James Gandon was born in London, England on 20 February 1742. After studying at Shipley's Drawing Academy in St. Martin's Lane, London, he was articled to the architect William Chambers (1721?-1796) in 1758. Gandon subsequently began to practise as an architect in his own right in London in c.1764. In 1769 he entered the Royal Academy Schools when it was established and was awarded the RA Gold Medal for architecture.
He exhibited at the Free Society of Artists in London in 1762 and 1763; the Society of Artists in London from 1765 to 1773; and at the Royal Academy in London from 1774 to 1780. He became a Fellow of the Society of Artists in 1771, and in 1791 was made an honorary member of the London Architects' Club.
In 1782 Gandon relocated his practice to Dublin and subsequently spent the rest of his architectural career in Ireland. He died in Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland on 24 December 1823.
For a detailed list of architectural projects by James Gandon see Colvin, 4th edition, 2008 pp. 405-406
Colvin, Howard, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840. New Haven, Connecticut and London: Yale University Press, 4th edition, 2008
Cuming, G. F. ‘James Gandon: His Work in Ireland’. The Irish Monthly vol. 49, no. 578, August 1921 pp. 319-323
Duffy, Hugo. James Gandon and His Times. Kinsale : Gandon Editions 1999
Gandon, James. The life of James Gandon, Esq.: with original notices of contemporary artists, and fragments of essay. Dublin: Hodges and Smith, 1846
Williams, Jeremy. A companion guide to architecture in Ireland 1837-1921. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1994