City Hall, Dublin
| City Hall, Dublin | |
|---|---|
| Halla na Cathrach, Baile Átha Cliath | |
 Dublin City Hall, as viewed from Parliament Street | |
| Former names | The Royal Exchange |
| General information | |
| Address |
Dame St, Dublin 2 |
| Town or city | Dublin |
| Country | Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°20′38″N 6°16′02″W / 53.343854°N 6.267154°W |
| Elevation | 8 metres (26 ft) |
| Construction started | 1769 |
| Completed | 1779 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | 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.
Overview
Located at the top of Parliament Street on the city's southern side, it stands next to Dublin Castle, the centre of the British government in Ireland until 1922. The street had been built in 1753, providing a continuation of Capel Street on the north bank of the Liffey, across the newly widened Essex Bridge, and so the exchange ended (and still ends) a long streetscape.
The external structure is primarily made out of white Portland stone from a quarry in Dorset.[1] The large size and fine fittings of the Royal exchange, with carved capitals by Simon Vierpyl, and plasterwork by the leading stuccodore Charles Thorpe, reflect the standing and prestige of Dublin in the 18th Century. 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 the merchants strolled and discussed business meetings.
The function of the building was to provide a meeting place for Dublin's businessmen, where they could buy and sell goods and trade bills of exchange. It was also close to the then Customs House that stood on the site of today's Clarence Hotel, 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).
The city government had originally been located in the mediæval Tholsel at the corner of Nicholas Street and Christchurch Place, some 300 metres to the west (where the 'Peace Park' is today), and before that on the Thingmount, where Suffolk Street now runs. In the 18th century, meetings were held in South William Street (formerly the Civic Museum).
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 much more injured. This led to crowd restrictions in the building.[2]
In the 1850s, the City Corporation bought the Royal Exchange and converted it for use by the city government. The changes included partitions around the ambulatory, the construction 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.)[3][4] A series of frescos were later added, representing the regions of Ireland.
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.[5]
Today
The building was restored to its 18th-century appearance at the beginning of the 21st century, and Dublin City Council has won awards for the conservation of this historic building.
Most Dublin City Council staff are located in the relatively new and controversial Civic Offices, built from 1979 on the site of a national monument, the Viking city foundations on Wood Quay.
Dublin Corporation itself was then renamed in the early 21st century as Dublin City Council, previously the name of the assembly of councillors only. Council meetings take place in City Hall.
Visiting
There is an exhibition on the history of Dublin City, called "Dublin City Hall, The Story of the Capital," located in the vaults. There is currently little opportunity to see the City Council at work, though the council website has raised the questions of greater public access and of webcasting meetings.
See also
References
- ↑ "Dublin's City Hall - Story of the Capital (History brochure)" (PDF). Dublin City Council. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ↑ John James M'Gregor, Picture of Dublin, C.P. Archer, Dublin, 1821. p. 40
- ↑ "S.I. No. 12/1986 - County Borough of Dublin (Wards) Regulations, 1986.". Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ↑ "S.I. No. 45/2014 - City of Dublin Local Electoral Areas Order 2014.". Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ↑ http://www.dublincity.ie/node/14412
External links
Coordinates: 53°20′38″N 6°16′02″W / 53.344012°N 6.26725°W