Morrison, Sir Richard (1767–1849). Irish architect, he specialized in country-houses, drawing on types established by Cassels and Pearce. His Useful and Ornamental Designs in Architecture composed in the manner of the Antique (1793), was the first work of its kind to be attempted in Ireland. His houses include the charming Bearforest, Mallow, Co. Cork (1807–8—complete with elliptical entrance-hall expressed on the main front), the castellated Tudor Gothic Castle Freke, Rosscarbery, Co. Cork (c.1814–20—ruined), and Castlegar, Ahascragh, Co. Galway (from 1801—again with elliptical entrance-hall). He designed several handsome Classical public buildings, including the Stables, Castle Coole, Co. Fermanagh (before 1817), the County Court House, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary (c.1800), Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital, Dublin (1803–16), the County Gaol, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh (1812–15—demolished), and the County Court House, Galway (1812–15). He collaborated with his son, W. V. Morrison, on a number of country-houses, notably Ballyfin, Mountrath, Co. Leix (1822—the grandest C19 Classical country-house in Ireland), Baronscourt, Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone (1835—to which Steuart, Soane, and others had contributed), Borris House, Borris, Co. Carlow (c.1813), Fota Island, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork (c.1825—with very handsome Grecian entrance-hall) and the Gothic Shelton Abbey, Co. Wicklow (c.1819—with vaulted gallery). One of his most charming works is the restoration of the nave and transepts, and complete rebuilding of the chancel of the Cathedral of St Carthagh, Lismore, Co. Waterford (c.1810), in a pretty Georgian Gothick style.

Bibliography

Bence-Jones (1988);
Graby (ed.) (1989);
McParland et al. (1989);
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004)