County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: Molyneaux House, Bride Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E0163
Author: Teresa Bolger, c/o Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 715290m, N 733562m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.339720, -6.268766
An assessment of a proposed development at Molyneaux House, Bride Street, Dublin 2, was carried out in two phases in February and September 2002. The site lies to the rear of the present Molyneaux House, in an area of high archaeological potential. There are a number of important early ecclesiastical sites near the present development. To the east the street pattern preserves the line of a possible enclosure associated with an early medieval ecclesiastical site. There are two SMR sites close to the present development site. On the south side of Peter Street is the site of a church and graveyard (SMR 18:20(370)).
The original Molyneaux House (SMR 18:20(349)) was situated immediately to the south of the present building. It was built in 1711 by Thomas Molyneaux and was occupied by the Molyneaux family until the late 1770s. Molyneaux House is illustrated on John Rocque’s map of Dublin. The present development site appears to lie within the garden shown to the rear of the property and to incorporate the rear garden on the adjacent plot facing onto Peter Street.
Molyneaux House was purchased by Philip Astley in the late 1770s, and he built a large amphitheatre to the rear of the house, fronting onto Bride Street. Astley’s Amphitheatre opened to the public in 1789.
In the early 19th century Molyneaux House was converted into an asylum for blind women, and the theatre was converted into a chapel (Pearson 2000). Molyneaux House was renamed Albert Hospital in the 1860s and survived with various usages until 1943, when it was demolished by Jacobs Biscuits in order to build a carpark.
The theatre/chapel building survived and was refaced in brick and converted to offices. This building is the present Molyneaux House, and the development area forms the carpark.
Five trenches were excavated across the development area during the two phases of the assessment. Although considerable disturbance was noted at the rear of the building in the area previously occupied by a modern stairwell annexe, there were indications that archaeological material survived over most of the development area.
Reference
Pearson, P. 2000 The heart of Dublin. Dublin.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
