Camden Street is a street in Dublin 2. It links Ranelagh/Rathmines (Dublin 6) to the southern city centre of Dublin. It is divided into Camden Street Upper (southern end) and Camden Street Lower (northern end). The name is derived from Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden (1714–1794).
A prominent company located on Upper Camden St for over a century was Earley and Company (1861–1975). They were ecclesiastical furnishings and stained glass manufacturers and retailers. The firm was one of the largest and most prestigious ecclesiastical decorators both in Ireland and the U.K.
There were two cinemas on the street: The Camden Cinema and the Theatre De Luxe. The Camden Cinema was located at 55 Upper Camden St., where the headquarters of Concern Worldwide is now located. It closed around 1912. The Theatre De Luxe was opened in 1912 by Maurice Elliman. The first building was designed by Frederick Hayes, MRIAI, and built by George Squire & Co. It was enlarged and rebuilt in 1920. The exterior was remodelled in Art deco style in 1934. It closed in 1975. The building is now a hotel (Hotel De Luxe) and a night-club.
The owner describes this pub as a “Dublin Landmark Reimagined” … “Welcome to The Lucky Duck, an elegant neighbourhood pub and cocktail bar where we are making the old new again.”
The building has been vacant for at least twenty years and while I went to Kevin Street College, nearby, I cannot remember the name that it operated under but according to some of my fellow students it sold the cheapest pint in Dublin (I never knew if that was a recommendation or a warning).
I am not an expert when it comes to Dublin Pubs but to the best of my knowledge The Lucky Duck was originally to be called The Dutch Billy, after an architectural style of building that was once common in Dublin but when it was realised that the name might be considered to be a reference to William of Orange that idea was dropped.
Note: Dublin’s Dutch Billys [Gable fronted houses] were reputedly named after William of Orange, and their arrival in Dublin is generally attributed to an influx of French Huguenots after 1685 and to Dutch and Flemish Protestants fleeing persecution after 1690.
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