MONDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2022
I have lunch here on a regular basis as there is now an amazing selection of restaurants. The street has been named as one of the coolest streets in the world in a survey by global travel magazine Time Out. It ranked 22nd and was noted for its “whirl of culture” with “some of the best food in Dublin”.
Capel Street is a street in Dublin, Ireland. On May 20, 2022, it was made traffic-free, following a campaign by people who wanted to improve the quality of life on the street. It is now the longest traffic-free street in Dublin.
Capel Street is named after Arthur Capell, 1st Earl of Essex, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1672–1677. Historically, it was the site of the chapel of St Mary’s Abbey. The street was laid out by Sir Humphrey Jervis in the late 17th century on the Abbey lands he purchased in 1674. He also built Essex Bridge (today Grattan Bridge), and the street was known for its mansions and a royal mint. In the 18th century, it became a commercial hub, with two-bay buildings replacing most of the “Dutch Billy” houses. The Capel Street Theatre also stood there in the 18th century.
The Torch Theatre operated on Capel Street in 1935–41. The street declined in the 20th century, before a revival around the 1980s. Today it is known for its variety of restaurants, shops, cafés and pubs; as Panti, the owner of Pantibar put it, “You can buy a lightbulb, sexual lubricant, Brazilian rice, get a pint and go to a trad session.” Louis Copeland’s tailor is another notable business.
