Dame Street

Dame Street (/ˈdeɪm/; Irish: Sráid an Dáma) is a large thoroughfare in Dublin, Ireland. The street is the location of many banks such as AIB and Ulster Bank. It is close to Ireland's oldest university, Trinity College, Dublin, founded in 1592, the entrance to which is a popular meeting spot. The street takes its name from a dam built across the Poddle River to provide water power for milling. It appears later as Dammastrete and Damask-street. There was a medieval church of St. Mary del Dam which was demolished in the seventeenth century. Sir Maurice Eustace, Lord Chancellor of Ireland 1660–1665, built his townhouse, Damask, on the site.

Dame Street

Native name	Sráid an Dáma  (Irish)
Namesake	A medieval dam on the River Poddle
Length	300 m (1,000 ft)
Width	20 metres (66 ft)
Postal code	D02
Coordinates	53°20′39″N 6°15′53″W
west end	Cork Hill, outside City Hall
east end	College Green
Other
Known for	banks, restaurants

Dame Street in 1898

During the day, the street is very busy, due to its prime location in the city centre. It is a five-minute walk to the shopping area of Grafton Street and ten minutes from O'Connell Street, Dublin's two most famous thoroughfares. The Temple Bar area of the city is located directly north of the street. Daly's Club was founded in the 1750s at numbers 1-3 Dame Street and remained there until 1791, when it moved to College Green.[1]

The former Central Bank of Ireland headquarters on Dame Street was built in 1975, higher than planning permission allowed, though this was retrospectively rectified. The matter was debated in the Oireachtas in 1974. The Bank left the premises in March 2017, having moved to North Wall Quay.

Occupy protests

Crann an Óir sculpture outside the former Central Bank offices

The Occupy Dame Street protest began in October 2011 directly outside the then headquarters of the Central Bank of Ireland, as part of the global Occupy movement, and lasted until March 2012.[2][3][4]

The former Central Bank building, Dame Street

See also

• College Green, Dublin
• Occupy Dame Street
• List of streets and squares in Dublin

Notes

1. T. H. S. Escott, Club Makers and Club Members (1913), pp. 329–333
2. "'Occupy Dame Street' protest in Dublin". RTÉ News. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 9 October 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
3. "Occupy Dame Street protest enters third night". RTÉ News. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 10 October 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
4. Nihill, Cían (5 November 2011). "'Occupy Dame Street' campaign prepared for long haul". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. Retrieved 5 November 2011.