This beautifully restored building, now the business premises of  Brennan’s Kitchens was built as the Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation in the year 1828 and named St Brigid’s Seminary.  The Most  Reverend Dr Murray, Archbishop of Dublin entrusted the project to four Carmelite nuns, Mother Mary Francis de Sales, Sister Agnes  Rafter, Sister Mary Paul Doyle and novice Teresa Joseph McDonnell who were transferred from the Convent of the Assumption, Firhouse.  Due to lack of interest or perhaps because of the small population in the area at the time the convent was closed on 1st March 1832.

Then in 1859 Father Ignatius Schwindenhammer of the Holy Ghost Fathers sent Father Leman from France with two priests and two brothers to set up another seminary in Blanchardstown.  Success came quickly for the group; in less than a year they decided to move to larger premises in Blackrock to accommodate the large intake of  seminarians studying in St Brigid’s Seminary.  Later on, the Holy Ghost Fathers extended their Blackrock premises to include a school, they named it ‘Blackrock College’; it is still thriving to-day.

In December 1860, three French nuns, sisters of St Joseph of Cluny, under the leadership of Sister Calixte set up a convent in the building. Four years later they moved to Mt. Sackville and set up a girls school.