Simon Vierpyl

Simon Vierpyl (c. 1725 – 16 February 1810) was an English builder, sculptor and stone carver.

Life St. Patrick's Cathedral South Transept West Aisle Monument Dedicated to Lady Doneraile by Vierpyl

Simon Vierpyl was born in London, around 1725. His parents were Dutch. He studied sculpture under Peter and Henry Scheemakers.

Vierpyl was in Rome went to Rome from 1748 for nine years, when he met James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont, who was on his grand tour. Charlemont commissioned him to make copies from the private collections and public galleries of Rome. For Charlemont's travel companion, Rev. Edward Murphy, Vierpyl modelled 22 statues and 78 busts of Roman emperors out of terracotta, which were shipped to Ireland after their completion in 1755. Murphy left the busts to Charlemont after his death in 1777, and were displayed in the James Gandon designed Rockingham library of Charlemont House until the 3rd Earl of Charlemont presented them to the Royal Irish Academy in 1868.

Vierpyl came to Dublin in 1756, when Charlemont asked him to supervise the building of the Casino at Marino, taking up residence on Marlborough Street, and later Henry Street. Vierpyl carved ornamental details for the building out of Portland stone with his pupil, Edward Smyth. These include the four statues of the deities Ceres, Bacchus, Apollo and Venus. He also worked on chambers for Charlemont's townhouse, now the Hugh Lane Gallery. Vierpyl supervised improvements to Castletown House for Lady Louisa Conolly, constructing the large cantilevered stairs with Alexander King.

Notable works Royal Exchange (1769), latterly City Hall with Thomas Cooley Blue Coat School in Oxmantown (1773) Simpson's Hospital (1786), now demolished Casino at Marino