Townhouse
Leinster House
18th century Dublin townhouse of the Duke of Leinster. It is now the seat of parliament.
Henrietta Street
The street contains some of the oldest and largest georgian townhouses in Dublin. All were converted into tenements in the 19th century.
In the United Kingdom, Ireland and in some other countries, a townhouse was a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year. However during the Social Season (when major balls and drawing rooms took place), and when parliament was in session, peers and the servants moved to live in their townhouse in the capital.
See also: duplex, semi-detached, terrace, List of house types
Famous Townhouses
Among the most famous townhouses are:
- Spencer House - formerly the London residence of the Earls Spencer
- Powerscourt House - Dublin residence of Viscount Powersourt, a prominent Irish peer. It was sensitively converted into an award-winning shopping centre in the 1980s. (See an image of one of its decorated ceilings here.)
Georgian Dublin consisted of five georgian squares, which contained the townhouses of prominent peers. The squares were Merrion Square, St. Stephen's Green, Fitzwilliam Square, Ruthland Square (now called Parnell Square) and Mountjoy Square. Many of the townhouses in these squares are now offices while some have been demolished.
Most townhouses in the United Kingdom and Ireland ceased to be used for residential purposes following the First World War.
Additional Reading
- Daisy, Countess of Fingall, Seventy Years Young (The acclaimed autobiography of an Irish peer's wife, covering the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Though currently out of print the book is periodically reprinted.)
