What a place…
uilt somewhere around 1860, the building known as Carraig Eden – or, in earlier years, Carrig Eden – 
boasts a colourful past, and, as of the summer of 2016, an uncertain future.
uilt somewhere around 1860, the building known as Carraig Eden – or, in earlier years, Carrig Eden – 
boasts a colourful past, and, as of the summer of 2016, an uncertain future.Originally two semi-detached homes, originally called East House and West House before becoming Ferney East and Ferney West by 1922. Ferney East was the home of George Chester Duggan (1887-1967), who 
served in the Admiralty and Chief Secretary’s Office in Dublin Castle before joining the Northern Ireland Civil Service and going on to become Controller General and Auditor General in 1945.
served in the Admiralty and Chief Secretary’s Office in Dublin Castle before joining the Northern Ireland Civil Service and going on to become Controller General and Auditor General in 1945.Ferney West had to settle for being the home of Colonel Ribton Gore. More on the Duggans in the Greystones During The Revolutionary Period in the 2021 anthology Wickow And The War Of Independence here.
Carrig Eden circa 1930
It was in 1936 that two became one, as the premises became the Christian Endeavour holiday home in 1936.
Carraig Eden 2022
We nearly lost this Greystones landmark with the announcement in March, 2016 that the then owners, The Irish Assemblies of God – aka The Brothers of No Mercy – were going to sell this seaside property. Leaving the Tiglin residents with a major mountain to climb, given that the asking price was €1.7m.
It didn’t take long before The Carraig Eden Foundation was set up to try and raise those much-needed funds. You can find out about that early fightback right here, the darkness before the light here, and the happy ending right here.
In the meantime, feast your eyes on this Greystones beauty, never really changing at all down through the many, many years…
Marine Road & Carrig Eden postcard REF 2491
Carraig Eden Postcard 1968. Source: Unknown
Carraig Eden before concrete steps
Croquet at Carrig Eden mid-1960s. Source: Gary Paine
Carraig Eden 1939 Valentine Postcard. Source Unknown
Early 1930s, we reckon. Bouladuff to the left; swimming huts and diving plank below…
Carraig Eden 1915 – then East Ferney and West Ferney houses Source Derek Paine
Carrig Eden circa 1930 Source Derek Paine
The Cove with steps from the Barracks
Cove Sunrise by Chris Dobson Tues 12SEPT17
The Cove. Old Postcard.
The Cove. Postcard.
The Bathing Place 1905 Cove Postcard by W Lawrence
That Cove postcard – with extra added glitter
Carrig Eden from The Cove postcard. Source: ebay 13SEPT22
Midnight At The Cove by Kristina
Night Lights by Ian McCann
The Cove Painting – hanging in Carraig Eden
Carraig Eden Sunday 9th April 2017. Pablo Photography
Summer Lovin’ by Anne McInerny @365seaswimforme
4 comments
Together with a few friends who’d also just done their LC, I signed on here as a waitress in Aug 1968. A few days later, refused permission to go to the local C of I dance, we climbed out the window to go anyway, were met on return in the small hours by the manageress in her dressing gown, and told to leave. She thought better of it next morning but we’d already decided we’d had enough hard graft, so happily left her short-handed and headed for home. And so ended our first hopeful step into the world of work …
Once a rebel, always a rebel…
I stayed at Carraig Eden a couple weeks in July of 2002 for a Christian pro-skater outreach and children’s Vacation Bible School in Greystones and Cork. Beautiful place and wonderful people. Jamie Thomas and Kanten Russell were the featured pro skaters. It was fun watching the local boarders’ eyeballs go buggy when they spotted their heroes. They were adorable tripping over their own words asking them to sign their clothing and to do some skate tricks.
For many years the building was named Carrig Eden. Does anybody know when the name was changed, misspelled?