DIT 75th of Anniversary - Catha Brugha St

Robinson  and Keefe (a well know Irish Architect practice) undertook the design of the building located in Cathal Brugha Street, just off O'Connell Street in Dublin 1.
 The outstanding sculpture of Gabriel Hayes at the curvy corner  depicts the original studies in the College. Art Deco features can be traced in from the parapet roof line up to inside in the lobby(terrazzo floors, marble pilars,  fretworks on the side panels of  entrance door, stone canopy).
After five years of construction St Mary's College  opened officially on the 16th of June 1941 and in September young girls could start their education in Domestic Science. The education took a turn in the following years and is now the DIT  for  Hospitality Management Tourism and Culinary Arts and Food Technology with around 3000 students.From 1941 to 1973 three women were appointed as a first principal of the College.
 It will be relocated  by 2018 within the new campus of  Grangegorman .The building will be on sale for an estimated price of  €15-20 Million.

Chancery Park

Let's enjoy the magnificent manicured Park with its Art Deco features: gates, benches and fountains.
Location : close to the Four Courts
Opening hours Mon to Thur  from 8am to 4pm, Frid 8am to 1pm.

Pearse House flats

 Designed by Herbert Simms 1933, the architect of Dublin Corporation. A magnificent council  housing  with 345 units, a big internal yard with playground for toddlers and teens together with a football  pitch and nice manicured garden.

Flat 3B in Pearse House Flats

Artist Jeanette Lowe had redecorated a flat to the time of the late 30s. Her grand-mother, Bridget Ashmore, was among the first to live in those flats. 2 bedrooms flat with fire place in each rooms, kitchen and bathroom in one single  room (the bathtub would have been the original one). Separate toilet  and a living/dining-room. Hardwood floor

Countess Markievicz house in Townends street D2

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Countess Markievicz house is part of  Herbert Georges SIMMS ' legacy built around 1934-39
U-shape 4-storey public housing  in red and yellow bricks with awesome tower gate canopied entrances and curved end building.Each flat gives on a communal balcony facing the central courtyard where  children have their playground
8 blocks with 170 flats and 4 shop units

sources: "The buildings" of Ireland from Christine Casey
Geroge' s quay local area plan 2012 - Dublin city 
Georges Simms

Gas Building

As you can see on the pictures below, some of the  artefacts belonging to the building have been taking away : sunburst grid and the G logo!
The polished black granit at the bottom of the window is broken.
This building is one of the finest Art Deco building in Dublin, which has been remodelled by the architects Robinson and Keefe in 1931/34.

Alert : Buildings at risk!

Cinema RIALTO

former Cinema RIALTO 357/9 South circular road, Dublin 8
Designed by Frederick James Macaulay
Opened on the 5th of November 1936 and closed on the 28th of August 1970
Auditorium of 1500 seats, single screen, balcony and cloakrooms
Parking for 200 cars
Art Deco feature with stepped motif along the roofline and on pilasters. White paint on brick-clad structure.
At its opening with the Irish premiere "Everthing is Rhythm", it offered a red plush interior for its 1500 viewers.

It was owned and managed by Maurice Baum (Dublin Cinemas Ltd) and passed to the Green Group in the 1960s.

It was sold in 1971 for 50,000 Irish Pound to Windsor Motors who converted it into a car dealership. Since Summer 2006 the building has been put up for sale with the option of redeveloping the site and will be subject to demolition.

photo@ Cinema Heritage Group





Cinema CARLTON

Former Carlton cinema located 56-58 Upper O'Connell Street, Dublin 1 - RPS ref 6025
Architect :Robinson and Keefe 

Opened  16th of April 1938 closed  on the 20th of October 1994.
Its opening film "The Awful Truth" with Irene Dunn and Cary Grant.
This building replaced an earlier 600 seats cinema of same name designed by T.F. Mac Namara in 1915.

Auditorium of 2000 seats  (1500 in the stalls and 500 in the circle) , single screen, a stage, a dressing room, a cafe  and a  restaurant  (offering special meal and deals)

Art Deco features: 

Stripped Classical , big vertical windows with wrought iron work, pair of torches and  the CARLTON illuminated with  a neon light.
The American-style box office with Celtic decors and the interiors disappeared. "This was in a plain Deco style, which relied on plain colored paint and on lighting for effect, but which featured two very large panels, one on each side of screen, showing styilized musical instruments in gold in a tiled type pattern of 20 tiles, five panels across and four down, with some pattern repeats.
In Feb 1957  Bill Haley and his Comets played for three weeks in their  European Premiere  "Rock around the clock".

In 1976 it was subdivided in 3 auditoriums and the restaurant converted also in 126 seats. In the 70s  horrors films were frequently screened therefore it was called the HORROR house."

Early 2000 part of the Carlton Cinema was converted  into a 4D 18 seater motion Theater owned by Dr Quirkeys

Planning permission in Jan 1995 National Convention Centre and Casino and then in 2008 escaping being dismantled and relocated some distance to make way for the ill-fated 'Park in the Sky' redevelopment (retail/apart units and anchor store). The Irish Georgian Society made an appeal against Dublin City Council against the proposal to relocate a protected structure.

photo@Archiseek (first Carlton1915-1936)




photo@Dublin city Public Libraries



Hig Spec one off Wendon house 1929/30

Former "Wendon" - Balnagowan house  , 3 Saint Mobhi Boithirin , Glasnevin, D9 - No RPS
Private house of Georges Malcolm Linzell, a Dubliner developper, designed by Harold Greenwood. It was fitted with  cutting edge technology at the time. Lately headquarter of the Central Fisheries Board from 1971.