Catherine Maria Dawson
Elevation of proposed Royal Infirmary, Dublin
17 January 1786
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Catherine Maria Dawson, daughter of Thomas Townley Dawson, of Armagh, was raised by her grandmother in Dublin and educated at the Collège Royal, Toulouse, from 1778 to 1781. She moved in London literary circles and also, as this drawing testifies, developed a keen interest in architecture. The drawing is titled ‘Elevation For the intended Military Infirmary’ and dated 17 January 1786. The foundation stone for the building in the Pheonix Park, designed by James Gandon, was laid on 17 August 1786, and this is an accurate representation of Gandon’s façade, indicating that Dawson had access to drawings for the building from Gandon or his office.
Dawson was married first in 1787 to James Tisdall, of Bawn, Co. Louth, who died ten years later, and second, in 1798, to Charles William Bury, Baron Tullamore, who was created Viscount Charleville in 1800 and Earl of Charleville in 1806. She took a particular interest in the design of her second husband’s new castle-style country seat, Charleville Forest, for which Francis Johnston provided the plans. The IAA holds two designs for two tracery windows for Charleville Forest which attributed to Catherine Maria on stylistic grounds.
