Bram Stokers house, 15 Marino Crescent
Once known as 'Spite Row', this quaint Georgian crescent has gone down in history as being one of the largest and most expensive "spite fences" in Western Europe.
The story goes that a chap named Folliet had a card gambling debt with local landowner (and builder of Marino Casino) James Caulfield, the Earl of Charlemont. Caulfield put it about that Folliet couldn't pay his debt, a slur which so incensed Folliet that he vowed to have his revenge.
It just so happened that Folliet had recently acquired some land adjoining the Charlemont estate and had planned to build a modest terrace of houses. However, with the insult in mind the plans were changed to a much more substantial development that would effectively block Charlemont's panoramic view of Dublin Bay and the mountains beyond. Charlemonts mansion was around 250m away (see reference point)
Charlemont took the matter to court, and (in a precedence which still stands today) the judge ruled that although he was entitled to light, he wasn't entitled to a view. Furious, Charlemont then tried to charge exorbitant fees on the building materials that had to pass through a toll gate on his land nearby, but Folliet got around this by simply ferrying the materials in by barge from Ringsend instead!
Folliet exacted his sweet revenge by building 26 three story houses designed in such a way as to completely obliterate Charlemonts view. To further the eyesore he even made the rear windows different sizes and shapes to further vex and incense the classical perfection loving Charlemont!
By far the most famous resident was Bram Stoker, the author of the novel Dracula, who lived at No. 15 until adulthood. The little park here was recently renamed Bram Stoker Park in his memory.
The cache is best accessed from outside the park.