Foster Place

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Foster Place
Foster Place, Dublin 11.jpg
Facing south towards Dame Street
Foster Place
Native namePlás Foster (Irish)
Former name(s)Turnstile Alley (until circa 1780)
Part of Temple Bar
Namesake John Foster, 1st Baron Oriel
Location Dublin, Ireland
Postal code D02
Coordinates 53°20′42″N6°15′40″W / 53.34487°N 6.26113°W / 53.34487; -6.26113
South end Dame Street
Construction
Construction start1780s
Completion1820s
Other
Designer Richard Johnston
Known for Georgian architecture, Parliament House

Foster Place is a Georgian street in Dublin, Ireland, laid out by the Wide Streets Commissioners in the 1780s to coincide with the new western wing and extension of Parliament House and a new entrance for the House of Commons. It replaced a narrow lane named Turnstile Alley which had been in the same location and connected at the rear of Parliament house to Parliament Row and ultimately to Fleet Street. [1]

Contents

The lane was also intersected to its west by Blackmore Yard which connected with Anglesea Street and extended to Cope Street. This was later blocked off entirely in the early 19th century.

As of 2025, the street is a cul-de-sac and connects only with Dame Street and College Green.

History

The street is named for John Foster, 1st Baron Oriel, who served three times as Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland and was also the last Speaker of the Irish House of Commons before its dissolution in 1800. [2]

All of the buildings on the street were designed by either Francis Johnston or Richard Johnston with the exception of the wing and extension of Parliament House which was designed by James Gandon although this may have had some input also from Robert Parke before his death in 1792. Substantial elements of all original buildings remain to the current day.

The original masterplan for the street in the files of the Wide Streets Commissioners was completed by Richard Johnston.

By the time of Thom's Alamanac of 1862, the buildings were in possession of a variety of professional services practitioners including solicitors, notaries, stockbrokers and bankers. [3]

List of buildings on the street

BuildingYear constructedArchitectOlder imageModern ImageStatusNotes
The Armoury1808-11Francis Johnston Foster Place, Dublin 06.jpg Protected StructureConstructed as the guard house and armoury for the bank and later the offices of the Currency Commission and in recent years bought by the Irish Stock Exchange. [4]
Daly's Club 1789-90Richard Johnston Daly's Club.png Daly's Club, College Green.jpg Protected StructureBoth of the wings of the original Daly's clubhouse building have now been demolished and reconstructed on two separate occasions in the 19th and 20th centuries. The central element remains with an additional roof story. It was originally opened with a grand dinner on 16 February 1791.
Stamp and Imprint Offices1790-91Richard Johnston Design for Stamp Office, Dublin.png Foster Place, Dublin 17.jpg Protected StructureBuilt as the Stamp and Imprint office but never appears to have been used as such as it moved to Powerscourt House in 1811 from its previous location on Eustace Street. It was later used partially by Daly's Club and the Hibernian United Services Club before being used as a branch of the Royal Bank of Ireland which was later subsumed into AIB.
5 and 6 Foster Place1821Francis Johnston Foster Place, Dublin 09.jpg Protected StructureTwin houses and the last buildings constructed on the street broadly to the original masterplan design of Richard Johnston although apparently executed by his brother Francis for the Bank of Ireland. [5]
West wing of Parliament House1782-89James Gandon, Robert and Edward Parke Foster Place, Dublin 04.jpg Protected StructureThe earliest and grandest structure on the street is the western wing and entrance to Parliament House being an addition by James Gandon and Robert and Edward Parke to Edward Lovett Pearce's earlier masterpiece. [6] It was later again altered by Francis Johnston for the Bank of Ireland.

Wide Streets Commissioners documents

National Library of Ireland

References

  1. "Foster Place". www.dia.ie. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  2. "foster place". Come Here To Me!. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  3. "Foster-place - Dublin Street Directory 1862". www.libraryireland.com. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  4. FUSIO. "The Wax Museum, Foster Place , Dublin 2, DUBLIN". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  5. FUSIO. "5 - 6 Foster Place , Dublin 2, DUBLIN". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  6. "Parliament House". www.dia.ie. Retrieved 2025-07-15.