Mansion House, Dublin
Encyclopedia
The Mansion House on Dawson Street
, Dublin, is the official residence
of the Lord Mayor of Dublin
since 1715.
assembled on 21 January 1919 to proclaim the Irish Declaration of Independence. On 21 January 1969 a special fiftieth anniversary joint session of Dáil Éireann
and Seanad Éireann
assembled there and was addressed by the then President of Ireland
, Éamon de Valera
.
Also notable is the large dining room, where the cabinet of the Irish Republic
met on occasion under President Éamon de Valera
.
Externally, the distinctive metal portico over the main door was erected for the visit of Queen Victoria in 1900.
Famous visitors to the mayoral residence include:
is named. Dublin Corporation
purchased the house in 1715 for assignment as the official residence of the Lord Mayor. It retains this purpose to this day.
In the 1930s and 1940s, plans were made to demolish the building, and all other buildings on the block on which it is located (which covered an area on Dawson Street
, Molesworth Street
, Kildare Street
and the North side of St. Stephen's Green
), to enable the building of a new Dublin City Hall. However the decision of the Government to erect a new Department of Industry and Commerce on a site on the block, on Kildare Street
, led to the abandonment of the plans.
In August 2006, the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force claimed they had planted a bomb in the Mansion House in 1981, in an attempt to wipe out the Sinn Féin
leadership at their party conference of that year. The claim led to a security alert at the house, as the Garda and army searched for the 25-year-old bomb.
Dawson Street
Dawson Street is one of the main streets of central Dublin, running parallel to Grafton Street, to which it is connected by Duke Street and South Anne Street...
, Dublin, is the official residence
Official residence
An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...
of the Lord Mayor of Dublin
Lord Mayor of Dublin
The Lord Mayor of Dublin is the honorific title of the Chairman of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The incumbent is Labour Party Councillor Andrew Montague. The office holder is elected annually by the members of the...
since 1715.
Features
The Mansion House's most famous features include the "Round Room", where the First DáilFirst Dáil
The First Dáil was Dáil Éireann as it convened from 1919–1921. In 1919 candidates who had been elected in the Westminster elections of 1918 refused to recognise the Parliament of the United Kingdom and instead assembled as a unicameral, revolutionary parliament called "Dáil Éireann"...
assembled on 21 January 1919 to proclaim the Irish Declaration of Independence. On 21 January 1969 a special fiftieth anniversary joint session of Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
and Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
assembled there and was addressed by the then President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
, Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
.
Also notable is the large dining room, where the cabinet of the Irish Republic
Irish Republic
The Irish Republic was a revolutionary state that declared its independence from Great Britain in January 1919. It established a legislature , a government , a court system and a police force...
met on occasion under President Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
.
Externally, the distinctive metal portico over the main door was erected for the visit of Queen Victoria in 1900.
Visitors and occupants
Its most famous occupants included Lord Mayors:- Daniel O'ConnellDaniel O'ConnellDaniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...
, nineteenth century nationalist leader - Alfie Byrne (1930s), longest serving Lord Mayor in the 800 year history of the office
- Jim Mitchell (1976–77), the youngest Lord Mayor of Dublin, aged 29, in the history of the office
Famous visitors to the mayoral residence include:
- Prince Rainier IIIRainier III, Prince of MonacoRainier III, Prince of Monaco , styled His Serene Highness The Sovereign Prince of Monaco, ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest ruling monarchs of the 20th century.Though he was best known outside of Europe for having married American...
and Princess GraceGrace KellyGrace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of...
of Monaco - Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul IIBlessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
- Queen Victoria
History
The Mansion House was built in 1710 by the merchant and property developer Joshua Dawson, for whom Dawson StreetDawson Street
Dawson Street is one of the main streets of central Dublin, running parallel to Grafton Street, to which it is connected by Duke Street and South Anne Street...
is named. Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation , known by generations of Dubliners simply as The Corpo, is the former name given to the city government and its administrative organisation in Dublin between 1661 and 1 January 2002...
purchased the house in 1715 for assignment as the official residence of the Lord Mayor. It retains this purpose to this day.
In the 1930s and 1940s, plans were made to demolish the building, and all other buildings on the block on which it is located (which covered an area on Dawson Street
Dawson Street
Dawson Street is one of the main streets of central Dublin, running parallel to Grafton Street, to which it is connected by Duke Street and South Anne Street...
, Molesworth Street
Molesworth Street, Dublin
Molesworth Street links the more notable Dawson Street with Kildare Street. Both houses of the Oireachtas are located in Leinster House, Kildare Street ....
, Kildare Street
Kildare Street
Kildare Street is a well-known street in Dublin, the capital city of Ireland close to the principal shopping area of Grafton Street and Dawson Street, to which it is joined by Molesworth Street. Some Irish government departments have their offices on this street but it is most famous for Leinster...
and the North side of St. Stephen's Green
St. Stephen's Green
St Stephen's Green is a city centre public park in Dublin, Ireland. The park is adjacent to one of Dublin's main shopping streets, Grafton Street, and to a shopping centre named for it, while on its surrounding streets are the offices of a number of public bodies and the city terminus of one of...
), to enable the building of a new Dublin City Hall. However the decision of the Government to erect a new Department of Industry and Commerce on a site on the block, on Kildare Street
Kildare Street
Kildare Street is a well-known street in Dublin, the capital city of Ireland close to the principal shopping area of Grafton Street and Dawson Street, to which it is joined by Molesworth Street. Some Irish government departments have their offices on this street but it is most famous for Leinster...
, led to the abandonment of the plans.
In August 2006, the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force claimed they had planted a bomb in the Mansion House in 1981, in an attempt to wipe out the Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
leadership at their party conference of that year. The claim led to a security alert at the house, as the Garda and army searched for the 25-year-old bomb.