Georgian treasures still line these streets

Motoring down Dublin's wide thoroughfares, my cabby chattered about his hometown, proudly pointing out places of interest.

Thanks to him, I could easily imagine this bustling city as it must have been centuries ago when elegant horse-drawn carriages were the transport of choice. As his words narrated my daydream, it was easy to see myself in such a carriage gliding down these very streets.

Soon I would have a tour of the city's architecture, led by an expert, but it was fun to hear an ordinary citizen's view.

My Blarney-blessed cabby continued his spiel as we drove by lush Phoenix Park, Europe's largest public park, extending three miles along the Liffey River's north bank. The amazing amount of wide-open spaces contribute so much to Dublin's splendor.

The cabby mentioned several not-to-be-missed sites that my visit should include, singling out the Writers Museum. Then he rattled off some of the names of those luminaries whose accomplishments are celebrated at the museum. The list was impressive - James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, and George Bernard Shaw.

In the midst of the city, St. Stephen's Green offers a tranquil oasis with its shady trees, colorful flower gardens, spectacular fountains, winding walkways, and an ornamental lake. But as we passed the 27-acre city park, the driver chuckled about some of the irreverent names the Irish have for the statues of some of the same literary giants enshrined in the park.

Then he directed my attention to the beautifully kept red-brick Georgian townhouses lining the street we had just turned onto. Proudly he announced that he had worked under the direction of a master specialist in restoring the elaborate ceiling in what was once the home of the Duke of Wellington. Today it is part of the Merrion Hotel, my residence for the duration of my stay in Dublin and the end of our informative journey together.

My eyes swept over the handsome brick building that faces the Dublin government buildings, the home of the Irish Parliament. I was impressed and eager to know more about the architecture that adds such an air of elegance to this city.

Fortunately, I had been able to arrange for a guide through the Irish Georgian Society, an organization dedicated to the preservation of 18th-century Georgian architecture, which dominated the city not so long ago.

In 1958, Desmond Guinness and his wife, Mariga, founded the Irish Georgian Society for the preservation of buildings of architectural merit in Ireland.

They were particularly interested in protecting 18th-century Georgian landmarks. In spite of their efforts, many fine Georgian structures were demolished in the 1960s and replaced by new, modern, but sadly characterless buildings that Dubliners hoped would give them a more up-to-date image.

My guide, Simon, explained that during the course of the 18th century, Dublin was transformed from a medieval town into one of the finest cities in Europe.

Georgian architecture -known for its understated elegance - began to become popular during the reign of King George I, who ascended the throne of England in 1711. It continued through the reigns of King George III (of American Revolution fame) and King George IV (who died in 1830). But generally, Georgian architecture is considered the style of the 18th century.

It was popular in the United States as well as Britain. Boston's Old North Church, where Paul Revere hung the lanterns to warn that the British were coming, is Georgian architecture.

It's a style that was heavily influenced by classical architecture, especially that of Greece and Rome. In Ireland it was seen in elegant country houses and in terraces of town houses.

Setting the stage for the building boom that gave Dublin so much of its now-treasured Georgian architecture was an influx of Huguenot weavers who fled anti-Protestant legislation in France in the late 1600s.

Page: 1 | 2 | 3