There is a lovely Condolences section on the RIP.ie website where friends from all over the world can share memories with the family of the deceased person. For Denis McDowell, who died last year, what come across are his sheer sense of humour and great character. One amusing memory posted by a friend is that when he was invited to a dinner: "He brought the thank-you note with him 'to save the stamp'. There will never be another like him."
He established solicitors’ firm McDowell Purcell, which became one of the top legal practices in Ireland, and lived with his wife, Catherine, at 3 Simmons Court in Ballsbridge from when the couple purchased the four-bedroom semi-detached house in 1998. Catherine, described by their son JP as “a pro golfer and a mum who raised five children”, predeceased Denis in 2014.
“The location of their home was like a sporting mecca for them,” recalls JP. “Dad would often head over on a Saturday or Sunday to Merrion Cricket Club, and he was also president of Milltown Golf Club.” Another post on RIP.ie remembers his “cruel slice on the tennis court and Friday night dinners at the Fitzwilliam [Tennis Club] attempting to solve the troubles of the world”.
It’s not hard to see why the Simmons Court address is a popular location for sporting enthusiasts. Having the Aviva, the RDS and Donnybrook close by means you can walk to rugby fixtures, with tennis, golf and swimming also in the vicinity. “My parents loved Herbert Park and would walk there every morning, while Dad also really enjoyed a march up and down Sandymount Strand.”
The four-bedroom house, in excellent order, is arranged over three storeys. The very bright property is full of antiques, as the annual Antiques Fair at the RDS – literally over the wall – was a popular spot for Catherine. It is also full of Connemara landscape paintings, as the couple were an annual fixture in Ballyconneely from the 1970s: “They holidayed there for what seems like forever, and got so much mileage from the place – they absolutely loved it,” says JP.
Denis was a solicitor for the guts of 50 years. In 2019 his firm, McDowell Purcell, merged with Fieldfisher, one of Europe’s largest legal firms, where JP is now managing partner. “Dad never retired; if it wasn’t for lockdowns he would have been into the office every week. But his favourite sport during lockdown became shopping at Donnybrook Fair.”
No 3 Simmons Court, located at the Anglesea Road end of Simmonscourt Road in the heart of Ballsbridge, extends to 193sq m (2,080sq ft) and has a BER of C3. It is now on the market through Sherry FitzGerald seeking €1.5 million.
