What is it? The City Assembly House at 58 South William Street, Dublin 2, is the new headquarters of the Irish Georgian Society and will host exhibitions, lectures, musical performances and other events.
Why visit? It’s one of Dublin’s most important Georgian public buildings. It was used as the City Hall when Daniel O’Connell was lord mayor of Dublin, in 1841, and as the Dublin Civic Museum from 1952 to 2003. It was built by the Society of Artists in Ireland as the first purpose-built public exhibition room in Ireland and Britain and an academy for training European artists.
Why now? It currently hosts Vanishing Ireland, an exhibition of portrait photographs by James Fennell and Turtle Bunbury that focuses on traditions of Irish life (Monday to Saturday, 10am-5pm until August 31st). Architectural historian, Dr Conor Lucey will lead walking tours of Georgian Dublin's domestic architecture, leaving from City Assembly House on July 30th and August 13th at 11am. Architectural historian Dr John Montague will lead walking tours of Dublin's civic architecture on August 6th and 20th at 11am. Cost €15. Advanced booking is necessary.
How do I get there? The City Assembly House is on the corner where South William Street meets Coppinger Row, near Grafton Street. It is open from 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Admission is free. Rooms are also available for private functions to help fund ongoing restoration work of the octagonal exhibition gallery, due to be completed in 2016 to mark the 250th anniversary of the building. See igs.ie.
