The Italian Quarter
An Ceathrú Iodálach[1]
Area of Dublin
Bloom Lane and the Italian Quarter courtyard in 2006
Bloom Lane and the Italian Quarter courtyard in 2006
The Italian Quarter is located in Central Dublin
The Italian Quarter
The Italian Quarter
Location in Dublin
The Italian Quarter is located in Dublin
The Italian Quarter
The Italian Quarter
The Italian Quarter (Dublin)
Coordinates: 53°20′48″N 6°15′55″W / 53.34667°N 6.26528°W / 53.34667; -6.26528
CountryIreland
CityDublin
Postal district
D01

The Italian Quarter (Irish: An Ceathrú Iodálach) is an unofficially-named private development on the north bank of the River Liffey in central Dublin, Ireland.[lower-alpha 1][3][lower-alpha 2] The development comprises Bloom Lane, a pedestrianised alley, and the properties located along both sides of it, including an apartment complex known as Quartiere Bloom.[5][6] In 2019, Italy Magazine named the area as one of the places to find "one of the more convincing approximations of mangiare all'italiana" in Dublin.[3]

With "European-style" dining establishments and cafes, the Italian Quarter is one of several mixed-use quarters that have appeared in Dublin since the 1990s, promoted by the Dublin City Council and private developers.[7]

Background

Originally developed by MEP Mick Wallace as part of an urban regeneration project on the decaying northern quays, the 'Italian Quarter' opened in 2004.[8][9] His former building company M&J Wallace was the main developer.[10] Designed by architect George Morris, the development retained the facade of an older building on the quays.[11] The frontage was cut through to create a pedestrian access route extending from the Millennium Bridge through the Italian Quarter to a zebra crossing, leading to the rest of the Millennium Walkway and the Jervis stop on the Luas Red Line.[11][6]

Wallace, an Italophile who once owned property in Turin and a vineyard in Piedmont, declared bankruptcy in 2016.[10] In February 2023, the Irish Independent reported that the holding company Wallace Calcio, which he exited but continued to advise, was associated with 10 businesses including wine bars, restaurants, and cafes near the Italian Quarter.[12]

Italian eateries in the quarter include Caffe Cagliostro, located alongside the iconic photo mural Dublin's Last Supper;[3] Wallace's Taverna, a restaurant and pizzeria that first opened in 2005;[13] Sfuso, formerly known as Enoteca Delle Langhe, a gastronomia or deli and wine bar serving aperitivo;[4] and Bar Italia, whose pasta dishes often appear on social media.[14] Despite the name, the Italian Quarter is also home to a Thai restaurant,[15] a burrito shop,[16] and other establishments, including a hookah bar.[11]

Dublin's Last Supper

A large-scale photographic artwork by Irish artist John Byrne entitled Dublin's Last Supper was installed in 2004 covering the side of a wall within the courtyard in the Italian Quarter. Depicting a modern-day re-enactment of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, Byrne added an 'Irish twist' by replacing the Biblical characters with a cast of local Dubliners that reflected the "changing society and the growing cultural mix in Dublin" at the time.[17]

Although it stirred some controversy when it was first unveiled, over the years, Dublin's Last Supper has become one of the more popular public artworks located across Dublin.[18]

Notes

  1. ↑ Not to be confused with Dublin's historic 'Little Italy', which in the late 1800s and early 1900s was located in the area around Chancery Lane, Little Ship Street, and Werburgh Street.[2]
  2. ↑ The name 'The Italian Quarter' is unofficial and unrecognised, and does not appear in the official eircode addresses for premises located along Bloom Lane:
    STUSO
    3 Bloom Lane
    Ormond Quay Lower
    Dublin 1
    D01 V127
    It is however sometimes quoted in newspapers when referring to the addresses of restaurants along the lane.[4] As of August 2023, the name 'The Italian Quarter' is also unrecognised by Ireland's placenames database.

References

  1. ↑ "Sagart na Paróiste". www3.smo.uhi.ac.uk.
  2. ↑ Mullally, Una (5 January 2019). "Traditions that grind to a halt: Published: January 7th, 1911". The Irish Times. ProQuest 2163281230. Retrieved 28 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
  3. 1 2 3 Appleton, James (8 December 2019). "Where to Find Italy in Dublin". Italy Magazine. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  4. 1 2 Hardgrave, Corinna (17 October 2020). "Eat like an Italian on a cosy covered al-fresco terrace". The Irish Times. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  5. ↑ Buckley, Donal (25 April 2020). "In bloom: Retail units in wallace development sell for over €1m". Irish Independent. ProQuest 2394488701. Retrieved 28 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
  6. 1 2 "City centre living with views of the 'Dublin's Last Supper' mural for €400k". Irish Independent. 26 November 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2023. When city districts are fabricated, rather than developing organically, there can often be confusion about what they're called. Take Dublin's so-called Italian Quarter, which was formerly described as Quartiere Bloom and yet is also part of the much-hyped Millennium Walkway dreamt up by property developers and the city council.
  7. ↑ Lawton, Philip; Punch, Michael (May 2014). "Urban Governance and the 'European City': Ideals and Realities in Dublin, Ireland". International Journal of Urban & Regional Research. 38 (3): 864–885. doi:10.1111/1468-2427.12152. hdl:10197/5479. S2CID 53422471 – via EBSCOHost.
  8. ↑ McDonagh, Darragh (25 June 2019). "Wallace-owned bars saw profit rise by 84% last year". The Irish Times. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  9. ↑ Freeman, Michael (22 February 2012). "Mick Wallace properties now worth just €4million". thejournal.ie. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  10. 1 2 Collins, Sarah (18 February 2023). "He has been a TD, a bankrupt, a football impresario and a tax dodger: Controversy likely to add to tension with his political group in brussels, writes Sarah Collins". Irish Independent. ProQuest 2777590117. Retrieved 28 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
  11. 1 2 3 O'Toole, Shane; McDonald, Frank (3 March 2018). "Dublin's north quays: Then and now in photographs". The Irish Times. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  12. ↑ Collins, Sarah (17 February 2023). "Wallace's income from wine bar advisory role was not declared to the dáil while he was a TD". Irish Independent. ProQuest 2777216514. Retrieved 28 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
  13. ↑ "Wallace's Taverna". Wallace's Italian Winebars. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  14. ↑ McGuinness, Katy (18 March 2023). "Picture-perfect pasta that fails to hit the mark: Bar Italia". Irish Independent. ProQuest 2787811103. Retrieved 28 August 2023 – via ProQuest.
  15. ↑ Turner, Sara (27 April 2009). "Surviving the world's most expensive cities: Dublin". Business Traveller. Retrieved 28 August 2023. You may not think of visiting Dublin's Italian quarter for Thai food, but you can't go far wrong with Koh.
  16. ↑ O'Connor, Chris (22 January 2013). "The Burrito Wars". University Times. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  17. ↑ "Dublin's Last Supper". publicart.ie. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  18. ↑ McNally, Frank (2015). 111 places in Dublin that you shouldn't miss. Germany: Emons Verlag GmbH. pp. 72–73. ISBN 978-3-95451-649-0.
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