Henrietta Street, Dublin

Henrietta Street (Irish: Sráid Henrietta) is a Dublin street, to the north of Bolton Street on the north side of the city, first laid out and developed by Luke Gardiner during the 1720s.[1] A very wide street relative to streets in other 18th-century cities, it includes a number of very large red-brick city palaces of Georgian design.

Henrietta Street
Clockwise, top to bottom: Looking northwest towards Gandon's Kings Inns; a detail from a neoclassical portico along the street; the entrance to Gandon's King's Inns building
Henrietta Street, Dublin is located in Central Dublin
Henrietta Street, Dublin
Native nameSráid Henrietta (Irish)
NamesakeHenrietta, Duchess of Grafton (1690–1726); or Henrietta Paulet, Duchess of Bolton (1697–1730)
Length160 m (520 ft)
Width17 metres (56 ft)
LocationDublin, Ireland
Postal codeD01
Coordinates53°21′09″N 6°16′12″W / 53.35250°N 6.27000°W / 53.35250; -6.27000
northwest endArchway leading to King's Inns
southeast endBolton Street
Other
Known forGeorgian Dublin, tenements, 14 Henrietta Street
Henrietta Street, looking south
King's Inns Law Library built 1824–1832 on the site of the Primate's house facing 9 and 10 Henrietta Street showing Pearce's No. 11 on the left of the picture

Name

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Henrietta Paulet, Duchess of Bolton, possibly the street's namesake.

The street is generally held to be named after Henrietta (née Somerset; 1690–1726), the wife of Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton,[1][2][3] although an alternative candidate is Henrietta (née Crofts; 1697–1730), third wife of Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton. The nearby Bolton Street is named after Paulet.[4]

History

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Henrietta Street is the earliest Georgian Street in Dublin, and at the forefront of Dublin's later Georgian streetscapes.[5] Construction on the street started in the mid-1720s, on land bought by the Gardiner family in 1721. Construction was still taking place in the 1750s.[6] Gardiner had a mansion, designed by Richard Cassels, built for his own use around 1730.

The street was popularly referred to as Primate's Hill, as one of the houses was owned by the Archbishop of Armagh, although this house, along with two others, was demolished to make way for the Law Library of King's Inns.[1]

The street fell into disrepair during the 19th and 20th centuries, with the houses being used as tenements.[4] While the houses on Henrietta Street had been home to a small number of wealthy residents in the 18th century, these were given-over to tenement use during the 19th century,[7] and by 1911 there were 835 people living in poverty in just 15 houses.[8] A number of houses on the street remained in use as tenements until the 1970s.[7] In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the street has been subject to restoration efforts.[5]

The street has been used as a period-location for film and TV companies,[9] with productions filmed including Albert Nobbs, Inspector George Gently and Foyle's War.

The street is a cul-de-sac, with the Law Library of King's Inns facing onto its western end. As of 2017, there are 13 houses on the street. One of these houses, 14 Henrietta Street, was opened as a museum in late 2018.[10] 14 Henrietta Street tells the story of the building and of the lives of the people who lived there.[11] A plaque at the address commemorates its association with Irish republican Thomas Bryan.[12]

First residents

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The street was initially popular with landed and merchant families, and a number of hereditary peers had properties on the street in the mid-18th century.[13] The houses were built to have rear gardens and mews.[14]

North-side

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Facade of No. 5 Henrietta Street; This house was divided about 1826.
No.3
No.4
  • Construction: Built after 1755[14]
  • Resident: John Maxwell, 1st Baron Farnham from 1757, father-in-law of Owen Wynne at no.3. This house remained in the possession of the same family until 1852.[14]
No.5
No.6
  • Construction: Separate flat within No. 5;[14]
No.7
No.8
  • Construction: Nathaniel Clements 1735[14]
  • Resident: Lieutenant General Richard St George;[14]
No.9
 
Gibbs surround style doorway of 9 Henrietta Street, Dublin
No.10

Western end

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  • Entrance to King's Inns

South-side

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  • King's Inns law library
 
Typical entrance doors - Nos. 12 (left) and 11
No.11
No.12
No.13
No.14
No.15

See also

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Further reading

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  • Murdoch, Tessa (ed.) (2022). Great Irish Households: Inventories from the Long Eighteenth Century. Cambridge: John Adamson, inventory of No. 10 Henrietta Street in 1772, when in the ownership of Luke Gardiner, the younger (1745–1798), later 1st Viscount Mountjoy, pp. 157–61 ISBN 978-1-898565-17-8 OCLC 1233305993

References

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  1. ^ a b c Craig, Maurice (2006) [First published 1952]. Dublin 1660-1860. p. 129. ISBN 1-905483-11-2.
  2. ^ "Henrietta Street, Dublin - Buildings of Ireland - Irish Architecture". Archiseek. Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  3. ^ M'Cready, C. T. (1987). Dublin street names dated and explained. Blackrock, Co. Dublin: Carraig. p. 49. ISBN 1-85068-005-1. OCLC 263974843.
  4. ^ a b "RSAI - Excursions and Outings - King's Inns and Henrietta Street". Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. Archived from the original on 20 May 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  5. ^ a b "Henrietta Street Conservation Plan" (PDF). Dublin City Heritage Plan. Dublin City Council. 2004. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2021. [Henrietta] street is [..] the single remaining intact example of an early-18th century street of houses, which was at the forefront of what was to become the Georgian style
  6. ^ Sheridan, Edel (2001). Brady, Joseph; Simms, Angrett (eds.). Dublin Through Space & Time. Four Courts Press. pp. 91–93. ISBN 1-85182-641-6 – via Internet Archive.
  7. ^ a b "Museum of Dublin tenement life set for Henrietta Street". The Irish Times. 30 April 2015. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  8. ^ "Dublin - Poverty and Health". Ireland in the early 20th century. National Archives. Archived from the original on 11 March 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  9. ^ "Film Titles With Location Matching "Henrietta Street, Dublin"". IMDb. Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  10. ^ "News - Officially Opening of 14 Henrietta Street". riai.ie. Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland. 20 September 2018. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  11. ^ "What will you experience". 14henriettastreet.ie. Dublin City Council. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  12. ^ Blaney, Amy. "Plaque unveiled to Thomas Bryan, one of the 'Forgotten 10' during War of Independence". Irish Independent.
  13. ^ "Henrietta Street, Dublin". Architecture of Dublin. Archiseek. Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2017. In the mid-1700s, the street was inhabited by five peers, a peeress, a peer's son, a judge, a member of parliament, a Bishop and two wealthy clergymen as well as Luke Gardiner himself
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Shaffrey Associates Architects; John Montague, Architectural Historian; Carrig Conservation Ltd; Dr. Tracy Pickerill; Lee McCullough & Partners, Consulting Engineers; Boylan Farrelly, Quantity Surveyors; Henrietta Street Conservation Plan Dublin City Heritage