London, GB | Formerly of New York, Buenos Aires, Fife, and the Western Cape. | Saoránach d’Éirinn.

No. 82, Eaton Square

In it’s long history, the address of No. 82 Eaton Square in London has housed a Major-General of the East Indian Cavalry, a Lord Strafford, a Lord Bagot, an Earl of Dalhousie, an Earl of Clare, a Duke of Bedford, and Queen Wilhemina of the Netherlands — thankfully not all at once. It’s probably best know for its half-century as the Irish Club, a much-favoured drinking & smoking spot for the community of Gaels in London. The club was founded in 1947, with a number of pre-existing Irish clubs merging into it. George VI — grateful for the devoted service of the Irish who volunteered for his armed forces during the Second World War — heard that the club was in search of premises and asked the Duke of Westminster, one of the largest landowners in London, if he could help. The Duke provided the leasehold of No. 82 Eaton Square to the Irish Club for a nominal sum. (As it happens, the 4th Duke’s son served as a Unionist MP for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, and later in the Northern Irish Senate).

“In its heyday,” the Irish Times reports, “it was a London venue where a pint of Guinness at the bar could be supped with anyone from a building contractor to an aristocrat — as long as there was Irish blood flowing through their veins.” The late Lord Longford (father of the renowned historian Thomas Pakenham, now the 8th Earl) was President of the club until his death. Irishmen such as Garrett Fitzgerald & Conor Cruise O’Brien were frequently found at the bar, and it was popular with Irish journalists as well. Henry Kelly, the radio and television broadcaster, remembered the evening of one IRA bombing in London:

We were having drinks with prime minister Ted Heath in Downing Street at the time and were looking for a lift back to the Irish Club, where we were staying. Gerry [Fitt, of the SDLP] insisted on ringing a local cab company from Heath’s office and spelt out D-O-W-N-I-N-G Street to the person on the end of the phone. All of a sudden, he turned around looking confused and blurted out: “Ted, Ted, what number on Downing Street is this?”

The Club began to find its Eaton Square home cumbersome, and in 2003 it sold up and moved to Tudor Street in Blackfriars. Now the building, designed by Thomas Cubitt, is being converted back into a single residence.

Published at 3:24 pm on Wednesday 16 December 2009. Categories: Architecture Great Britain Ireland Netherlands Tags: , , .
Comments

If only every time a building erected in the 20th century came down in London a building of this merit was built to replace it – the face of London would be so fair.

— Evan Ashworth 24 Dec 2009 1:49 pm

Great piece!

— James Canning 7 Jul 2014 12:19 am

I lived there for a year in 1993/94.

— Anthony Lawless 2 Mar 2015 10:51 am

The Irish Club at 82 Easton Square was my home all through 1980’s 1990’s

Absolutely magnificent place to stay Peter Pan would have very much found it as a lovely home.

— WILLIAM ARTHUR RUDD 11 May 2017 11:07 pm

The fact that King Gearge V1 requested The Duke of Westminster to find a premises to house an Irish Club was not mentioned during last night’a BBC 10 pm News.( 7th Nov ’18) He did this in Thanksgiving to the Irish people who volunteered to join forces during the second world war. I write this because it was said during the programme that the Irish who had fought during tha war had been forgotten but the King did not forget their service to this country and I for many years enjoyed the Club. So sad it is no more.MCD.

— Mary C dixon 8 Nov 2018 10:45 am

I stayed there for a brief time in 1984 . My uncle Frank Tivnan was tbartender for over 25 years. He retired in the late 80s and moved back to Ireland

— Brian Tivnan 16 Aug 2020 7:36 am

I worked at number 82 in the summer of 1987. I started as a young girl from Co. Antrim and started as a chamber maid but ended up serving breakfast, lunch and finally in the bar, where, i believe I was the FIRST female to serve drink behind that bar. Brian, I do remember two bar men and I’m pretty sure your Uncle Frank was one of them. They were both gentlemen albeit that they didn’t approve of me being the first female to serve drinks. The manager at the time was an Irish man called Devenney. He had two sons. Mr Rudd, I don’t remember you being a resident but I do remember the wee man who I was so fond off. He was an ex jockey, walked with a limp and sent me Christmas cards for a few years after I left. Paddy?. Then there was also the infamous Mr. Larry Power. What ever happened to him? I’d love to know! Anyone got any answers? Fiona.

— Fiona (nee) Clerkin 21 Dec 2020 1:03 am

I was manager here for a short time serving under a committee in the early 1990s before emigrating. It was a great place but days of private member clubs were coming to a end. Have great memories Julie o neill and Eddie Collins were great advocates club and certainly there efforts to maintain it on it last footing to get Irish investment that was never to come. Dining club of many Irish universities many great people writers fashion designers politicians all visited stayed there . It was home in London to many Irish ..

— Croan McCormack 27 Dec 2020 12:22 am

There was a gentleman named Baron Henry Steengracht van Moyland used that address in 1940’s … and wonder if there were not other offices there do so with MI5 ? Have “secret” letters from archives that seem to use that address . All very interesting ..

— Lark Rafuse 2 Jan 2021 5:37 pm

I recall staying at the Club in 1957, as a child of 7; my dad worked in those days for The Irish Press and had been sent over to work in the ‘paper’s London Office on the advertising side. We stayed there for a short time before moving into accomodation near Regent’s Park. A Miss Eileen Kilgallon was our landlady and , I think, may also have worked at the Irish Club?

I can recall meeting Joe Lynch, the actor, there and tasting “Consomme” soup in what was an elegant Club restaurant in those days. Indeed, the whole place, including the rooms, had an air of refinement , a certain grandeur or luxury feel, and was certainly an oasis of calm in a beautiful location in a vibrant city, bouncing back from the ravages of war.
I also remember watching Trooping the Colour on a black&white tv one Saturday morning in the Club drawing room, with the balcony windows open to pick up some of the actual real time sounds…..cloppedy, clop, cloppedy….

— donal denham 1 Sep 2022 9:13 am

I stayed there for a couple of nights with my then wife in 1987. We were living in Ireland at the time and it was our first visit to London. I couldn’t get over how reasonable it was considering its location. I recall a continental breakfast during which I read an advertisement in The Guardian seeking an editor for an Irish newspaper. As soon as I returned to Ireland I applied for the job and got it turning the Irish Advertiser freesheet into the paid-for London-Irish News. I frequented the club quite often including the Thursday night Gaeilgeoir cuideachta. Always great craic. So sad to see it go.

— Jim Humphries 3 Jan 2024 7:32 am

We had our wedding reception at the Irish Club in Feb 1962. Stayed there with my parents and sister. Una Kinneen, nee Fanning.

— Una Kinneen 20 Apr 2024 11:13 am

Me and my husband Mungo used to stay here very often in the 90s…room 21 with bath! What great memories we have..so cheap to stay in such a great location and included cooked breakfast a great Sunday lunch. Such characters we met.. like one big family. The 2 Clares and Rosie who worked there were great. Those were the days happy times lovely memories.xx

— Norma Conner 4 Jun 2024 6:04 pm
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