Phew! So I have had the most enjoyable time pottering around Merrion Street & Square and Fitzwilliam Street & Square and a few other streets in between. But boy did I have trouble uploading all the photographs on my stupid laptop to this blog - I nearly threw it out the window in frustration. Anyway I do hope this post is worth it all - it's something I've wanted to blog about for a while now so I think it will...as I said, let's hope so anyway!
The inspiration for this post comes from a video I saw some time back where a fabulous Marian Finucane, an architect student aged 19, is interviewed and tells us (in her wonderfully plummy accent) why she thinks it's important that Georgian Dublin is preserved. Marian is of course better known as a broadcaster now...and while she still has that beautifully plummy accent, to me she also has the gravelly tone of someone who has smoked 20 Benson & Hedges a day since her time as a student...and I say that with great respect!
Anyway I digress.
The video link is here:
Dublin is famous for it's Georgian terraced streets. I've always loved looking at them and like a lot of people particularly the doors and the fanlights above the door - decorative now but originally installed as an important function. So for the sake of posterity (as a lot of my posts are) I took a jaunt around on my bike this morning and snapped a few pics. It was interesting to see the difference between them all - there really is no one style, so while it's just a selection below it does actually represent the doors/houses as a collection which ultimately do conform as a collective even with their differences.
This lovely pink door is beside Government buildings/opposite the Merrion hotel. It's not exactly a heritage colour is it, and for that I like it a lot!
Some of the doors are particularly ornate. But it is more common to see plainer ones. For that reason I did seek out some of the fancier ones to post here. They wouldn't be to my (simpler!) taste at all but I am sure there are lots of people out there who really enjoy them.
This one is so beautiful and pristine.
It's a little too pristine for me...with a lot of things in my life I prefer a quirkiness or a slightly unfinished look sometimes...yeah strange I know but there you go. But no one (including me) can deny that this is beautiful.
Another ornate one for your viewing pleasure!
Check out the beautiful fanlight above the door on this example
Sure you could practically be back in the 1800's couldn't you!
This is from Fitzwilliam Square East which seems a little grander than South and West. Different builders/developers maybe ;-) Ok so I was joking typing but that could well have been the reason?? Or maybe just built at different times.
How beautiful are these two! (Merrion Square)
Plus these two beauties! On Merrion Square also
The new sign says Fitzwilliam Street. The old one below says Mansion House Ward.
I've looked this up on the net and can finding nothing further but I have a vague inkling that Dublin used to be divided up into what was known as wards?? If anyone knows anything further I'd be delighted if you'd post in the comment section at the end of the blog, I will do some more digging also and see if I can find out anything more...
Oh!
This one here is another piece of inspiration for this blog! So about a year ago I first saw it. Literally the only "derelict" house in the vicinity. So I specifically wanted to get a photo of it today - I was going to make a silly joke about needing to get Marian on the case to get it restored :-)
Well no need!!! Skips outside, work in progress!
The sign outside it says "part of the Manor House hotel group of Ireland". Looks kind of a late 80ish sign to me. Again I can't find anything on the net. If anyone knows anything about this group or this hotel I'd love to hear it!
Sigh. The ESB offices. I don't think I can add to anything that has not been said before about this development.
Although! I will say, I actually like the building. I tend to like most Stephenson buildings anyway. But sigh, could they not have just built it somewhere else!!!
Wilde - serviced offices (a relatively new concept to Dublin - oh why helloooo Celtic tiger, ah sure there you are back now already, are you?) on Merrion Square
Another ornate one! Which I think...
...may have been restored/painted like this in 1991.
1991 Dublin city of culture doesn't stand out for me...I guess the Millenium "Dublin's great in '88!" was a hard to act to follow.
Ah good times, the excitement of the delivery of those Dublin millennium milk bottles will never leave me!! Lol :-)
Look at this interesting fanlight which has a lamp inbuilt. It was literally only the one of these I saw.
Nice classic red example
Nice classic blue!
I do love a bright yellow door!
And a lovely classic black
Ok so I saw these - three different style of signs and I was initially thinking why Dublin city council, why?! But you know, now I am thinking, hey that's Dublin, that's Ireland, we're kind of quirky, sure fek it, why not!
Leeson Street
I finished up my mini tour with a visit to the Starbucks on Leeson Lane where tucked away in Leeson Lane, and hidden behind this door is something rather special.
If you are interested click on Enid's blog here to find out more!
Finally!
I finish with!
This is my gaff :-)
And this is Enid's!
Love all the doors - but love the last one the best!!
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