ireland at Clonmannon, Co. Wicklow. He is said to have designed both house and grounds at Lisnabin, Co. Westmeath.(3) He died in Dublin on 15 December 1828.(4)

The Irish Architectural Archive holds a letter dated 21 January 1822 from McLeish to Palmer Paul, a gardener working at Drumcovitt, Dungiven, Co. Derry, giving advice about a possible position as a gardener at Castle Hamilton, Killeshandra, Co. Cavan (Acc. 2006/136).

Address: Greenmount, Harold's Cross, Dublin, 1822.

See WORKS.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from the entry on McLeish in Ray Desmond, Dictionary of British & Irish Botanists and Horticulturalists (1994), 457, and E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens & Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 19-20.

(1) Malins & Bowe, loc. cit., give the date as 1813.
(2) TCD muniments, MUN/P/2/228.
(3) According to Malins & Bowe, loc. cit., McLeish also designed Reynella and St Lucy's, Co. Westmeath. Reynella, however, is said to be an earlier house, see Christine Casey & Alistair Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North Leinster (1993), 285.
(4) Malins & Bowe, loc. cit., give date as 1829.


13 work entries listed in chronological order for MCLEISH, ALEXANDER


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Building: CO. GALWAY, DARTFIELD
Date: 1819
Nature: AMcL consulted re garden or grounds.
Refs: E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens & Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 20

Building: CO. CAVAN, VIRGINIA, CHURCH (CI, LURGAN PARISH)
Date: 1821
Nature: AM gives directions for enclosing plantations at church.
Refs: Kevin V. Mulligan, The Buildings of Ireland: South Ulster (2013), 573.


Building: CO. CAVAN, VIRGINIA PARK, THE LODGE
Date: 1823
Nature: New approach from Virginia church for first Marquess of Headfort..  Mulligan suggests that gate lodge and also Ballyjamesduff lodges were designed by AM.
Refs: Kevin V. Mulligan, The Buildings of Ireland: South Ulster (2013), 575.


Building: CO. MEATH, HEADFORT
Date: 1824
Nature: AMcL working on garden/grounds.
Refs: E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens & Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 20.

Building: CO. WESTMEATH, LISNABIN
Date: 1824?
Nature: House, garden and grounds, for Edward Purdon.
Refs: E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens & Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 20 (date given as 1824 in Christine Casey & Alistair Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North Leinster (1993), 362).

Building: CO. DUBLIN, STILLORGAN ROAD, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BELFIELD CAMPUS, MERVILLE
Date: 1824a
Nature: Floral parterre and flower-forcing houses for Rt. Hon. W. Downes.
Refs: E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens & Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 19

Building: CO. ARMAGH, KNAPPAGH
Date: 1827
Nature: Main entrance withtemple-fronted lodge (demolished).
Refs: Kevin V. Mulligan, The Buildings of Ireland: South Ulster (2013), 327.


Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, ST STEPHEN'S GREEN, PARK
Date: 1924
Nature: AMcL publishes proposals for ornamentation of Green.
Refs: E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens & Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 19

Building: CO. WESTMEATH, BALLYNAGALL
Date: ?
Nature: Grounds of house, for James Gibbons.
Refs: E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens & Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 20.

Building: CO. WESTMEATH, ST LUCY'S
Date: ?
Nature: House, garden and grounds, for Sir Thomas Chapman.
Refs: E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens & Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 20.

Building: CO. WESTMEATH, REYNELLA
Date: ?
Nature: Malins & Bowe say house, garden and groundsn designed by AMcL but house said elsewhere to be be of earlier date (see |North Leinster|, 285)
Refs: E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens & Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 20.

Building: CO. WESTMEATH, KNOCKDRIN CASTLE
Date: ?
Nature: Layout of grounds and gardens for Sir Richard Levinge.
Refs: E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens & Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 20

Building: CO. WICKLOW, CLONMANNON
Date: ?
Nature: Cast-iron hothouses (the first in Ireland), for Rev. Dr. Truell.
Refs: E. Malins & P. Bowe, Irish Gardens & Demesnes from 1830 (1980), 19