DUBLIN CASTLE WAS HANDED OVER TO THE IRISH FREE STATE IN JANUARY 16 1922
Erected in the early thirteenth century on the site of a Viking settlement, Dublin Castle served for centuries as the headquarters of English, and later British, administration in Ireland. In 1922, following Ireland’s independence, Dublin Castle was handed over to the new Irish government. It is now a major government complex and a key tourist attraction.
The 100th year celebration, 16 January 2022, of the handing over of Dublin Castle by the British to the Free State was a very low key event but I decided that it might be a good idea to visit and photograph the memorial plaques.
Most of the current construction dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland. The Castle served as the seat of English, then later British, government of Ireland under the Lordship of Ireland (1171–1541), the Kingdom of Ireland (1541–1800), and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1800–1922).
After the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December 1921, the complex was ceremonially handed over to the newly formed Provisional Government led by Michael Collins.[1] It now hosts the inauguration of each President of Ireland and various State receptions.
The castle was built by the dark pool (“Dubh Linn”) which gave Dublin its name. This pool lies on the lower course of the River Poddle before its confluence with the River Liffey; when the castle was built, the Liffey was much wider, and the castle was effectively defended by both rivers. The Poddle today runs under the complex.
DUBLIN CONSERVATIVE CLUB ORIGINALLY WAS THE HOME OF REST FOR PROTESTANT DYING
There is an impressive stone building on Camden Row which was the “Home of Rest for Protestant Dying”. In 1962 it became the home of the Dublin Conservative Club. According to a friend that lives in the area the Dublin Conservative Club is a Protestant working-class association. Only men can be members but women can attend [I have not been able to verify this claim].
I have found some information about the building: Built in 1904 and described as “New home, ‘a splendid new building…the gift of an anonymous donor’. £5000 received from anonymous friend of Archbishop of Dublin in England. Formally opened by Lord Lieutenant, 10 Jun 1904. Contractor: J. & P. Good.” Architect: Charles Astley Owen Refs: Irish Times, 11 Jun 1904; IB 51, 15 Mar 1909, 297
Parliament Buildings, usually referred to as Stormont because of its location in the Stormont Estate area of Belfast, is the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved legislature for the region. The purpose built building, designed by Arnold Thornely, and constructed by Stewart & Partners, was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), in 1932.
At the design stage it was decided to site Parliament Buildings at the top of a main processional avenue, giving it a more imposing position. The avenue was an integral part of Arnold Thornely’s original design and is widely recognised as one of the finest. Originally, it was to be lined with elm trees, but this was scrapped due to the fear of Dutch elm disease. Instead, 305 red-twigged lime trees were planted. They were planted in such a way to give the illusion that the trees are giving way to allow a better view of Parliament Buildings. Most of these trees now survive to this day, but unfortunately due to recent heavy storms a number have fallen. The Prince of Wales Avenue is commonly known as ‘The Mile’.
The Executive or government is located at Stormont Castle. In March 1987, the main Parliament Building became a Grade A Listed building.
The building was used for the Parliament of Northern Ireland until it was prorogued in 1972. The Senate chamber was used by the Royal Air Force (R.A.F.) as an operations room during World War II. The building was used for the short-lived Sunningdale power-sharing executive in 1974. Between 1973 and 1998, it served as the headquarters of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (N.I.C.S.). Between 1982 and 1986, it served as the seat of the rolling-devolution assembly.
In the 1990s, Sinn Féin suggested that a new parliament building for Northern Ireland should be erected, saying that the building at Stormont was too controversial and too associated with unionist rule to be used by a power-sharing assembly. However, no one else supported the demand and the new Northern Ireland Assembly and executive was installed there as its permanent home.
On 3 December 2005, the Great Hall was used for the funeral service of former Northern Ireland and Manchester United footballer George Best. The building was selected for the funeral as it is in the only grounds in Belfast suitable to accommodate the large number of members of the public who wished to attend the funeral. Approximately 25,000 people gathered in the grounds, with thousands more lining the cortege route.
THE FUTURE OPERA SITE PHOTOGRAPHED 2019 – THE FORMER CAHILL MAY ROBERTS SITE
The Cahill May Roberts building at Bank Place has been out of use for more than 20 years, when the pharmaceutical company closed its distribution centre here. However, Limerick City and County Council has agreed a short term lease to Corbally businessman Ray O’Halloran to set up the centre, to be known as the Limerick City Build.
Using a model set up in Glasgow, where deprived youths are offered training in the trades, the building will be home to around 150 youngsters, the social entrepreneur said. Two of the three floors served as a training centre, while the bottom floor acted as a business incubation centre, with room for 26 different start-up firms. The businesses were centred around carpentry, tiling, plumbing, cabinet making and other trades, and the proviso for the entrepreneurs using the space is that they employ some of the youths on training programmes in the upper parts of the complex.
In 2019 I was invited to visit a workshop down a lane behind Limerick City Library on and behind the former Cahill May Roberts Building. The manager that I met was engaged in instructing students in boat building but the boats were made of metal rather than wood.
The light was not good and I did not have a suitable lens so it was agreed that I could visit again when I returned to Limerick in March 2020 but that did not happen because of Covid-19. It was mentioned that I should not be surprised if the buildings were not there in 2020 as the site was scheduled to be redeveloped.
When I visited in September 2021 the “Opera Site” project had gone ahead and much of what been there in 2019 had been fully or partly demolished. My understanding is that the enabling work and demolition restarted in May [2021]. The six-year project is the biggest of its kind undertaken in Limerick and the largest commercial property programme outside Dublin. The construction programme will see up to five hundred people employed on the site.
The ‘Opera Site’ is located at the northern end of Limerick’s Georgian Quarter and measures c. 1.8 hectares (4.5 acres).
Project Opera proposes the redevelopment of an existing city block located on the south side of the River Abbey at the confluence with the River Shannon, adjacent to the Hunt Museum and east of Arthur’s Quay Shopping Centre. The site is bounded by Rutland Street and Patrick Street to the west, Ellen Street to the south, Michael Street to the east and Bank Place to the north.
There are two buildings within the site included on the Record of Protected Structures. The Town Hall, Rutland Street, was built in 1805 and is currently vacant and in a state of serious disrepair. The Granary, Michael Street, is one of the earliest known multiple storey warehouses to be built in Limerick, dating from the late 1700s.
The interior was comprehensively redeveloped in the 1980s, with new offices subject to modernisation in 2015. A further eight buildings on the site are included on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH). A number of these are vacant and in various stages of dereliction, despite a significant amount of remedial works undertaken by the Council in recent years to preserve their structural stability and architectural integrity.
The site is also host to the former Cahill May Roberts Building, fronting Bank Place, some existing and unused warehousing/workspace buildings at Bogue’s Yard and Watch House Lane. The southeast corner of the site currently includes a surface car park with approximately 100 No. spaces.
It is proposed to develop The ‘Opera Site’, as a mixed use scheme of primarily office, supported by a range of retail & non-retail services, cafes/restaurants, licenced premises, apart-hotel, civic/cultural uses (including a City Library in the existing Town Hall), residential and open space.
Existing heritage/protected buildings will be re-furbished and all the newer twentieth century buildings and later additions to existing heritage structures will be demolished. This includes the refurbishment of No. 9 Ellen St. to provide for a bar/restaurant/ café, refurbishment of the existing City Hall to provide for a new City Library and refurbishment of 12 No. Georgian terraced houses at Ellen Street, Patrick Street and Rutland Street. The existing Granary Building will be retained in office/restaurant/ licenced premises uses.
The new build elements proposed for the scheme includes the following: • A new office building on the corner of Michaels Street which will provide for retail, café/bar/restaurant at the ground floor. • An apart-hotel on the corner of Patrick Street and Ellen Street. • A new City Library in the existing Town Hall with a café/restaurant provided in the basement. Office space will be provided to the rear in a new building. • A new ‘landmark’ office building is proposed fronting onto Bank Place. • Parking will be provided for the entire project in a new underground car park. • A significant new public square in the form of a plaza is proposed at the centre of the site. This will provide for a new pedestrian east-west link between Michael Street and Patrick Street. A new north-south pedestrian link will be provided which will link an enhanced public space on Bank Place with the new civic plaza.
This large building was designed as a jam and sweet factory by Donnelly & Moore, and constructed by G. & T. Crampton for Williams & Woods in 1910, on the site of an earlier confectionary factory established c.1856. It has since been used as a data storage facility. As a food production site, it constitutes a component part of the social and industrial history of this part of Dublin, contextualised by nearby linen and yarn warehouses and a paper manufacturing site. It has a formidable presence on the streetscape, prominently sited at the corner of Loftus Lane and Kings Inn Street, and its façade articulated by deep cornices and engaged pilasters with rusticated granite plinths. A painted sign to the angled corner bay provides contextual and artistic interest.
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