• Casino At Marino Interior &
• Casino At Marino Interior Photos

1. The Casino at Marino- Ireland This jewel box of a garden pavilion was designed by the great British architect Sir William Chambers for James Caulfield, 1st Earl of Charlemont. It was begun in the late 1750’s and was finished around 1775.
2. All the architectural grandeur of the Renaissance Europe is brilliantly celebrated in Charlemont's subtle and deceptively simple villa, the Casino, at Marino, outside Fairview, in Dublin.

Widely acknowledged as the best neo-classical Georgian building in Ireland, this was built in the second part of the 18th century as a ‘folly’. a garden pavilion for James Caulfield, the 1st Earl of Charlemont.

It was designed by by Sir William Chambers, who was also architect for the Examination Hall and Chapel at Trinity College and Charlemont House, which now houses the Hugh Lane Gallery.

As a young adult Lord Charlemont spent more than 9 years on a ‘Grand Tour’ of Europe, where during visits to Italy and Greece he developed a love for classical architecture.

Featured image by MaestroBen

Plans for the Casino, courtesy Old Irish Maps

For customers accessing the services from Great Britain Casino Marino Interior ('GB') MT SecureTrade Limited is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission and Casino Marino Interior holds a Remote Casino Operating License number 39575. 50 774 Over 800 Casino Games.

He met with Chambers on his travels and they became good friends, so when he came up with the notion of creating his own architectural gem it was to him he turned.

The original house is long gone, but both the Casino and the remaining portions of the garden which surround it give some idea of the grandeur that once existed here.

At one time the Casino would have been the focal point of a long view down the park from the reception rooms of the original Marino House.

It was used as a summer house and occasional guest house, but its main purpose was simply to look good!

The Casino Building

Although very imposing looking, the building is quite small, just 50ft square, with enormous windows and doors which give the impression that there is just a single room inside. In fact there are a surprising number of rooms, arranged on three levels.

The exterior is highly decorated, with urns, carvings, statues and pillars. Inside it is no less elaborate, with fine Georgian mouldings and plasterwork, inlaid floors and elegant mantelpieces and doors.

There are some wonderful little hidden details, designed to preserve the decorative look of the building while ensuring it was functional.

For example the urns on the rooftop are actually chimneys and some of the pillars are hollow and act as down pipes, draining water from the roof. An underground tunnel once gave access to the Casino from the main house, but this is now blocked.

The Charlemont estate, along with the original contents of the Casino, was sold in 1881 and the land began to be developed and built on, and the Casino fell into disrepair. It was in very poor condition when taken into state care in the 1930’s but has now been carefully and very well restored to its original condition.

David Linley, the renowned British designer, created a marvelously intricate ‘Casino at Marino’ jewellry box, complete with secret compartments and catches, made from sycamore. It is a one off piece, not available to buy, but worth taking a look at for its exquisite craftsmanship.

How the Casino Marino Got its Name

The Casino is not now and never was a gambling den of any kind, but in spite of this I recently saw it described on another website as “the best known casino is Dublin presenting a diversity of gaming options, including slots and video poker machines” – you really don’t want to believe everything you read online!

The name is sometimes believed to come from the Italian word ‘Casina’ meaning ‘small house’ and ‘Marino’ meaning ‘small sea’, but in fact has the same root as more modern casinos coming from the Italian for ‘house of fun’. It must confuse Italian visitors to Ireland somewhat, since in Italy the word is used nowadays for a brothel!

Hat tip to Colm Kenny (see comments below) for that information.

The neighbouring suburb of Marino, which began to develop in the 1920’s on what was once the Charlemont estate, takes its name from the house that once stood here – Marino House.

Recent Planning Controversy

The Casino is currently embroiled in something of a controversy. Dublin County Council has lodged a planning application in early 2007, proposing the construction of a medico-legal centre in its grounds, a facility which would include the offices of the State Pathologist.

This proposal is strenuously opposed by the Irish Georgian Society. The Department of the Environment, who are responsible for the care of the building, have also expressed concern.

Visiting the Casino

The Casino is about 5km from the city centre and is convenient to several bus routes and a few minutes walk from Clontarf Road Dart Station. It is open daily from May to October, weekends only from November to April.

Entrance is free to holders of either a Dublin Pass or a Heritage Card

The Casino, located in the gardens of Marino House was designed by Sir William Chambers for James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont. It is one of the finest 18th century neo-classical buildings in Europe. The Casino, meaning 'small house', contains 16 finely decorated rooms, endlessly rich in subtlety and design. It is a remarkable building in terms of structure and history.
The name 'Casino' is the diminutive form of the Italian word 'Casa', meaning 'House', and so means 'Little House'.
Regarded as the most important Neo-Classical building in Ireland, the Casino is quite small, measuring only 50 feet square to the outer columns. Seen from the outside, the building has the appearance of a single roomed structure, with a large panelled door on the north side and a single large window on each of the other sides. However, the Casino contains 16 rooms on three floors.
Many other tricks are used throughout the construction in order to preserve the simplicity of the design. Four of the columns which surround the building are hollow and,with a length of chain dangling in each, allows rainwater to drain down. The Roman urns on the roof are used as chimneys.
The interior, includes a basement level with a kitchen and associated rooms, a main floor with reception rooms and a top storey with servants rooms and a State Bedroom. It contains some very fine plasterwork ceilings and some elaborate hardwood parquet floors.
Originally the Casino was linked to Marino House by a tunnel, although this has been blocked off due to building works in the area.

Opening Times

Casino At Marino Interior &

29th April- 27th October: open daily 10am - 5pm
Last admission 45 mins before closing.
Access is by guided tour only.
Duration: 45 mins.
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Ticket Prices

Adult: €3.00
Senior Citizens €2.00
Child/Student: €1.00
Family: €8.00
Group: €2.00
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Disabled Facilities

The interior is accessed by a stairway.
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More Information

Telephone: 00 353 (0) 1 8331619
Email: casinomarino@opw.ie
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Casino At Marino Interior Photos