Year Of The Dragon

TODAY I CELEBRATED WITH LUNCH AT EATOKYO ON CAPEL STREET

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On Sunday 11 February it was evident that removing through traffic from Capel Street was a good idea because it allowed the traders on Capel street to organise a major Lunar New Year event on the street. There are many more major changes on the way all designed to prevent cars from passing through the city centre … I had an uncle that moved to Dublin about fifty years and no matter his final destination he always travelled in his car through the city centre in order to get his bearings but he never shopped or spent money in the city centre and he never used public transport.

On 20 May 2022, the street was pedestrianised. It is now the longest traffic-free street in Dublin and it has been a huge success. Today [11 February 2024 it hosted a major “Year Of The Dragon” celebration. There was a similar event on Drury Street on the other side of the River Liffey.

Capel street was a busy thoroughfare known for its mansions. In the 18th century, it became a commercial hub, with two-bay buildings replacing most of the “Dutch Billy” houses.

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”.

105 Capel Street, now the Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre, is part of the original 14-bay terrace house built by Ralph Ward around 1770 and sits on the site of the former mansion of Thomas Connolly.

Louis Copeland’s tailor is another notable business on the street.

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