25th February - John Darcy

#OnThisDay, 25th February 1864 John Darcy died.

John inherited a small brewery at Bridgefoot Street. He later purchased the adjoining Anchor Brewery on Usher Street in 1818 for £35,000. Under Darcy’s stewardship the business prospered and its export trade was second only to Guinness.

From 1830, John and his wife Eliza Segrave lived in her family home Ballyhoy House, after the death of her parents. It was later rename The Cottage, is now known as Raheny House, and has been incorporated into the Garda Síochána retirement home.

He was a member of Dublin Corporation, a Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant of the County and in 1852 became Lord Mayor of Dublin.

John was elected to the organising committee formed to build St. Assam’s Catholic Church in Raheny and contributed substantial sums to its building.

John is interred in the family vault in the O’Connell Circle in Glasnevin Cemetery.

You can read more about John Darcy in the Raheny Heritage Society’s publication ‘Raheny Footprints’