The Mansion House on Dawson Street, Dublin 2.

The Mansion House is ready for its new Lord Mayor in residence with a significant phase of conservation works having recently been completed by City Architects. All works were carried out by Dublin City Council’s in-house Joinery Team in July 2018.

Dublin City Architects are a Grade 1 Accredited Conservation Practice. The conservation team oversee the protection of our historic built heritage and help future development take place in harmony with the ongoing life of its historic districts, spaces and structures.

The residence was built in 1710, and is the oldest free-standing house in Dublin. It is a rare example of Queen Anne style architecture and is considered a cultural site of national and international importance. The following projects were part of an ongoing series of conservation, modern interventions, repair and investigation works. These follow the principles established in the 2009 Mansion House Conservation Plan, by Dublin City Council.

Stepped patched repair to 300 year old Baltic Pine floor boards

Necessary repairs, to best international conservation practice, were carefully carried out by craft specialists to the structure, floorboards and to the lath and plaster ceilings.

The uncovered, intact, Baltic pine original floorboards, from the Queen Anne Period, were revealed to have saw marks from an Icelandic water saw. Several boards were still in the original position with original biscuit fixings.

New stripped oak laths used in reinstatement of lost lath & lime plaster ceiling. Flinch plate strengthening to original floor joists from 1710

Salvaged oak floor boards from The Red Stables in St. Anne’s Park, Raheny were re-used to craft modern furniture in the Mansion House, adding a fresh layer of history.

Salvaged oak from The Red Stables. The Red Stables in St. Anne’s Park, Raheny

A new 4 poster bed for visiting dignitaries is located in the new Guest Quarters, formerly the Housekeepers Quarters. The simple bed was crafted from salvaged oak from the Red Stables in modern style with simple dowel jointing, with a Danish Oil finish.

New Bed in the new Guest Quarters of the Mansion House, crafted from recycled structural oak

Previous Servery, fitted in 1985

New Servery crafted from recycled oak, stone and glass

These works and the detailed research undertaken by the City Council in recent years has raised awareness of the unique history of the Mansion House and its significance as one of the key buildings in the city.