18 Ormond Quay Upper – An 1840s Merchant House

Take a guided tour of 18 Ormond Quay Upper, a traditional Dublin 1840s merchant shop-house saved and restored by Dublin Civic Trust. This demonstration of best conservation practice secured the prestigious Europa Nostra Award/European Heritage Award 2021 for reviving over-the-shop living while respecting the building’s special character. The works were supported by the Heritage Council Community Grants Scheme in addition to multiple other public and private grant initiatives.

View the traditionally decorated upper floor rooms hung with authentic wallpapers and furnished with mahogany furniture of the mid-19th century, and take in sweeping views of the River Liffey in the historic centre of Dublin. Visitors will learn about the building’s history and its restoration by Dublin Civic Trust which involved traditional skills including lime plastering and joinery repair, as well as thermal upgrading using breathable insulating materials. The next phase of the project, the conservation of 68 Arran Street East to the rear of 18 Ormond Quay Upper, which dates to c. 1760, is about to get underway.

No booking is required. Tours operate on a first-come basis at 10:00 and 12:00 on both Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd August. Meet outside the shop door on Ormond Quay Upper. Tour places are limited to approximately 30 people. If we cannot accommodate you on a tour, preference will be given to you for attending a later tour.

Please be advised that the tour involves multiple flights of stairs with no lift. Plenty of resting/seating opportunities will be provided on each floor throughout the tour. Wheelchair access is only possible to the ground floor shop with assistance to negotiate a single step at the entrance.