OCTOBER 2022
In Ulysses Stephen went down Denzille Lane, the shortest way from Holles Street to Westland Row.
Fenian Street was formally called Denzille or Denzil Street, first appearing on maps around 1770. It was named after the son of John Holles, Denzille Holles. It was renamed Fenian Street, after the Fenian Brotherhood, who operated from the street in the 1850s.
On 12 June 1963, 2a, 3, and 4 Fenian Street tenement houses collapsed. This resulted in the deaths of two young girls, Linda Byrne (aged 8) and Marion Vardy (aged 9), who were passing the building when it collapsed. The collapse was blamed on the fast drying out of water saturated bricks after a period of heavy rain, and prompted demands for poorly maintained and dangerous tenement buildings to be demolished. In the 18 months after the collapse on Fenian Street, over 1200 Georgian houses in Dublin were demolished.
No. 25 Fenian Street is one of the oldest buildings in the area, predating the layout of nearby Merrion Square. Dating from the 17th century, the street would have been a coastal road at the time of construction, with the house facing the coastline and bay. The current building was first built in 1729 with a high pitched roof which was later amended to a more Palladian style. The building was subject to emergency remedial works in 2015.
Archer’s Garage is a notable building on the corner of Fenian Street and Sandwith Street.
Archer’s Garage is a rebuilt art deco style building on the corner of Sandwith street and Fenian Street in Dublin 2. Despite being a listed building it was illegally demolished in 1999 over the June bank holiday long weekend by property developer and hotelier Noel O’Callaghan. At the time of demolition it was the only surviving building on the largely derelict corner.
The demolition was controversial and as a result of legal action Dublin City Council forced the developers to build a facsimile of the building on the original site. Although originally scheduled to begin in September 1999, reconstruction commenced in 2001 but was then halted because of legal disputes concerning the garage and adjoining offices. It finally finished in 2004.
The demolition resulted in the maximum jail time for the demolition of listed buildings being raised from three to five years.The maximum fine of £1 million did not change.
Noel O’Callaghan forestalled prosecution by signing an agreement with Dublin Corporation to reinstate the building
