Re: Re: O’ Connell Street

@gunter wrote:

Just checked Shaw’s Directory and it appears that the rebuilt version was in place by 1850, which narrows the alteration down now to just about five years, c. 1845 – 1850.

For anyone still with us on this (:o), we can now narrow down the date of alteration of this curious Georgian building to a single year. The entries for Thom’s Dublin Street Directory for the premises in the relevant period are:

1845
No. 68 William Harrison, saddler and harness maker
No. 69 John Hughes, fruiterer; John Keegan, tobacconist; Maria Healy, linen draper

1846
No. 68 William Harrison, saddler and harness maker
No. 69 John Hughes, fruiterer; John Keegan, tobacconist; Maria Healy, linen draper; Mrs Robinson, dress warerooms

1847
No. 68 William Harrison, saddler and harness maker
No. 69 Edward O’Connor, fruiterer

1849
No. 68 Rebuilding 🙂
No, 69 Vacant

1850
No. 68 Vacant
No, 69 James Hughes, watchmaker & jeweller

1851
No. 68 Rathmines Omnibus Association – waiting room
No, 69 James Hughes, watchmaker & jeweller

Exasperatingly, the 1848 edition is the only volume out of the entire 19th century collection missing in the Pearse Street Library! Gah!

The apparent gradual depletion of tenants over the course of the mid-1840s suggests a deliberate evacuation of the building on the part of its owners, and that the alterations were planned rather than the result of a fire or other random occurance. It is likely most of the major rebuilding took place in 1848.

The gold chip omnibus tenants with their waiting rooms in No. 68, albeit under a number of different names, were still in the premises well into the 1850s, and probably for much longer.