Clare Street
Clare Street looking east to Merrion Square
Native nameSráid an Chláraigh (Irish)
NamesakeJohn Holles, 1st Earl of Clare
LocationDublin, Ireland
Postal codeD02
west endLeinster Street South
east endMerrion Street, Merrion Square

Clare Street (Irish: Sráid an Chláraigh)[1] is a street in central Dublin, Ireland.

Location

Clare Street runs from Leinster Street South in the west to the junction of Merrion Square and Merrion Street in the east.

History

Clare Street first appears on maps as a thoroughfare in 1756.[2] The street was developed by John Ensor around 1762 for the sixth Viscount Fitzwilliam.[3] It was named after John Holles Earl of Clare,[2] or his brother Denzille Holles.[4] His descendants had a number of streets in this area named for them, including Denzille Street (now Fenian Street), Denzille Lane, Holles Street, Wentworth Place, Fitzwilliam Square and Merrion Square.[2]

Samuel Beckett lived on the top floor of number 6 Clare Street, above the offices of his father's firm. While living there he wrote his first novel, More Pricks than Kicks.[4]

One of Dublin's oldest book stops, Greene's, operated from 16 Clare Street from 1843 to 2007. Initially opened as a lending library by John Greene, the Pembrey family ran the business from 1912 until its closure.[5]

Architecture

Much of the original Georgian fabric of the street remains, though with some rebuilding and adaptation. Most of the houses are now in use as offices.[3]

In 1987, listed buildings on the street including the largest surviving townhouse, were controversially demolished in spite their protected status following a period of gutting and sabotage.[6][7][8][9] The houses were finally replaced in 2002 with a new on-street entrance to the National Gallery of Ireland Millennium Wing.[10][11]

Notable residents and occupants

References

  1. ↑ "Sráid an Chláraigh/Clare Street". Logainm.ie. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 M'Cready, C. T. (1987). Dublin street names dated and explained. Blackrock, Co. Dublin: Carraig. p. 22. ISBN 1850680000.
  3. 1 2 3 "3 Clare Street, Dublin 2, DUBLIN". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Clerkin, Paul (2001). Dublin street names. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. p. 36. ISBN 0717132048.
  5. ↑ Walsh, Caroline (12 May 2007). "Greene's to close the covers". The Irish Times. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  6. ↑ Oireachtas, Houses of the (28 May 1987). "Written Answers. - Dublin Building Demolition. – Dáil Éireann (25th Dáil) – Thursday, 28 May 1987 – Houses of the Oireachtas". www.oireachtas.ie. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  7. ↑ "Clare Street". www.danodublinimages.com. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  8. ↑ Mcdonald, Frank. "National Gallery to get £12.5m extension". The Irish Times. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  9. ↑ Walker, Michael S. "[Clare Street, Dublin]". catalogue.nli.ie. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  10. ↑ "Greene's - a bookshop with a story to tell". The Irish Times. 24 April 2002. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  11. ↑ "2002 – National Gallery of Ireland Millennium Wing, Clare Street, Dublin". Archiseek - Irish Architecture. 10 June 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  12. ↑ "Department of Transport | Freedom of Information". Retrieved 9 January 2022.
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