14 Henrietta Street

About the museum

Henrietta Street was laid out in the 1720s by the developer Luke Gardiner and is the most intact group of early to mid-18th century houses in Ireland. Number 14 was built in the late 1740s as one of three houses put up on speculation. Its first residents were members of the Anglo-Irish elite, and the house was a grand private home.

After the Act of Union in 1800 the street lost its wealthy residents. Number 14 was used by lawyers and as a barracks before it was divided into flats; by 1877 the grand staircase had been removed and the house held 17 tenement flats. Large families lived in one or two rooms there until the last tenants left in the late 1970s, and the house then stood derelict.

Dublin City Council bought the building as a result of its heritage plan for 2002 to 2006 and conserved it over more than a decade, with the aim of keeping the traces of every period rather than restoring one. The museum opened in 2018 and is run by the Dublin City Council Culture Company. Visitors see the house on a guided tour that follows the building from its Georgian beginnings to a recreated 1960s tenement flat, told through the voices of the people who lived there. The museum has won several architecture and museum awards.

Highlights

• Guided tour through 300 years of one Dublin address
• Georgian rooms and tenement rooms in their conserved state
• Recreated 1960s flat of Mrs Dowling
• Collection of wallpaper fragments found during the restoration
• Monthly tours in Irish Sign Language and tours in Irish

Permanent exhibition

• Guided house tour – A guided walk through the house from its Georgian rooms to the tenement floors and a recreated 1960s flat.

Founded

2018

Operated by

Dublin City Council Culture Company

Admission & discounts

Visits are by guided tour only and advance booking is recommended. Tickets can be bought online, by phone or in person. Tours in Irish and monthly tours in Irish Sign Language are booked in the same way.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

There are two steps and a ramp at the front door; because the ramp does not suit every wheelchair, there is also a signposted accessible entrance at the rear. All guided tours are wheelchair accessible and a lift serves the museum floors, but not the top two administration floors. Wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge. Hearing induction loops are at reception and in each room with audiovisual displays. A sensory kit with noise-cancelling headphones can be borrowed from reception. A visual story is available to download. There is one disabled parking bay at the bottom of the street, which is cobbled and steep. Monthly Irish Sign Language tours last 90 minutes.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly

School tours and learning resources for different school levels are offered. Buggies can use the ramp at the front door.

Getting there & parking

The nearest DART station is Connolly, about a 25-minute walk. The Bolton Street Dublin Bikes stand is a three-minute walk away. The gates at King's Inns are closed on Sundays, so route planners may need adjusting. The museum is about 12 minutes on foot from the Spire on O'Connell Street.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check

Large rucksacks and bags are left at reception during the tour. The museum has an online shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit