20th century

Details and photos of the house featured in the Georgian Society Records around 1914 indicating that at that time it was still widely admired.

The house remained in the ownership of the wider Domvile family until the death in 1935 of Sir Compton Meade Domvile, 4th Baronet, when the estate passed to his nephew Sir Hugo Poë, who assumed the surname Domvile.

In 1937, the house and grounds came under the stewardship of the state who later acquired it outright and intended to refurbish and extend the house for use as an asylum.

These plans were later abandoned during World War II and the house was used as an army depot owing to its proximity to Dublin airport.

The house was extensively damaged by a fire in 1947 and the remains were finally demolished in 1959.^[8]

Between 1957 and 1958, Morton Stadium was constructed within the grounds of the estate as Ireland's national athletics stadium.^[9]

21st century

The Phoenix folly at Santry demesne

In 2003 the house and estate were opened as a public park. Many of the follies and formal gardens on the estate still exist including the stone temple which was transported from the Domvile's other residence at Templeogue and is now in situ at Luggala in County Wicklow. An fascimile temple is now in its place.^[10]

The original phoenix folly also now forms a feature within the public park and is similar to the one contained in the Phoenix Park.

House

The house was originally constructed in red brick with stone facings and was 9-bays wide with a pedimented breakfront containing 3 bays. It was 2 storeys over a raised basement with a 3rd storey contained in a dormered attic behind the parapet and stone balustrade which was likely added at a later date The dormered windows contain alternating segmental and triangular pediments. The main front doorcase was also constructed with a segmental stone pediment and ornately carved Corinthian columns at the top of a long and shallow flight of grand stone steps.^[11][12][13]

About 40 years after its initial construction the house was enlarged with flanking wings in the Palladian style constructed in the same manner as the main house. Both quadrant links to the wings contained pilasters and blind niches. The wings were each respectively 2 storey and 5 bay structures with a matching 3 bay protruding breakfront. The ends of all rooves within the structure contain stone urns.^[14]

The interior of the main house contained many notable early 18th century features including finely carved barley twist ballusters and corner fireplaces while other features were added during the later 18th and 19th century.

The servants dormer attic rooms were internal with a corridor running around the circumference preventing the inner rooms being observed by visitors as they approached the house.

Gardens

A small bend in the Santry River, which forms the boundary of the park today, was widened to create a small pond for the boating pleasure of Georgian ladies and gentlemen who resided at, and visited, the house.

In 1912 King Victor Emmanuel of Italy presented the Domvilles with a gift of 16 foreign tree species.^[15]

In 1972, part of the demesne was sold to Trinity College Dublin, and was developed with sports grounds, as well as a book storage facility for its library system.^[16]

The stables of the house were only finally demolished in the 1980s.