Feature

The reason Georgian Squares enjoy prominence in Dublin, is both because of the grace of Georgian architecture - consisting of distinctive, uniform and elegant rows of houses, and because as some of the best preserved of Dublin’s architecture, they have become a symbol of Dublin. Look out for the doorways, entrances and balconies whose pattern is repeated as you look down the row of houses. The doors were one of the only ways to make the exterior unique, because Georgian houses were required to follow fairly rigid building guidelines, which contributed to their uniformity. Also look out for ornate knockers, elegant fanlights above the door, and wrought iron boot scrapers, near the the entrance, which pre-date tarmac roads. Decorated iron coal-hole covers are also to be found embedded in the pavements. And finally seek out the houses of famous Dubliners and Dublin residents because most of all, they have created the stories behind these buildings.

Merrion Square is one of the prettiest of Dublin’s squares, with its ever-changing flower displays in the park known as Archbishop Ryan Park. Work on the square began in 1762, and since then a number of famous personalities have lived in the square at some point in their lives, including WB Yeats, Daniel O’Connell, nobel prize winner Erwin Schrodinger and the parents of Oscar Wilde. There is an unusual statue of Oscar Wilde in one corner of the park, made of a range of colourful stone and featuring some of his famous quotes. Nowadays, the buildings are offices, and the park is a favourite place for office workers to enjoy their lunchbreak. On weekends, artists display and sell their work along the park fence, and if you are interested in buying art as a souvenir, this is a good place to start.

St Stephen’s Green was originally common land which was first enclosed by a fence in 1664. As buildings began to be erected around the green, trees were planted and paths laid for public use, until in 1814 when its gates were locked for all but the inhabitants of the Georgian buildings around the square. Over time, many of the original buildings have been replaced, and a number of the square’s finest architecture dates in fact to the 19th century. So St Stephen’s Green is not strictly speaking Georgian, but some of these fine old buildings remain. The square was home to a number of Members of Parliament from that period and even today it is still a prestigious address. The park was opened again to the public in 1877, by Sir Arthur Guinness.

Fitzwilliam Square is a small and compact square with some lovely doors and fanlights. It was built between 1791 and 1825, making it the last of Dublin’s Georgian squares. Artist Jack B Yeats and founder of the National Gallery William Dargan lived in this square during their lifetimes. The park in the square is not open to the public, because it is the last remaining square where keys to the park gates are given only to residents of the square. These days the residents are doctors, insurers and web designers, as most of the buildings are now occupied by prominent and pre-iminent companies.

There are many more examples of Georgian Squares and houses around Dublin, although they are not quite as perfect and intact as Merrion or Fitzwilliam Squares. You can find some fine examples in most of the roads leading off the main squares, such as Baggot Street, Harcourt Street and Leeson Street, as well as pockets in Ballsbridge, Rathmines Road and Mountjoy Square. Many of the original buildings were destoyed or defaced during a building frenzy in the 1960s, where little control was exerted over this aspect of Dublin’s heritage. Today, renovation is the order of the day, and many Georgian facades have been retained while the pace of re-construction in Dublin continues.