Georgian Dublin: Encyclopedia II - Georgian Dublin - 18th Century Property Developers

Georgian Dublin - 18th Century Property Developers

While the rebuilding by the Wide Streets Commission fundamentally changed the streetscape in Dublin, a property boom led to additional building outside the central core. Unlike twentieth century building booms in Dublin (which by general agreement were disastrously mismanaged) the eighteenth century developments were carefully controlled. The developing areas were divided into precincts, each of which was given to a different developer. The scope of their developments were restricted, however, with strict controls imposed on style of residential building, design of buildings and location, so producing a cohesive unity that came to be called Georgian Dublin.

Initially developments were focused on the city's northside. Among the earliest developments was Henrietta Street, a wide street lined lined on both sides by massive Georgian houses built on a palatial scale. At the top end of the street, a new James Gandon building, the King's Inns, was erected. In this building, barristers were trained and earned their academic qualifications. Such was the prestige of the street that many of the most senior figures in Irish 'establishment' society,¹ peers of the realm, judges, barristers, bishops bought houses here. Ultimately the northside was laid out centred on two major squares, Ruthland Square (now called Parnell Square), at the top end of Sackville Street, and Mountjoy Square. Such was the prestige of the latter square that among its many prominent residents was the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin. Many of the streets in the new areas were named after the property developers, often with developers commemorated both in their name and by their peerage when the received one. Among the streets named after developers are Capel Street, Mountjoy Square and Aungier Street.

For the initial years of the Georgian era, the northside was the place to live. However all that was changed by one building and one aristocrat. When the Earl of Kildare, Ireland's premier peer, chose to move to a new large ducal palace built for him on what up to that point was seen as the inferior southside, he caused shock and when his Dublin townhouse, Kildare House (renamed Leinster House when he was made Duke of Leinster), by far the biggest aristocratic residence other than Dublin Castle, was seen, it was greeted with envy.

The Earl had predicted that his move would be followed, and followed it was. Three new residential squares appeared on the southside, Merrion Square (facing his residence's garden front), St. Stephen's Green and the smallest and last of Dublin's five Georgian squares to be built, Fitzwilliam Square. Aristocrats, bishops and the wealthy sold their northside townhouses and migrated to the new southside developments, even though many of the developments, particularly in Fitzwilliam Square, were smaller and less impressive than the buildings in Henrietta Street. While the wealthier people lived in houses on the squares, those with lesser means and lesser titles lived in smaller, less grand but still impressive developments off the main squares, such as Upper and Lower Mount Street and Leeson Street.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "18th Century Property Developers", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki