Dublin City Hall is a municipal building in Dublin. Located on Dame Street, it was built between 1769 and 1779, designed by architect Thomas Cooley. Imposing, it was once used by the city’s merchants as a kind of trade exchange. This was where the merchants and entrepreneurs of the day met. Today, it is the official seat of Dublin City Council.
Although not necessarily Dublin’s most touristy building, Dublin’s City Hall is well worth a visit, if only to admire its neo-classical architecture.
The building has all the hallmarks of the genre: pediment, colonnades, capitals with sculpted ornamentation… not to mention the stucco plasterwork and white Portland stone. A style not unlike that of the GPO (the famous General Post Office, also located in Dublin, but on O’Connell Street).
Inside, there’s a central entrance hall with a huge cupola. This is supported by twelve columns, surrounded by an ambulatory where merchants used to circulate.
The whole is majestic, monumental… and it’s not surprising to hear yourself whispering in the building, so much so that it calls us to silence and the solemnity of the place.
Today, the building is used for meetings of the Dublin City Council.
Note that the site is not really open to tourists. But you’re more than welcome to step inside and admire its magnificently crafted dome.
Essential information to help you plan your visit, including key landmarks, access information, and booking options.
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10 minutes
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