City Hall, Dublin

Last updated • 5 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

City Hall, Dublin
Halla na Cathrach, Baile Átha Cliath
Dublin City Hall 2018a.jpg
Dublin City Hall from Cork Hill
City Hall, Dublin
Former namesThe Royal Exchange
General information
AddressDame Street, Dublin 2
Town or city Dublin
Country Ireland
Coordinates 53°20′38″N6°16′02″W / 53.343854°N 6.267154°W / 53.343854; -6.267154
Elevation8 metres (26 ft)
Construction started1769
Completed1779
Design and construction
Architect(s) Thomas Cooley

The City Hall, Dublin (Irish : Halla na Cathrach, Baile Átha Cliath), originally the Royal Exchange, is a civic building in Dublin, Ireland. It was built between 1769 and 1779, to the designs of architect Thomas Cooley, and is a notable example of 18th-century architecture in the city. Originally used by the merchants of the city, it is today the formal seat of Dublin City Council.

Contents

Location

18th century view of the Royal Exchange; one of "Malton's views of Dublin" Royal Exchange, Dublin.png
18th century view of the Royal Exchange; one of "Malton's views of Dublin"

City Hall is located on a slope on Dame Street, at the southern end of Parliament Street, on Dublin's southern side. It stands in front of part of Dublin Castle, the centre of British government in Ireland until 1922. [1]

History

Floor mosaic showing city arms and motto Image Floor Mosaic of City Hall of Dublin.jpg
Floor mosaic showing city arms and motto

The building occupied the site of what was formerly Cork House, the home of the Earl of Cork until his death in 1643, as well as Lucas's Coffee-House. [2] Prior to that point, the site was occupied by the church of St. Mary del Dam from which Dame Street gets its name. [3]

Parliament Street had been laid-out in 1753, [4] providing a continuation of Capel Street on the north bank of the Liffey, across the newly widened Essex Bridge. [5] Originally built as the Royal Exchange, the structure was designed by Thomas Cooley, who had won a design competition run for the project between 1768 and 1769. [6] The foundation stone was laid by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, George Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend on 2 August 1769 and was officially opened for business in 1779. [7] [8]

The function of the building was to act as a form of stock exchange and to provide a meeting place for Dublin's businessmen. It was also close to the old Custom House making it convenient for overseas merchants. The cost of building the exchange was met by the Parliament of Ireland, and this is reflected by the initials "SPQH", standing for "Senatus PopulusQue Hibernicus", meaning "The senate and people of Ireland" (an Irish version of SPQR). [9]

The city government had previously been located in the mediæval Tholsel at the corner of Nicholas Street and Christchurch Place, approximately 300 metres to the west where the Peace Park is now located as well in various other forms and locations including the Thingmount near present-day Suffolk Street. [10] In the late 18th century, meetings were held at what is now City Assembly House on South William Street. [11]

In 1815 the metal balustrade of the exchange fell, owing to the pressure against it by a crowd, which led to the death of nine people, with many more injured. This led to crowd restrictions in the building. [12]

In the 1850s, Dublin Corporation bought the Royal Exchange and converted it for use by the city government. The changes included the construction of partitions around the ambulatory, the addition of a new staircase from the rotunda to the upper floors, and the sub-division of the vaults for storage. On 30 September 1852, the Royal Exchange was renamed City Hall at the first meeting of Dublin City Council held there. The ward name "Royal Exchange" was retained, corresponding to the current electoral divisions of Royal Exchange A and B. [13] A series of frescos were later added, representing the regions of Ireland. [14]

During the 1916 Easter Rising, the City Hall was used as a garrison for the Irish Citizen Army. Sean Connolly seized the building using a key which he obtained as he worked in the motor department and had access to the building. There were 35 people based here, mostly women. It was in this area where the first casualty of the rising, a guard named James O’Brien, occurred at Dublin Castle and he was shot by Sean Connolly while on duty. In total, the entire siege lasted about 12 hours. [15]

Structure

Main entrance to Dublin City Hall Dublin's City Hall.jpg
Main entrance to Dublin City Hall

The exterior of the building is primarily made out of white Portland stone from a quarry in Dorset. [16] The carved capitals were by Simon Vierpyl, and plasterwork by the stuccodore Charles Thorpe. The neo-classical building contains a central entrance hall or Rotunda, with a large dome supported by twelve columns which are surrounded by an ambulatory where merchants strolled and discussed business meetings. [16] The twelve columns supporting the dome are 32 feet (9.8 m) high and the dome itself is another 10 feet (3.0 m) high above that. [7]

Patrick Wyse Jackson, curator of the Geological Museum in Trinity College, assessed the building in 1993 as part of his book "The Building Stones of Dublin: A Walking Guide" and made the following observation: [17]

"...it is faced with Portland Stone and capped with a fine pattinated-copper green dome. Examination of the stone facing the River Liffey shows that it has deteriorated badly. It is blistered in places and supports a good population of algae and mosses. These plants tend to retain water, which accelerates the breakdown of the Portland Stone".

Use

Some council meetings take place in City Hall. [18] Dublin Corporation itself was renamed in the early 21st century as Dublin City Council , previously the name of the assembly of councillors only. Most City Council staff work in the newer, brutalist style, Civic Offices, controversially built from 1979 on the site of a national monument, the Viking city foundations on Wood Quay, a short distance away. [19]

There is an exhibition on the history of Dublin City, called "Dublin City Hall, The Story of the Capital", located in the vaults of the building. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dublin Castle</span> Irish government complex and historical castle site in central Dublin

Dublin Castle is a major Irish government complex, conference centre, and tourist attraction. It is located off Dame Street in central Dublin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament House, Dublin</span> Former building housing the Parliament of Ireland

Parliament House in Dublin, Ireland, was home to the Parliament of Ireland, and since 1803 has housed the Bank of Ireland. It was the world's first purpose-built bicameral parliament house. It is located at College Green.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dublin City Council</span> Local authority for Dublin city in Ireland

Dublin City Council is the local authority of the city of Dublin in Ireland. As a city council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. Until 2001, the authority was known as Dublin Corporation. The council is responsible for public housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture and environment. The council has 63 elected members and is the largest local council in Ireland. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the honorific title of Lord Mayor. The city administration is headed by a chief executive, Richard Shakespeare. The council meets at City Hall, Dublin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wide Streets Commission</span> State body which worked to improve layout of streets and related matters in Dublin, Ireland

The Wide Streets Commission was established by an Act of Parliament in 1758, at the request of Dublin Corporation, as a body to govern standards on the layout of streets, bridges, buildings and other architectural considerations in Dublin. The commission was abolished by the Dublin Improvement Act of 1849, with the final meeting of the Commission taking place on 2 January 1851.

The architecture of Ireland is one of the most visible features in the Irish countryside – with remains from all eras since the Stone Age abounding. Ireland is famous for its ruined and intact Norman and Anglo-Irish castles, small whitewashed thatched cottages and Georgian urban buildings. What are unaccountably somewhat less famous are the still complete Palladian and Rococo country houses which can be favourably compared to anything similar in northern Europe, and the country's many Gothic and neo-Gothic cathedrals and buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Gandon</span> British architect

James Gandon was an English architect best known for his work in Ireland during the late 18th century and early 19th century. His better known works include The Custom House and the surrounding Beresford Place, the Four Courts and the King's Inns in Dublin and Emo Court in County Laois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotunda Hospital</span> Hospital in Dublin, Ireland

The Rotunda Hospital is a maternity hospital on Parnell Street in Dublin, Ireland, now managed by RCSI Hospitals. The Rotunda entertainment buildings in Parnell Square are no longer part of the hospital complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Poddle</span> River in Dublin, Ireland

The River Poddle is a river in Dublin, Ireland, a pool of which gave the city its English language name. Boosted by a channel made by the Abbey of St. Thomas à Becket, taking water from the far larger River Dodder, the Poddle was the main source of drinking water for the city for more than 500 years, from the 1240s. The Poddle, which flows wholly within the traditional County Dublin, is one of around a hundred members of the River Liffey system, and one of over 135 watercourses in the county; it has just one significant natural tributary, the Commons Water from Crumlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Johnston (architect)</span> Irish architect (1760–1829)

Francis Johnston was an Anglo/Irish architect, best known for building the General Post Office (GPO) on O'Connell Street, Dublin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Cooley (architect)</span> British architect

Thomas Cooley (1740–1784) was an English-born Irish architect who came to Dublin from London after winning a competition for the design of Dublin's Royal Exchange in 1768.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pearse Square</span> Garden square in Dublin, Ireland

Pearse Square is a Georgian garden square in Dublin, Ireland. It is bounded on its southern side by Pearse Street.

St. Mary del Dam is a former parish church in Dublin, Ireland that for many years occupied an important position in the city, and after which Dame Street is named.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leixlip</span> Town in County Kildare, Ireland

Leixlip is a town in north-east County Kildare, Ireland. Its location on the confluence of the River Liffey and the Rye Water has marked it as a frontier town historically: on the border between the ancient kingdoms of Leinster and Brega, as an outpost of The Pale, and on Kildare's border with County Dublin. Leixlip was also a civil parish in the ancient barony of Salt North.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daly's Club</span> Former Gentlemens club in Dublin, Ireland

Daly's Club, with premises known as Daly's Club House, was a gentlemen's club in Dublin, Ireland, a centre of social and political life between its origins in about 1750 and its end in 1823.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tholsel, Dublin</span> Historic public building in Dublin, Ireland

The Tholsel was an important building in Dublin, Ireland which combined the function of civic hall, guildhall, court, gaol and even for a period acted as parliament house from 1641-48.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament Street, Dublin</span> Street in Dublin, Ireland

Parliament Street is a street located on Dublin's Southside. It runs from the junction of Dame Street and Cork Hill on its southern end to the junction of Essex Quay and Wellington Quay on its northern end where it joins directly onto Grattan Bridge and subsequently Capel Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crampton Court, Dublin</span> Passage way in central Dublin, Ireland

Crampton Court, also colloquially known as Love Lane since the mid-2010s, is a short lane or passageway located in Temple Bar in central Dublin, Ireland. A small open-air square exists at approximately the halfway point of the lane, measuring approximately 11.5 by 16.7 metres wide, from which narrow, semi-covered lanes lead to its northern and southern entrances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newcomen Bank</span> Georgian neo-classical building in Dublin, Ireland

Newcomen Bank is a former Georgian bank building and private residence on the junction of Cork Hill, Lord Edward Street and Castle Street, designed by architect Thomas Ivory in 1781 with the assistance of James Hoban.

References

  1. ↑ "16 January 1922: Remembering the Handover of Dublin Castle to Michael Collins". Dublin Castle. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  2. ↑ "The Royal Exchange, now Dublin City Hall | Dublin Castle" . Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  3. ↑ Peter, A. (1927). Dublin Fragments: Social and Historic. Dublin: Hodges Figgis & Co. p. 45.
  4. ↑ "NIAH Entry - Parliament Street Medical Practice, Parliament Street, Dublin". Buildingsofireland.ie. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage . Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  5. ↑ Lennon, Colm (22 January 2009). "Dublin's Civic Buildings in the Early Modern Period". Dublin City Council. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  6. ↑ "Thomas Cooley". Dictionary of Irish Architects. Irish Architectural Archive. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  7. 1 2 Royal Exchange. Vol. 4. The Dublin Penny Journal. 7 November 1835.
  8. ↑ "City Hall, Cork Hill, Exchange Court, Dublin 2, Dublin". National Inventory of Architectural Heritage . Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  9. ↑ McParland, E (1972). "James Gandon and the Royal Exchange Competition, 1768-69". The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 102 (1): 58–72. JSTOR   25509772.
  10. ↑ Collin, James (1913). "Life in Old Dublin, James Duffy and Co., Dublin". Archived from the original on 9 November 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ↑ "City Assembly House". History Ireland. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  12. ↑ McGregor, John James (1821). New Picture of Dublin. Johnston. p. 40.
  13. ↑ County Borough of Dublin (Wards) Regulations 1986 ( S.I. No. 12 of 1986 ). Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland .Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 22 October 2015.
  14. ↑ Turpin, John (1995). A School of Art in Dublin Since the Eighteenth Century A History of the National College of Art and Design. Gill & Macmillan. p. 216. ISBN   978-0717120598.
  15. ↑ "History of City Hall". Dublin City Council. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  16. 1 2 "Dublin's City Hall - Story of the Capital (History brochure)" (PDF). Dublin City Council. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  17. ↑ Wyse Jackson 1993, p. 23.
  18. ↑ "Your City Council". Dublincity.ie. Retrieved 25 October 2018. [Council] meetings are convened in City Hall or other locations around the city
  19. ↑ "Heritage outrage: Wood Quay". History Ireland. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  20. ↑ "City Hall". Dublincity.ie. Retrieved 25 October 2018.

Sources

Dublin City Hall interior.jpg
Panoramic view of the entrance hall

53°20′38″N6°16′02″W / 53.344012°N 6.26725°W / 53.344012; -6.26725

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.