Overview
In 1715 Dublin Corporation bought a half-finished townhouse on Dawson Street for £3,500, an annual rent of 40 shillings, and a six-pound loaf of double-refined sugar to be delivered every Christmas. That house became the official residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin, and it has been ever since — the only mayoral residence in Ireland still used for its original purpose, and the oldest still in use anywhere in Ireland or Britain. It’s also the oldest free-standing house in the city.
The catch for visitors is that it’s a working home and civic office, not a museum. It opens its doors only on Culture Night each September, during Open House Dublin (usually October), and on the odd extra open day. If you want to get inside, that’s when to come.
History and architecture
The house was built for the merchant-developer Joshua Dawson, who laid out Dawson Street and Nassau Street and finished it around 1710. He barely lived in it before selling it, still partly unfinished, to the Corporation. The original brick façade was in the plain Queen Anne style; it was plastered over in 1851, which is roughly how it looks today.
The Round Room was added in 1821 to receive King George IV, and it’s the room that matters. On 21 January 1919 the First Dáil met there and adopted the Declaration of Independence; two years later the Anglo-Irish Treaty was ratified within the same walls. Up the main staircase is a stained-glass window made by Joshua Clarke and Sons for Queen Victoria’s 1900 visit, and the Oak Room keeps its original panelling.
What to see
If you get in on an open day, the spaces to look for are:
- The Round Room – the chamber where the First Dáil sat and the Treaty was ratified.
- The Oak Room – used for functions and cultural events, hung with the arms of past Lord Mayors, and fitted with a hearing loop.
- The staircase window – the Clarke stained glass from 1900.
The one thing you can count on seeing without an open day is the Live Animal Crib, set up outside the house every December. It’s free, it’s on the street, and it’s been a Dublin Christmas fixture for generations.
Dining and events
The ground floor has been a restaurant since 2005. FIRE Steakhouse & Bar trades in Irish Hereford steaks and works through a long wine and cocktail list; it’s open Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm, and booking is wise. The Round Room and the adjoining spaces are also hired out for conferences, weddings and gala dinners, taking up to 700 guests, and the building hosts concerts and exhibitions through the year.
Practical information
Public access – Not a regular museum. Entry is free on Culture Night (September), during Open House Dublin (usually October), and on occasional additional open days; dates change each year, so check the Dublin City Council website before planning a trip. Group tours can be arranged by contacting the Office of the Lord Mayor.
Getting there – On Dawson Street, Dublin 2. The nearest Luas Green Line stops are St Stephen’s Green and Dawson; plenty of Dublin Bus routes pass nearby. There’s no parking at the house, but a public car park sits directly behind it off Schoolhouse Lane.
Accessibility – A platform lift on the left of the building reaches the main floor. The Oak Room has a hearing-loop system; set your hearing aid to the ‘T’ setting.
Nearby – The Mansion House sits opposite St Stephen’s Green, a short walk from the National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology, Christ Church Cathedral and the streets of Temple Bar.
To actually get inside, put Culture Night in September in the diary; the rest of the year, the façade and the December crib are as close as most people get.