#Georgian Dublin

[oceancentury]

86 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, stair-hall. Builder, Robert West built 1765.

[transthadymacdermot]

Father Devlin of St Jude’s Sisters of Charity Convent, Dublin, and Petty Officer Davey Spence, from Armagh, formerly Subordinate Officers’ Steward on H.M.S. Sussex. being normal, as usual.

[theirishaesthete]

Operation Transformation

Exactly eight years ago, the Irish Aesthete visited No.3 Henrietta Street, Dublin and subsequently wrote about the house (see Opportunity Knocks « The Irish Aesthete). It was then for sale and in pitiable condition, having been turned into a tenement in the last century, with many of the original features such as the main staircase and the main chimney pieces stripped out and rooms subdivided to…

[vox-anglosphere]

The Provost's House at Trinity College has changed little since 1757

It is a superb example of college architecture during the Georgian era

[livesunique]

Danesmoate House, County Dublin, Ireland, 

The gardens at Danesmoate, Dublin, are open by appointment for groups. Email head gardener Darragh Stone (gardendm@icloud.com)

©Jonathan Hession

[fionabrennanartisttours]

This charming book has a small chapter on same-sex relationships and tells of Georgian-period terminology (mostly regarding gay men and women, in that order!) and people of note. What the Georgians got up to is of interest to us here, as Dublin was a Georgian city and of course, the laws made in London during the Georgian period affected Ireland. Therefore, if you could be hanged for "sodomy" in England, you could be strung up in Ireland too.

But the book goes into the nuance of everyday life in the period versus what may be written in the law books. For example, in 1822, the Anglican Bishop of Clogher in Northern Ireland had been caught in the act with a guardsman - the Bishop was dismissed from his position, but from the public's point of view, he became a figure of fun and jokes. And so same-sex activity was "semi-known and semi-secret"; very serious and dangerous on one hand and part of the furniture and a source of amusement on the other.

Another hint at the Georgian's attitude toward queerness is the sheer number of terms used to refer to it! For the gay men we had "mollies", "back-gammon players" and "catamites" (a Classical reference to the mythologically handsome adolescent boy, whose beauty caused Zeus to steal him away to Olympus to serve him). For the lesbians we had "flats", "tommies" and "rubsters". In fact, it is semi-jokingly stated that lesbians did not exist before 1870, because the more euphemistic terms were in use instead!

These terms for same-sex love and identity shows an emergent social awareness for the LGBTQ community in the Georgian era. Albeit mostly for the L and the G!

And of course we know that lesbians existed in Ireland before 1870, just one example being "The Ladies of Llangollen", two upper-class ladies who lived together (with only one bed in the house!) for 50 years. While numerous Georgian ladies lived together as companions, Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby declared their loving relationship openly in upper-class society.

It seems that historical relevance and the holding of a powerful position in society both protected queer Georgians/Anglo-Irish aristocrats from punishment and encouraged historians to record their lives for our historical interests today. Therefore, there are no mention of everyday, "lower-class" Irish queers in this chapter of The Georgians. This is certainly a sad oversight in our LGBTQ+ history. But it's fun to read about 18th and 19th century queer people of note, especially the tommies and "female husbands" who I always picture dressed up like Gentleman Jack!

[panoramicireland]

Dublin City Hall, first opened in 1779 as the Royal Exchange it has been used as city hall since 1851. Seen here with a fine blue sky.

[notasapleasure]

it's actually sinking in that I'm?? going to see Elvis Costello next week?????

[onarangel]

Dreamy bookstores

Boasting an attractive Georgian blue façade, Books Upstairs is “Dublin’s oldest independent bookshop.” Started in 1978, it remains one of the most charming ones that stocks a curated collection featuring primarily Irish literature and poetry. Book lovers wanting to discover the local literary scene will find the shelves of Books Upstairs quite satisfying. Others can take a risk and order one of their popular themed book bundles. The first floor of this Dublin bookstore houses a cute café, perfect for a chat with fellow bibliophiles over copious cups of coffee. 

More in:https://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/blog/5-dreamy-bookstores-in-dublin-you-need-to-visit-soon

[putoutallthestars]

Sweetest Thing, U2 (1998)

Real men don't cry apologize. It's time to acknowledge the elephant in the room. - Baby Bono apologizing to his wife in the streets of Dublin for forgetting her birthday. - 🍀🇮🇪👨‍🎤❤️

Blue-eyed boy meets a brown-eyed girl. (Oh, the sweetest thing.) You can sew it up, but you still see the tear. (Oh, the sweetest thing.) Baby's got blue skies up ahead But in this, I'm a rain-cloud, Ours is a stormy kind of love. (Oh, the sweetest thing.)

[oceancentury]

[alorsondanse42]

Can't stop thinking about her...

7 Henrietta Street, Dublin. Restored to its former Georgian glory, underground tunnels and all, and now on the market!

It's fulfilled many roles over the years. In the 18th century it was home to Dublin's elite, and after the Act of Union and the movement of the rich and powerful back to London, it was turned into a tenement building for Dublin's poorest. It has been used as classrooms for the barristers attending the local Kings Inns, and as studios for artists. In 2018 it was bought by a barrister who had trained as an architect who restored the building to its 18th century elegance.

https://m.independent.ie/life/home-garden/a-2m-restoration-underground-tunnels-and-a-pub-who-will-buy-the-finest-house-in-dublin-42083321.html

[theirishaesthete]

Remembering a Hero

Following last Monday’s post about Lucan House, here is a monument found within the surrounding garden and dedicated to Patrick Sarsfield, first Earl of Lucan and hero of the 1791 Siege of Limerick. While he never lived here (the property was owned by his older brother William), toward the end of the 18th century either Agmondisham Vesey or his nephew and heir Colonel George Vesey is thought to…

[vox-anglosphere]

Newbridge House, considered the finest Georgian mansion in Ireland

[mary-maud]

Dublin, Feb 2024 🇮🇪

[dublincitywalk]

Join our guided Georgian architecture tour and explore Dublin’s stunning squares, historic doorways, and elegant townhouses. Step back in time and uncover the stories behind the city’s iconic 18th-century charm. Book your spot today!