William Street South, commonly known as South William Street, (
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
: ''Plás Mhic Liam Theas'') is a street located on Dublin's
Southside Southside or South Side may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Southside, Queensland, a semi-rural locality in the Gympie Region
Canada
* South Side, Newfoundland and Labrador, a community in the St. George's Bay area on the southwest coast of Newf ...
.
Location
It runs from the junction with Exchequer Street,
Wicklow Street, and St. Andrew's Street on its northeastern end to the junction of Johnson Place and Stephen Street on its southwestern end.
History
The street was laid out in 1676 by William Williams and was part of Dublin's 17th-century expansion beyond its medieval walls. The street has one of the largest and most complete groups of 18th century merchants' houses in the city. However, M'Cready claims the street is named after
King William III
William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from the ...
.
In 2012, the street was rebranded as being the centre of Dublin's "Creative Quarter", an area noted for its "independent design stores, fashion outlets and cafes". The UK's Academy of Urbanism has noted that the street has transformed "from the bustling heart of the rag trade to a well-known spot for retail entrepreneurs, start-ups and those in search of a good night out".
Powerscourt House
The street is dominated by
Powerscourt House, the former
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
townhouse
A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors. In a different British usage, the term originally referred to any type of city residence ...
of
Viscount Powerscourt
Viscount Powerscourt ( ) is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of Ireland, each time for members of the Wingfield family. It was created first in 1618 for the Chief Governor of Ireland, Richard Wingfield. However, this creat ...
. It was constructed in the 18th century for
Richard Wingfield, 3rd Viscount Powerscourt
Richard Wingfield, 3rd Viscount Powerscourt (24 December 1730 – 8 August 1788) was an Anglo-Irish politician and peer.
Biography
Powerscourt was a younger son of Richard Wingfield, 1st Viscount Powerscourt and Dorothy Beresford Rowley. He w ...
, a member of the
Irish House of Lords
The Irish House of Lords was the upper house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from medieval times until 1800. It was also the final court of appeal of the Kingdom of Ireland.
It was modelled on the House of Lords of England, with membe ...
. The townhouse was the Wingfield family's urban residence when they were visiting from the
Powerscourt Estate
Powerscourt Estate ( ga, Eastát Chúirt an Phaoraigh), located in Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland, is a large country estate which is noted for its house and landscaped gardens, today occupying . The house, originally a 13th-century cast ...
in
Enniskerry
Enniskerry (historically ''Annaskerry'', from ) is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. The population was 1,889 at the 2016 census.
Location
The village is situated on the Glencullen River in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains in the ea ...
,
County Wicklow.
Designed by Robert Mack, it dates from between 1771 and 1774. The court at the rear of the building was created with the addition of three brown-brick office buildings from 1809 to 1811. The townhouse was purchased and redeveloped as a shopping centre between 1978 and 1981 and is now known as the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre.
Gallery
File:Metro Cafe South William Street D02.jpg, Metro Cafe, South William Street
File:Pink restaurant.jpg, Pink restaurant, South William Street
File:South William Street D02.jpg, South William Street, looking southwest
See also
*
List of streets and squares in Dublin
References
{{Streets in Dublin city, state=autocollapse
Streets in Dublin (city)
Shopping districts and streets in Ireland
1676 establishments in Ireland