Custom House
The Custom House is generally considered one of the finest of Dublin's Georgian buildings.
Courtesy of Dept. of Environment, Heritage and Local GovernmentCustom House
Courtesy of Dept. of Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Courtesy of Dept. of Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Custom House
The Custom House is generally considered one of the finest of Dublin's Georgian buildings.
Courtesy of Dept. of Environment, Heritage and Local GovernmentThe Custom House in Dublin is located on the northern banks of the River Liffey. It is currently the home to the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
Some of the features found here include pavilions, arcades and columns. There is also a dome with a 16-foot statue of Commerce on top. The sculptures in various parts of the building are by the famous Irish sculptor, Edward Smyth.
History
The Custom House
Dublin's Custom House
The Custom House
The Custom House
Dublin's Custom House
The current Custom House was not the first of its kind to be built in Dublin. In 1707, Thomas Burgh built a Custom House at Essex Quay which was considered to be unsafe just seventy years later.
In 1781, work began on replacing the old Custom House. James Gandon was asked to design this new building by John Beresford, the Chief Revenue Commissioner. Ten years later, the work was complete at a cost of over £200,000.
Destruction
During the Irish Civil War the inside of the Custom House was destroyed when the building was set on fire by the IRA. The fire, which started on 20th May 1921, blazed for five days, destroying a large number of public records.
The heat of the fire was such that the dome actually melted and the stonework was still cracking from the heat 5 months later. However, by 1928, the building was restored and a new dome was built.
In the 1980s, further work was carried out on the building, and was completed in time for the bi-centenary of the Custom House in 1991.