Doors of Dublin

    

Dublin's doors from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are arguably the most recognisable pictures of the city's Golden Age of architecture. Unfortunately, none of the several ideas that have been proposed to explain why they are so colourfully painted and embellished are likely to be accurate. Some have speculated, for example, that the custom dates back to Elizabeth I, when a Puritan official ordered that every window and door frame in the city be painted the same dull brown colour. The creative and expressive community replied by painting them with the brightest colours they could locate in a defiant act. 

A comparable history originates from Queen Victoria's reign in the late 1800s. According to some, the bereaved queen ordered that all of Dublin's doors be painted black in honour of her late husband, Prince Albert. Once more, the disobedient Dubliners refused and created a colourful disturbance outside their front doors.

Neither of these legends has any historical support whatsoever. The well-known tale of two well-known Irish novelists from the early 20th century, George Moore and Oliver St. John Gogarty, who served as the model for Buck Mulligan in James Joyce's Ulysses, is equally implausible. It is reported that the two men used to reside next door to one another on a terrace of white-doored Georgian homes.  OOne evening, after drinking excessively at his neighbourhood bar, Gogarty stumbled home and unintentionally let himself into his neighbour's home. Outraged by what had happened, Moore painted his front door red to make sure it wouldn't happen again. Not to be outdone, Gogarty returned the favour by painting his door green, claiming that Moore shared his penchant for alcohol use and was just as likely to commit the same mistake.

The architectural growth of the city throughout its expansion between 1714 and 1830—the period spanning the reigns of four King Georges that gave the style its name—is a more plausible explanation for the colourful doors of Georgian Dublin. Dublin erupted from its constrained medieval bounds at this time, transforming the city with the construction of broad boulevards, five grand residential squares, and imposing official buildings like Customs House and the Four Courts. The streetscape was dominated by rows of red brick residences, adhering to the rigorous planning restrictions that enforced the principles of Classicism. Every terrace had the same layout, and every house on each side was a duplicate of the one next to it. Although this was visually pleasing, it suppressed homeowners' innate urge to personalise their homes. One house could only be distinguished from its neighbours by small elements like fanlights and external ironwork fixtures. Therefore, as the years went by, drab, similar front doors were painted in the bright colours of today's fashion and embellished with decorative brass work.

Elegant examples of Georgian Doors can be found at:

 

- Merrion Square, Situated on the southern edge of Dublin's city centre, this square is regarded as one of the best that has survived.

 

- Fitzwilliam Square, the final of the five Georgian squares constructed, is situated in the southern part of Central Dublin.Merrion Street, the first project of the Fitzwilliam Estate, was named Merrion after the second Viscount Fitzwilliam of Merrion. It was soon developed, and plans were formed to use Merrion Street as one side of Merrion Square.

 

- The Baggot Street Area is split into two sections: Lower Baggot Street is home to Georgian architecture, while Upper Baggot Street is mostly home to Victorian architecture. The area extends from Merrion Row to Pembroke Road.

 

-On the northern edge of the city, Mountjoy Square is a superb illustration of historically significant and meticulously restored Georgian architecture. Although there are several excellent examples, such as Stephen's Green, Georgian doors may actually be found all across Dublin.