To pull in through the fine gates of the Casino and drive through to the house itself is deceptive. The Casino looks small, too small for anything important. A person might think that maybe a few pictures are inside but the 50 foot square footprint has three floors and 16 rooms to it. The design is that of a Greek cross. Each projecting elevation is framed by a pair of columns.

It was designed by Sir William Chambers (1723-1796) for James Caulfield to amuse himself and guests. Chambers never visited any of the buildings he designed in Ireland. Chambers also designed Charlemont House, the Exam hall and Chapel of Trinity and Rathfarnham Castle.

Caulfield (1728-1799) was fourth Viscount Charlemont and later became first earl of Charlemont. He was also the Commander in Chief of the Irish Volunteers in 1780 and in 1785 he became the first president of the Royal Irish Academy. Caulfield loved Italy and the house is his little part of it. It cost £20,000 to build in 1759.

It contained a basement for the servants and kitchen, a second floor for living quarters and a third for bedrooms. It also used the roof, which was flat, to view the surrounding landscape in summer.

Conducted tours are given and I learned a lot about the house from Miriam, my guide. Casino Marino is Italian for little house at the sea. Four of the columns which surround the building are hollow and are used to drain rainwater from the roof, and Roman funerary urns on the roof are used as chimneys.

The floors are made up of wood from China and America, Ebony and Walnut, and the stone comes from Dorset. I was shown to such rooms as the China Closet and the Zodiac Room, called this because of the signs of the zodiac around the ceiling.

The house was restored in 1974, as it had fallen into ruin. It took 10 years to restore it to its present glory. It is now owned by the state under the auspices of the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.

The Casino is located at Marino, just off the Malahide Road, first turn left after Griffith Avenue.

Above: The Casino, once in virgin fields is now surrounded by houses.
Below: The salon with its parquet floor and ‘hidden’ door.