1913 – Grace Gifford House / John Street West National Schools, Dublin

With separate entrances for boys and girls, this former school stands tall on an elevated side giving it quite the presence in the tight narrow streets around it. In redbrick, carved Portland stone tympanums at street level entrances demarcated the sexes leading to two steep staircases rising through the building. It was originally built for the Augustinian Fathers, the architect George C. Ashlin was responsible for much of the adjoining religious enclave including the church with E.W. Pugin, the priory / presbytery, and ancillary buildings. After closure it has been in use by National College of Art & Design (NCAD), for many years the Industrial Design department. The upper floors still contained partially glazed partitions between classrooms. Now with added extensions finished externally in steel at street level to east and west, and known as Grace Gifford House. Grace Gifford (1888-1955) was a past student of NCAD, cartoonist, activist and artist.

A scene in the movie the Commitments passes the building, some students (the author included) may remember watching out the windows.