5 lasting examples of GEORGIAN ARCHITECTURE

241 The Doors Of Dublin

Merrion Square/ Fitzwilliam Square/

Baggot St

St. Stephen’s Green & Grafton Street ➁

Wondering why there are so many brightly coloured Georgian doors in Dublin’s city centre? The truth is quite boring so we’ll stick to the myth here about writer George Moore and his friend and neighbour Oliver St. John Gogarty. On his drunken rambles, Gogarty could never find his own door and always knocked on Moore’s. So Moore decided to paint his green to avoid confusion and in return Gogarty painted his red. And from there it continued.

242 Number Twenty Nine

29 Fitzwilliam St L

St. Stephen’s Green & Grafton Street ➁

+353 (0)1 702 6163 numbertwentynine.ie

This Georgian House Museum is perfectly preserved and immaculately furnished to look exactly as it would have between the years 1790-1820. It’s a perfect attraction for a rainy day: get inside, feel the history and allow yourself to be taken back to life in an elegant townhouse.

243 Henrietta Street

North Dublin ➃

14henriettastreet.ie

This is supposedly the first Georgian street built in Dublin city centre. From its example, many other buildings and streets followed suit in much the same style and layout. It was an extremely sought after address in the 18th century. Number 14 is now open as a tenement museum.

244 The 5 Georgian Squares

St. Stephen’s Green & Grafton Street ➁

North Dublin ➃

245 O’CONNELL STREET

O’Connell Street & the Quays ➃

Mountjoy and Parnell on the northside, Merrion, Fitzwilliam and St. Stephen’s Green on the southside are the five Georgian squares that together comprise a considerable chunk of Dublin architectural history. The buildings and the small parks they encompass are of huge historical significance and an attraction to tourists and nationals alike.

Initially this was a street like any other but in the 18th century it was rebuilt and vastly improved. The roads and the paths were expanded and one of Dublin’s greatest landmarks, the General Post Office, opened here in 1818. Subsequently, before it became a Mecca for shopping, eating and drinking, it was the epicentre of the 1916 Easter Rising.