Knocking on doors to save 18th century street

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Archiseek / Ireland / News / 1999 / October 21 1999: Knocking on doors to save 18th century street

South William Street, laid out in 1676 by William Williams, was part of the expansion of Dublin in the 17th century as the city outgrew its medieval walls. It came into its own in the 18th century and, despite some unfortunate 20th century interventions, what we see today is largely a legacy from that era. The street has one of the largest and most complete groups of 18th century merchants' houses in Dublin.

Over 50 per cent are listed and were recently upgraded from list 2 to list 1 in the 1999 City Plan. An inventory carried out by the Dublin Civic Trust two years earlier identified an astonishing number of interesting interiors, with fine plasterwork, staircases, and joinery.

These provide a foil and context for the two landmark buildings, Powerscourt House, the town residence of the Powerscourt family from Co Wicklow, and the Civic Museum, formerly the City Assembly House.

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