Capel Street

Capel Street /ˈkeɪpəl/ is a street in Dublin, Ireland.[1][2]

Capel Street

Native name	Sráid Chéipil  (Irish)
Namesake	Arthur Capell, 1st Earl of Essex
Length	600 m (2,000 ft)
Width	14 metres (46 ft)
Location	Dublin, Ireland
Postal code	D01
Coordinates	53.348438°N 6.268745°W
north end	Bolton Street
south end	Ormond Quay
Construction
Completion	1670s
Other
Known for	restaurants, shops, cafés and pubs; immigrant community

History

"View from Capel-Street, looking over Essex-Bridge" (Grattan Bridge), 1797. The state lottery offices are visible at left.

It is sometimes claimed that the street takes its name from the chapel of St Mary's Abbey; other Capel Streets may be named after chapels, but this one is named after Arthur Capell, 1st Earl of Essex, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1672–1677. Built by Sir Humphrey Jervis in the late 17th century, 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 the "Dutch Billy" houses.[3] 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.[4][5][6]

Gallery

• 
  Berlin Optician, 157 Capel Street
• 
  Site of the Torch Theatre, 114–116 Capel Street
• 
  Slattery's Bar, 129 Capel Street
• 
  Jack Nealon's pub, 165 Capel Street

See also

• List of streets and squares in Dublin

References

1. "Lovin Dublin City Spotlight - Capel Street". LovinDublin.com.
2. Greene, John C.; Clark, Gladys L. H. (February 9, 1993). The Dublin Stage, 1720-1745: A Calendar of Plays, Entertainments, and Afterpieces. Lehigh University Press. ISBN 9780934223225 – via Google Books.
3. Oram, Hugh. "Capital vision – An Irishman's Diary on Capel Street". The Irish Times.
4. "Capel Street: Why Dublin's black sheep is its most brilliant street". independent.
5. "Dublin Uncovered: Capel Street".
6. "The Capel Street Series #1". DublinTown. August 27, 2014.

External links

• Archiseek page on Capel Street