Custom House, Dublin

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Custom House, Dublin

Custom House, Dublin

The Custom House is Dublin’s answer to the expression: “Go big or go home.” Born in 1791, this stately giant is one of James Gandon’s architectural flexes, joining his other local hits like the Four Courts and O’Connell Bridge. It cost a jaw-dropping £500,000 sterling to build—partly because it’s massive, partly because Gandon had a thing for details, and mostly because it’s sitting on what used to be a soggy mudflat. To make sure it didn’t sink like your average late-night decision, builders laid it on a forest of pine planks. Fancy solution...

Ironically, just nine years later, the Act of Union decided customs duties belonged in London. So, this grand monument to Irish trade was suddenly... unemployed.

Still, the building held its head high—or rather, its 35-metre dome, modeled after that by Christopher Wren at London’s Greenwich Hospital. Its long Neoclassical façade is peppered with sculptures by Edward Smyth: river gods, cattle heads, and other stone-faced symbols of Ireland’s economy. Above the entrance, the Liffey itself watches over with appropriate gravitas.

After being repurposed for various municipal administrative duties—such as public hygiene, poor relief, and even accommodating, at one point, a huge Famine pot—the building faced calamities. A devastating fire in 1833 and deliberate torching by the IRA in 1921 are just a few of them. Still, in the style befitting a great diva, the structure made a remarkable comeback—painstakingly refurbished, slightly altered both inside and out, but still stealing the show...

Apart from government departments, over the years, the Custom House has also accommodated all sorts of characters, including comic novelist Flann O’Brien and the ever-melodic songwriter and author Percy French.

You don’t need to go inside to feel its presence; a lap around the building offers plenty of architectural eye-candy. And for that chef’s kiss Instagram moment, cross to the south side of the river. Trust us—your camera won't be disappointed.

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Custom House on Map

Sight Name: Custom House
Sight Location: Dublin, Ireland (See walking tours in Dublin)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Dublin, Ireland

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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Pub Crawl

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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.5 Km or 2.8 Miles

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