Countess Markiewicz House is a flats complex named after Countess Constance Markievicz in

Dublin 2 Dublin 2, also rendered as D2 and D02, is a historic List of Dublin postal districts, postal district on the Southside, Dublin, southside of Dublin, Ireland. In the 1960s, this central district became a focus for office development. More recently ...

, Ireland. It was designed by

Herbert George Simms Herbert George Simms (30 November 189828 September 1948) was an English architect who worked as an architect for Dublin Corporation. Early life and education He was the eldest of six children of George William Simms, a train driver and former she ...

in an art deco style and was constructed between 1934 and 1936. It is one of many examples of twentieth-century housing designed by Simms in Dublin and is listed on the record of protected structures.

Buildings

The buildings consist of a two detached four story blocks. The smaller block, to the southeast, is on Mark's Lane. The larger block has three sides and is U-shaped. Most exterior brickwork is red with a small number of yellow bricks. The roof is flat. There is a

mild steel Carbon steel is a steel with carbon content from about 0.05 up to 2.1 percent by weight. The definition of carbon steel from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) states: * no minimum content is specified or required for chromium, cobalt ...

fence on the north, west and south sides of the buildings. There is a play area as well as parking in the area between the two arms of the larger building.

Location

The buildings are between Townsend street on the north and Mark's Lane to the south, and Lombard Street East and Mark Street to the west and east.

Proposed demolition

In May 2018 it was suggested the buildings, along with

Oliver Bond flats Oliver Bond flats, also known as Oliver Bond House, is a group of blocks of flats in the Liberties area of Dublin, Ireland. They were designed by Herbert George Simms and built in 1936. They are named after Oliver Bond, a member of the Society o ...

and Chancery Place flats would be delisted and possibly demolished. The Dublin City Council Head of Housing, Brendan Kenny, said it would be difficult to get government funding for refurbishing housing complexes over 40 years old and suggested delisting them as it would be difficult to properly retrofit them. The

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...

rejected the proposals, calling on DCC officials to withdraw them. Councillors and DCC officials agree that the flats are in serious need of refurbishment. In November 2018 media reports that Markiewicz House and Pearse House were to be demolished led to criticism from Irish Civic Trust, Jim Fitzpatrick and former

Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

environmental editor Frank McDonald criticised the proposal, with McDonald saying "demolition of these flats would be a grotesque waste of resources". Brendan Kenny tweeted that the council had "no plans" to demolish them and that "These complexes are listed and cannot be demolished". the buildings are still on the Record of Protected Structures.

References

{{Reflist Buildings and structures in Dublin (city) Apartment buildings in the Republic of Ireland Art Deco architecture in the Republic of Ireland