1891 – The Dublin Working Boy’s Home, Lord Edward Street, Dublin

Designed by Albert E. Murray, this former Boy’s Home is now a backpackers hostel and still well maintained. The original aims of the charity were to “afford comfortable and healthy lodgings at cheap rates for boys who were earning their bread”. Purpose built as a hostel for boys, this fine building at the top of Lord Edward Street adjacent to Christ Church Cathedral has four floors of accommodation over several retail units. The retails units still possess their original facades which are integrated into large brick arches. The building has much decorative work around the windows, notably the windows over the main entrance and on the gables at the top of the building. The interior has a fine wooden staircase.

“THE Committee of the Working Boys’ Home and Harding Technical School, at present located in Grand Canal-street, are erecting new premises in Lord Edward-street—the new thoroughfare leading direct from Dame street and Cork-hill to Christ Church Cathedral (lately so splendidly restored by Mr. Henry Roe). The site is on the north of the street, running, from the west corner next the Cathedral, 162 ft. down street.

The building is of brick, faced with Dennis Ruabon red brick and buff terracotta. It contains, on the ground floor, entrance-porch and hall, dining-hall, kitchen, pantries, and also superintendent’s office, recreation-room, and large lecture-hall, with platform, &c., for entertainments. On this floor the superintendent has his private apartments, and over this is sleeping accommodation for about seventy-five boys, with all most approved sanitary arrangements, baths, &c. On ground level there is also a considerable space at rere, to be used as a recreation ground and gymnasium. The charity is supported partly by money bequeathed to it, and partly by subscriptions, and is a most useful one, supplying, as it does, a home for boys, with education for both mind and body at a cheap rate. The contractors are — Messrs. H. and J. Martin, of Belfast, for general work; and Mr. H. MacGarvey, of Lombard-street, Dublin, for the plumbing and gasfitting, &c.; and the whole is from the designs and under the superintendence of Mr. Albert E. Murray, F.R.I.B.A., architect, 37 Dawson-street.” Published in The Irish Builder, November 1, 1891.