Custom House (Dublin)
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Custom House Monument in Dublin Docklands |
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| Alternative name: | Teach to Chustaim |
| Protected Structure in Dublin | |
| Registration number.: | 2096 |
| location | |
| Address: | Custom House Quay |
| District: | Dublin 1 |
| Coordinates: | 53 ° 20 '55 " N , 6 ° 15' 11.3" W |
| map | |
| history | |
| Construction time: | 1781 - 1791 |
| Destroyed: | Burned down in 1921 |
| Reconstruction: | in the 1920s |
| Restoration: | in the 1980s |
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| architecture | |
| Architect: | James Gandon |
| Architectural style: | Neoclassicism |
| use | |
| original use: | Customs office |
| current usage: | Ministry of Environment and Local Government |
The Custom House ( Irish : Teach an Chustaim ) is an 18th-century neo-classical building in Dublin , Ireland that was originally used as a customs office and now houses the Ministry of the Environment and local government. It was built in 1781–1791 and is located on Custom House Quay in Dublin Docklands.
location
The listed building (monument number: 2096) is located on the north bank of the River Liffey , on the quay named after him ( Custom House Quay ) between the Butt Bridge and the Talbot Memorial Bridge .
history
The building was designed by James Gandon to function as the new customs house for Dublin Port. The construction, commissioned by John Beresford, the State Revenue Commissioner, was James Gandon's first major contract. The building was to replace the old customs office on Wellington Quay.
The design of the Custom House was inspired by the Somerset House in London, which was built by Gandon's teacher William Chambers . This was his first large-scale commission. Gandon chose Irish artists such as the stone cutter Henry Darley of Meath , the bricklayer John Semple and the carpenter Hugh Henry as his helpers . Every available bricklayer in Dublin was busy with the work. When the building opened on November 7th, 1791 after ten years of construction, it had cost £ 200,000 - a huge sum at the time.
The free-standing two-storey building in the classical style is approx. 114 meters long and approx. 62 meters wide. The south side of the Custom House is made entirely of Portland stone and the other sides are made of mountain granite. The exterior facade has been richly decorated by Thomas Banks, Agnostino Carlini and Eddard Smith with sculptures, carved crowns and coats of arms. The design of the exterior facade is strongly influenced by the Irish identity. This is due to the political conditions at that time, at that time there was an Irish parliament, which should reflect the efforts of the Irish decision-makers.
The four facades of the building have been adorned with coats of arms and decorative sculptures by Edward Smyth depicting Ireland's rivers. Another artist, Henry Banks, was responsible for the dome statue and other statues. The ornate representations of the crown stones as the heads of the Irish water gods personify the Atlantic and the 13 rivers of Ireland: Bann, Barrow , Blackwater, Boyne , Erne, Foyle , Lagan, Lee , Liffey , Nore , Shannon , Slaney and Suir . The Doric portico with the triangular gable in the middle extends on the south facade. In the pediment triangle you can see Hibernia hugging Britannia, while Neptune banishes hunger and hopelessness.
The central loft, which is also extended, is crowned with the four statues, which reflect Mercury, wealth, industry and Neptune. The larger than life statue of the trade stands on the domed copper dome. The Custom House's roof outline crests represent the Kingdom of Ireland with the lion and unicorn on either side of the harp. To reflect the four statues on the south side, the four continents of world trade Africa, America, Asia and Europe were personified as four statues on the north side.
When the Custom House was completed in 1791, as the name suggests, it served as a customs office and centrally regulated customs and taxes for all of Ireland until the state unification of the two kingdoms of England and Ireland. After that all affairs were steered from London. After the port of Dublin moved further downstream, the building's original use was obsolete and it was now used as the headquarters of local government in Ireland.
During the Irish War of Independence in 1921, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) burned down the customs house in an attempt to overthrow the British government. The original interior of Gandon was completely destroyed in the fire and the main dome collapsed. A vast amount of irreplaceable historical records were destroyed in the fire, including church records of Irish births, marriages and deaths, some of which date back to the Middle Ages. Despite the goal achieved, the attack on the customs office was a disaster for the IRA, as a large number of the members were captured when they tried to escape.
Under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the building was restored by the Irish Free State Government. The results of this reconstruction can still be seen on the exterior of the building today: when the dome was rebuilt, Irish Ardbraccan limestone was used, which is noticeably darker than the Portland stone used in the original construction. This was intended to promote Irish industry.
The building originally comprised two inner courtyards to the right and left of the large hall, but this was not rebuilt after it was destroyed by the fire. The gates and railings around the building were erected in 1948 and fence the garden. In the middle of the garden on the north side is a free-standing bronze statue, which depicts the Celtic goddess Éire with a dying soldier. The statue was designed by Yann Renard-Goulet in 1956 and is intended to commemorate those who died in the attack on the Custom House in the Revolutionary War.
In the 1980s, the building was again restored by the Office for State Building Projects, as it was feared that the Great Carnies could collapse due to the fire damage and rusting of the iron framework. The sculptures were thoroughly restored and the outer facade was given a new wall parapet made of Portland stone.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dublin City Council (ed.): Record of Protected Structures in Dublin City. URL: http://www.dublincity.ie/main-menu-services-planning-heritage-and-conservation-conservation/protected-structures , accessed on May 12, 2016
- ↑ a b c Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (ed.): Custom House, Custom House Quay, Beresford Place, Dublin, Dublin City: Buildings of Ireland: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Reg. No. 50010133, URL: http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=DU®no=50010133 , accessed May 12, 2016
- ↑ a b Custom House - Information about the attraction. URL: http://www.dublin.de/sehenswuerdheiten/politik-regierung/custom-house/ , accessed on May 12, 2016
- ^ Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (ed.): The Custom House. URL: http://www.environ.ie/corporate/organisation/history-department/custom-house , accessed May 12, 2016
- ↑ MacKay, James A.: Michael Collins - A Life. Edinburgh 1997, p. 199 ( ISBN 1-85158-857-4 )
- ↑ a b Archiseek.com (ed.): 1791 - Custom House, Custom House Quay, Dublin - Architecture of Dublin City. URL: http://archiseek.com/2010/1791-custom-house-customhouse-quay-dublin/ , accessed on May 12, 2016
- ↑ Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (eds.): Custom House, Custom House Quay, Beresford Place, Dublin, Dublin City: Buildings of Ireland: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Reg. No. 50011215, URL: http: / /www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=DU®no=50011215 , accessed May 12, 2016
- ↑ Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (ed.): Custom House, Beresford Place, Dublin, Dublin City: Buildings of Ireland: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Reg. No. 50011216. URL: http: //www.buildingsofireland .ie / niah / search.jsp? type = record & county = DU & regno = 50011216 , accessed May 12, 2016
Web links
- Department of Environment, Community and Local Governement (ed.): The Custom House. URL: http://www.environ.ie/en/AboutUs/HistoryofDepartment/TheCustomHouse , accessed July 22, 2013