Hellfire Club

The Real B-man

After asking many friends and googling this i cant seem to find how to get there i know its off Killakee Road but this doesnt seem to be on google maps any info on Directions greatly appreciated!

cabrwab

Its on google earth, but was wondering the same on the exact place!

Leaving Rathfarnham - head up Stocking Lane. Keep going straight. Then you'll see signs on the left right in a wooded part. It's before the 'Viewpoint' at the carpark with the occasional HB Ice-cream van.

*shrugs* maybe I only see the signs since I'm cycling uphill so I'm going slower, but there are definitely signs up there to say 'Hell Fire Club' or else 'Hell Fire Wood' or something. Usually lots of cars parked near it during the weekend.

/I've no idea why I wrote left instead of right. Hrm.

Gran Hermano

Let me know if this helps, if not I'll type up directions from the M50.

The Real B-man

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Let me know if this helps, if not I'll type up directions from the M50.

That's spot on thanks for that Gran Hermano!

ollaetta

Anyone know if the car park there is still a nightmare for break-ins and vandalism?

No idea, but anytime I've been going by there I haven't seen any windows broken into or anything like that.

Tragedy

The car park has been closed all year, people park on the road.

omb0wyn5ehpij9

Tragedy wrote: »

The car park has been closed all year, people park on the road.

Got there before me! I usually go for a drive up that direction and the car park has definately been closed all year

Luckycharm

BrynW wrote: »

Got there before me! I usually go for a drive up that direction and the car park has definately been closed all year

Has it- anyone know why?

p67

Myth wrote: »

Leaving Rathfarnham - head up Stocking Lane. Keep going straight. Then you'll see signs on the left right in a wooded part. It's before the 'Viewpoint' at the carpark with the occasional HB Ice-cream van..

can anyone tell me how to get to 'viewpoint'? i have a foreign visitor over who would like to see a view of dublin at night and i have been to viewpoint years ago but i am not sure where it is? thanks

dogmatix

From M50 - get off at ballinteer -
1. Take left at first roundabout.
2. At junction with top of ballinteer avenue go straight.
3. Left at next lights (just before GAA club).
4. At next lights take a right. onto college road.
5. At next junction take a left and go under M50.
6. Take right off the small roundabout just past the M50 onto tibradden road.
7. Follow road for a few miles until small settlement reached (rockbrook / edmonstown?) - follow road to the right.
8. 200 metres at v junction, take a very sharp and steep left - now on cruagh road.
9. Now follow the steep, narrow and very curvey road for a few miles - always follow road to left.
10. After a few miles you come to a sharp V junction - left is for Glencullen - but you go right.
11. Drive for a mile or two until you come to a sharp V junction with the military road. Plenty of parking here and excellent viewpoint. Hellfire club and massey woods is further down the road.

p67

cheers dogmatix

garbanzo

While we are on the subject of The Hell Fire Club, does anyone know the true history of the place. If I recall it was the home of the Speaker Connolly and guys like Buck Whaley and co used to carouse, womanise and play cards there etc. Legend has it that the devil himself appeared there and the place burnt down. I am from Rathfarnham myself originally so woud like to know the "real" story of the place.

GeturGun

'tis actually a lot quicker if you;
get off at Firhouse and go towards Ballycullen (so left if you're northbound, right if you're southbound)
Left at the first roundabout
Straight to the end of that road (thru about 2 roundabouts)
Turn left
Straight to the end of that road
Turn right
HFC is about a mile up on the right hand side, you can't miss it with all the cars parked outside.
You can get to the top the long way by walking along the carpark and follow the path, it's about a mile and a half or so. Alternatively, if you are feeling energetic and adventurous, there is a sharp steep [not sure what to call it, it's not a path!!] way up if you take a left after the entrance.
The views from up there are really good on a clear day
[i have some good pics but I can't find them right now, i'll post if/when I do]

LolaDub

garbanzo wrote: »

While we are on the subject of The Hell Fire Club, does anyone know the true history of the place. If I recall it was the home of the Speaker Connolly and guys like Buck Whaley and co used to carouse, womanise and play cards there etc. Legend has it that the devil himself appeared there and the place burnt down. I am from Rathfarnham myself originally so woud like to know the "real" story of the place.

As i heard it, its pretty close to the loftus hall story. Devil came to play cards, someone dropped a card and leaned down to collect it, saw a cloven hoof and when the devil saw his disguise blown the place went up in flames

MagicMarker

LolaDub wrote: »

As i heard it, its pretty close to the loftus hall story. Devil came to play cards, someone dropped a card and leaned down to collect it, saw a cloven hoof and when the devil saw his disguise blown the place went up in flames

When was this supposed to have happened?

Gran Hermano

MagicMarker wrote: »

When was this supposed to have happened?

Middle of the 18th century.

It is believed that the Irish Hell Fire Club (founded 1735 by Richard Parsons, 1st Earl of Rosse) held some meetings at the house, although their regular meeting place was the Eagle Tavern on Cork Hill near Dublin Castle.[2] As a result, many lurid stories regarding activities there have entered popular local folklore. These include tales of drinking sessions and black masses as well as ritual sacrifices of black cats and, on one occasion, a dwarf.[5] In 1971, the skeleton of a dwarfish figure was found buried along with a brass statue of a demon at nearby Killakee House (a place with a reputation for hauntings)but may have been a publicity stunt for the opening of the gallery. According to the Evening Herald of December 10 1968 F.W. Gumley witnessed the black cat in the late 1930s.[6] Lady Massey, wife of the "Penniless Peer" as well as her son were taken in by Miss Margaret Fox after Lord Massey, was declared bankrupt and the house and lands taken over by the banks. [5] Another tale – very similar to that associated with Loftus Hall, County Wexford – holds that the Devil appeared, posing as a stranger seeking shelter from a storm, and vanished in a puff of smoke when a fellow guest noticed he had cloven hooves for feet.[7] In yet another tale, a fire broke out in the building when some spilled brandy was set alight, killing many members who were too drunk to escape.[7]

Montpelier Hill with the Hell Fire Club near its summit as seen from Tibradden Mountain


It is from this reputation that the building has earned the name “Hellfire Club”. Other names by which is has been known by include “Conolly's Folly”,[4] “The Haunted House”,[2] “The Shooting Lodge”[2] and “The Kennel”.[4]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellfire_Club,_Dublin

Plenty more info on the various stories about the hill and house here
http://www.blather.net/blather/1999/11/the_hellfire_club_accidental_s.html

Wolff

as usual we were just following the fashion of the day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellfire_Club

IrlJidel

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Middle of the 18th century.

Plenty more info on the various stories about the hill and house here
http://www.blather.net/blather/1999/11/the_hellfire_club_accidental_s.html

One of the blather guys has just published a book on Haunted Dublin, which includes the Hellfire Club.

http://www.blather.net/blather/2008/10/haunted_dublin_chilling_accounts_of_the.html#more

There's a launch party in Dice bar on Halloween.

Gran Hermano

Wolff wrote: »

as usual we were just following the fashion of the day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellfire_Club

Checking the dates the Irish 'club 'was founded compared to those in England,
I'd say we were the trend setters.

GeturGun

LolaDub wrote: »

Devil came to play cards, someone dropped a card and leaned down to collect it, saw a cloven hoof and when the devil saw his disguise blown the place went up in flames

Yeah, that's exactly the story we would have heard growing up !

ChickCool

Yeah i heard that as well^^^ that it was supposed to be some kind of booze and card club? and the devil was a player? never heard the loftus hall thing lola good job putting that together, wonder which caught the story off which

Unwilling

We have a book and followed the directions, firstly the road was closed, so we parked and walked, but then we could not find the tibridon road.
We headed up kilmashogue but it was a little boring. steep but boring.
and it's not a loop - really fancied the hell fire club......... so
any tips or directions from someone whos been there recently.
Would like to try again on Sunday!?!?!

Please keep in mind, haven't a clue of the area............

Tabnabs

Holy thread resurrection batman!

You weren't even close! Have a look at the map link at the bottom of this page
http://www.dublinmountains.ie/index.php?id=140

Luckycharm

Unwilling wrote: »

We have a book and followed the directions, firstly the road was closed, so we parked and walked, but then we could not find the tibridon road.
We headed up kilmashogue but it was a little boring. steep but boring.
and it's not a loop - really fancied the hell fire club......... so
any tips or directions from someone whos been there recently.
Would like to try again on Sunday!?!?!

Please keep in mind, haven't a clue of the area............

Where are you coming from if you turn at the Yellow house in Rathfarnham here is the easiest way - keep going straight for about 1 and half miles till you come to a round about just past the statoil. Go straight through roundabout then take first right about 100ms, then take 2nd left (first is a little estate) about 300ms Stocking avenue, that goes uphill it is about 2 miles up on the left hand side just past a big grey/white house which used to be a resturant- the carpark is there not sure if still open. You should see plenty of cars there and you can up from there - it is not a long walk there is a short steep way up the hill or longer less steep walk up the path.

IrlJidel

Here's a map of the area.

Hellfire is marked by the red kite.

Tenderloins1

Not sure but there are signs on Taylors lane about diversions, is it possible that the pipe laying that closed Edmondstown road for a while recently has now reached Stocking Lane?

Luckycharm

Tenderloins1 wrote: »

Not sure but there are signs on Taylors lane about diversions, is it possible that the pipe laying that closed Edmondstown road for a while recently has now reached Stocking Lane?

Not that I know of I live up there use the bottom part of the road everyday

KC61

Tenderloins1 wrote: »

Not sure but there are signs on Taylors lane about diversions, is it possible that the pipe laying that closed Edmondstown road for a while recently has now reached Stocking Lane?

Whitechurch Road is closed at the southern end.

GeturGun

Luckycharm wrote: »

Where are you coming from if you turn at the Yellow house in Rathfarnham here is the easiest way - keep going straight for about 1 and half miles till you come to a round about just past the statoil. Go straight through roundabout then take first right about 100ms, then take 2nd left (first is a little estate) about 300ms Stocking avenue, that goes uphill it is about 2 miles up on the left hand side just past a big grey/white house which used to be a resturant- the carpark is there not sure if still open. You should see plenty of cars there and you can up from there - it is not a long walk there is a short steep way up the hill or longer less steep walk up the path.

It's on the right-hand-side going up that way