CONSERVATION WORKS ON the Hellfire Club in Massy’s Wood in the Dublin Mountains will begin tomorrow.

It’s part of the Hellfire Project being undertaken by South Dublin County Council.

The Hellfire Club is a shooting lodge that was built in around 1725 by R.H. Connolly, who was the Speaker of the Irish House of Parliament.

It’s located on Montpelier Hill, overlooking Dublin city and is a popular location for tourists and walkers. 

The Hellfire Project is led by South Dublin County Council (SDCC) and supported by Coillte.

There were rumours that the Hellfire Club supposedly used for satanic rites and debauchery in the 18th-century. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

SDCC said the project “will transform the area into a captivating destination for leisure, tourism, and cultural experiences”.

First mooted in 2016, the project has proved to be controversial.

For example, the project was put on hold in 2019 over concerns of the effects that it could have on the merlin bird of prey population.

An Bord Pleanála has completed an Environmental Impact Assessment in relation to the project and determined that the development would not have an adverse effect on the integrity of the site.

In addition to conservation and restoration works to the Hellfire Club, the project will include a visitor centre with exhibitions and a café, a treetop Canopy Walk, new walking trails and improvements to existing ones, and an increase to the size of the existing Hellfire Wood parking area.

The conservation works begin tomorrow and are due to continue for over a period of three months.

SDCC said the “sensitive” works will take place across Massy’s Wood and its walled garden.

Visitors will still be able to access the Hellfire Club, Massy’s Wood, and the walks and trails in the area during the works.

However, SDCC said “it may be necessary to temporarily restrict public access to the walled garden for health and safety reasons” but that “such closures shall only be for the minimum period of time needed to complete the works at that location”.

South Dublin County Council Mayor Cllr Baby Pereppadan said the Hellfire Project “demonstrates our aim to create sustainable experiences that resonate with visitors, while also preserving the natural beauty and the cultural and historic heritage of the area”.

Speaking on the works due to begin tomorrow, Pereppadan said they will “focus on protecting the existing structures in Massy’s Wood, in particular its walled garden, which is an integral part of the historical fabric of the area”.

Meanwhile, South Dublin County Council Chief Executive, Colm Ward said the conservation work at Massy’s Wood is an “important milestone in safeguarding the historic character of the area and bringing it to life for the local community, visitors and generations to come”.

The Hellfire Club on Montpeiiler Hill Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Elsewhere, Mark Carlin, managing director of Coillte Forest, said the Hellfire Project “aligns with Coillte’s ambition to balance and deliver the multiple benefits of forests for climate, nature, wood and people by creating and enhancing sustainable, accessible, and enjoyable outdoor experiences”.

In partnership with Coillte, trees will be felled in line with the granted planning permission to facilitate aspects of the Hellfire Project.

However, the project partners said “attention and care has been paid to ensuring that the trees felled on this site will cause no damage to the biodiversity of the area or the natural landscape”.

They added that “biodiversity planting is to take place on the eastern slopes” and that the “aim is to support the development of a mixed woodland (broadleaves and conifers) that favours the Red Squirrel”.