Dublin City Hall

By Rune Ackermann

Published April 14, 2010

“An impressive building that takes you back to the 18^th- century”

It was built between 1769 and 1779, for the purpose of being the Royal Exchange. This meant that it provided a meeting place for Dublin’s businessmen to sell, buy or exchange trading goods. It is an impressive building that takes you back to the 18^th- century, with its mighty ceilings, painted crests and prominent statues. All in all it gives you a good impression, with its magnificent structure.

In 1850 the building was bought by the City Corporation, who converted it to be used by the City government. Today it has been restored to the way it looked in the 18^th-century, and is now used as museum, mostly for showing the old fascinating crests, how things looked in the 18^th- century and for tours

My experience of the City Hall

We were in Dublin City hall with our class, where we got a little tour inside the building, and were told the background history of the City Hall.

Lying on my back and looking up at the impressive ceiling, I started to wonder, how in the world the Irishmen had built this in the 18^th- century? The whole building impressed me, and the stories weren’t bad either. After we had seen the main Hall, we were escorted up the staircase to a little museum. Here we were told stories about Dublin around the time the City Hall was built. These stories were about famine, riots and political wars.  

I felt that we learned a lot this day, and my overall impression was that the class liked this exhibition, if not for the stories, then for the impressive building and its crests.

An experience I can recommend, to anyone interested in Dublin’s history.