Re: Re: Thomas Street & James Street, Dublin!

These are the pictures again of the important terrace of 18th century merchant houses on Thomas Street, beside St. Catherine’s Church, where the stripping of the lead and copper from the roofs last year has apparently sparked no action whatsoever, either from Dublin City Council, or from NAMA [the houses in question were owned by a Liam Carroll company].

The corner house [no. 29] is a 19th century rebuild of the house that appears in the Malton print. No. 30 is probably an early 18th century, Georgian altered, Dutch Billy which retains its cruciform roof and corner chimney stack. No. 32 is the rare surviving twin-roofed house, again probably dating to the first half of the 18th century and again featuring a corner chimney stack and modernising Georgian facade. No. 33 is a mid 18th century Georgian with ‘Protected Structure’ status.


As well as being individually of huge intrinsic value and respresenting a veritable who’s who of 18th century Dublin house types, the terrace as a whole forms the immediate setting of St. Catherine’s Church, which has the finest surviving 18th century church facade in the city.

The roof of no. 32 has been open in several places since shortly after Carroll bought the premises and the copper was stripped from the previously sound roof of no. 30 more than a year ago.

In the above view from July ’09 the roof of no. 30 is intact with the copper soaker still in place. In the view below from last year the copper has been stripped.

Action is needed urgently or these important houses, and the record of our street-architecture that they represent, will be irreparably damaged.