Thomas Street, Dublin
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Thomas Street () is a street in
The Liberties The Liberties ( or occasionally ) is an area in central Dublin, Ireland, located in the southwest of the inner city. Formed from various areas of special manorial jurisdiction, initially separate from the main city government, it is one of Dub ...
in central
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
,
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
.


History

The street is named after the Augustinian
Abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...
of St. Thomas, founded in 1175, near the later St. Catherine's church. The founder was William FitzAldelm, deputy and kinsman of King Henry II. The
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...
was dedicated to
Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then as Archbishop of Canterbury fr ...
t (St. Thomas the Martyr), the English
Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...
who had recently been murdered in his cathedral by followers of the king and declared a
saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...
by the Church. The monastery became a rich and powerful one, which controlled the Liberty of Thomas Court and Donore. In 1539 it was dissolved with all the monasteries by King
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
. Over the following 150 years the churches in the neighbourhood passed over to the reformed church, while Roman Catholic priests led a precarious existence tending to the larger part of the population, which remained faithful to the old religion.Short Histories of Dublin Parishes. Part IX. at www.chaptersofdublin.com From the mid-16th century, the Lord of this Liberty was the
Earl of Meath Earl of Meath is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1627 and is held by the head of the Brabazon family. History The Brabazon family descends from Sir Edward Brabazon, who represented County Wicklow in the Irish House of Com ...
, whose family acquired the lands of the abbey from Henry VIII when he dissolved the monasteries. John D'Alton: ''History of the County of Dublin'', Dublin, 1837. In 1803 this street was the scene of the events surrounding the insurrection organised by
Robert Emmet Robert Emmet (4 March 177820 September 1803) was an Irish Republican, orator and rebel leader. Following the suppression of the United Irish uprising in 1798, he sought to organise a renewed attempt to overthrow the British Crown and Prote ...
, where Lord Kilwarden was killed. Many of the participants in what turned out to be a riot were from this street and neighbouring streets.


Location

The street runs from Cornmarket to the Saint James's Gate Brewery, where
Guinness Guinness () is a stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at Guinness Brewery, St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in the 18th century. It is now owned by the British-based Multinational corporation, multinational alcoholic bever ...
is brewed; there Thomas Street connects with James's Street. The
National College of Art and Design The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is Ireland's oldest art institution, offering the largest range of art and design degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the country. Originating as a drawing school in 1746, many of t ...
is located on Thomas Street, as is John's Lane Church, which has the highest steeple in the city,
Vicar Street Vicar Street is a concert, performing arts centre and events venue in Dublin, Ireland. Located at Thomas Street, Dublin 8, Vicar Street has capacity for 1,050 people for seated performances and 1,500 people for standing gigs. The venue is ow ...
(music venue), Michelin-starred restaurant Variety Jones, St. Catherine's church where the patriot
Robert Emmet Robert Emmet (4 March 177820 September 1803) was an Irish Republican, orator and rebel leader. Following the suppression of the United Irish uprising in 1798, he sought to organise a renewed attempt to overthrow the British Crown and Prote ...
was executed, as well as The Thomas House bar and venue. Thomas Street is one of only four streets in Dublin where street trading is permitted (the other three being
Wexford Street Wexford Street () is a street in southern Dublin, Ireland that connects Aungier Street to Camden Street. History As early as 1326, St Kevin's Gate is recorded as being one of the gates into the city of Dublin. Later the street was known as ...
, Henry Street, and
Moore Street Moore Street (; ) is a street in central Dublin, Ireland, off Henry Street (Dublin), Henry Street, one of Ireland's main shopping streets. The famous Moore Street open-air fruit and vegetable market is Dublin's oldest food market. The market t ...
).


Notable persons

* Patrick Lynch (1916), living at number 29 of Thomas Street, he was a participant in the Easter Rising. Considered a veteran of Easter Week 1916. *
Dominic Corrigan Sir Dominic John Corrigan, 1st Baronet (2 December 1802 – 1 February 1880), was an Irish physician, known for his original observations in heart disease. The abnormal "collapsing" pulse of aortic insufficiency, aortic valve insufficiency is na ...
(1802-1880), a prominent physician, was born in Thomas St., where his father had a shop selling farm tools. He was known for his original observations on heart disease. * James Whitelaw (1749-1813), historian and statistician, was clergyman in St. Catherine's, Thomas St., when he died of a fever contracted while visiting afflicted parishioners. *
William John Fitzpatrick William John Fitzpatrick (31 August 1830 – 24 December 1895) was an Irish historian. Life He was born at Thomas Street, Dublin. His father, John FitzPatrick, was a successful merchant or trader who left his son a competence. FitzPatrick was e ...
(31 August 1830 – 24 December 1895) was an Irish historian born on Thomas Street.


Fire Brigade

In 1907, it was planned to build a fire station on Thomas Street, to replace the makeshift station already at
Winetavern Street Winetavern Street () is a street in the medieval area of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Location Winetavern Street runs from High Street northwards and down to Dublin quays, the quays, passing Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Christ Chur ...
, a proposal that had been on the table since 1898. In 1909, some city councillors moved to shelve the plans, proposing that the money be spent on paying off the Dublin Corporation's loans instead. However this motion failed to garner enough votes to pass, after a lengthy debate, and in November 1909 building of the station was finally given the go-ahead. The building was renovated in 2008 and became part of the National College of Art and Design.


References


Further reading

* {{Streets in Dublin city, state=autocollapse Streets in Dublin (city) History of Dublin (city)