Merchants' Hall

Merchants' Hall (sometimes Merchants' Arch) is a former 19th century guildhall, now a protected structure, on Wellington Quay in Dublin, Ireland. It is located opposite the Ha'penny Bridge and backs on to Temple Bar. The building was the last of the city guildhalls to be constructed and only operated as a guildhall for a period of 20 years before ceasing as the Merchants' Guild ended its main work, along with the other Guilds of the City of Dublin.

Merchants' Hall
A view of Merchants' Hall from Wellington Quay
Merchants' Hall is located in Central Dublin
Merchants' Hall
Alternative namesMerchants' Arch
General information
Typeguildhall
Architectural styleGeorgian
ClassificationProtected structure
Address48-49 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2
Town or cityDublin
CountryIreland
Coordinates53.34597°N 6.26281°W / 53.34597; -6.26281
Current tenantsThe Merchant's Arch pub and restaurant
Completed1821 (1821)
OwnerTom Doone (via Fusion Rock Limited), formerly owned by Brian and Mary Patricia O'Donnell
Technical details
MaterialGranite faced with brick chimneys and calp rear and sides
Floor count2 storey over raised basement
Design and construction
Architect(s)Frederick Darley[1]
DesignationsProtected Structure (RPS 8375)
Website
www.merchantsarch.ie

Since that time until 2021 it has had a number of uses including as a boys school, a factory,[2] a retail unit, a fast food restaurant and a pub. As of 2021, a pub named "Merchants' Arch" operates from the premises.[3][4]

History
View of Merchants' Arch leading to Temple Bar with the former Central Bank of Ireland HQ in the background

Wellington Quay was laid out by the Wide Street Commissioners in 1815 and, following completion of the quay, it offered a site to the Merchant's guild for the construction of a new dedicated hall. Previously, buildings in the area had backed directly on to the Liffey.

The Merchants' Guild (sometimes called Holy Trinity Guild) operated from the premises for a period of roughly 20 years from the construction of the building in 1821 until 1841, when the Municipal Reform Act saw the dissolution of the city guilds. This dissolution followed a move to directly elected Dublin Corporation members. Prior to 1821, the Merchant's Guild had operated from the Tholsel and City Assembly House on South William Street along with several other of the city guilds.[5]

The commissioners imposed a covenant which forced the construction of the vaulted archway synonymous with the building and provided for a public right of way through the site under the arch as a means of enabling public access from the quays and Ha'penny Bridge through to Crown Alley and Temple Bar. This laneway is today also named "Merchants' Arch" and forms the main entrance to the Temple Bar area for members of the public crossing over from the Northside of the Liffey.

From 1873, the hall became the Merchant Tailors' Endowed School after it moved from Tailors' Hall until the school finally closed in 1910.[6]

Later the building housed PA Noonan & Co Ltd (a shirt manufacturer) and R Atkinson & Company (poplin manufacturers).

Building

The building is a three-bay two-storey over raised basement granite-faced Georgian townhouse. There are ashlar calp walls to the sides and rear of the property while the chimneystacks are constructed in brown brick. The roughly pyramidal shaped roof is partially hidden behind a parapet and there is a modern roof light to the apex of the roof.[7]

In 2021, a hotel development proposed to be built at 1-4 Merchant's Arch laneway, was controversially granted planning permission.[8][9][10]

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Merchants' Arch, Dublin.

References
  1. "Co. Dublin, Dublin, Wellington Quay, Merchants' Hall". Dictionary of Irish Architects. Irish Architectural Archive. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  2. "Ha'penny Bridge, Dublin city (1952/1953)". stillslibrary.rte.ie. RTÉ Archives. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  3. "2018 Record of Protected Structures" (PDF). dublincity.ie. Dublin City Council. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  4. "Merchant's Arch Bar and Restaurant". IrishTourist.com. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  5. "1821 – Merchant's Hall, Wellington Quay, Dublin". Archiseek - Irish Architecture. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  6. Dixon, F. E. (1968). "The Dublin Tailors and Their Hall". Dublin Historical Record. 22 (1): 147–159. JSTOR 30103882. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  7. "The Merchants' Arch , 48-49 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2, Dublin". Buildings of Ireland. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  8. "Factfind: What is being proposed at Dublin's Merchant's Arch?". thejournal.ie. Journal Media Ltd. 7 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  9. "Criticism of plan for 'overscaled' development on Merchant's Arch Lane". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  10. "Citizen Portal Planning - 3451/20". planning.agileapplications.ie. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
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