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Leeson Street (; ) is a thoroughfare near central
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
, Ireland.
Location
The street is divided into two parts by the
Grand Canal: Lower Leeson Street, in
Dublin 2 is to the north of the canal, linking to
St Stephen's Green, with Upper Leeson Street, in the
Dublin 4 region, south of the canal.
History
Originally known as Suesy Street, it was renamed in 1728 after the Leesons, a family of local brewers, who branched into property development and subsequently became
Earls of Milltown.
In
1769 a
Magdalen Asylum was established by
Lady Arabella Denny in the street for Protestant women.
The street is home to several prominent buildings including the main office of the
Ombudsman and the embassies of Portugal,
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
,
Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
and
Cyprus
Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
. The largest building on Lower Leeson Street, along with several adjoining buildings and significant land holdings in the area, is owned by the
Catholic University School.
In 1870,
Arthur Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun built a mansion on the street, which was demolished in the 1960s.
In 1990,
Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (also Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi da Caravaggio; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the fina ...
's lost masterpiece, ''
The Taking of Christ'', was recognised in the residence of the Jesuit Communication Centre on Lower Leeson Street. Broadcaster
Gerry Ryan lived and
died on this street.
There were formerly streetwalkers along the canal district in Dublin.
Gallery
File:Leeson Street junction Earlsfort Terrace and Stephens Green.jpg, Lower Leeson Street junction with Earlsfort Terrace and St Stephen's Green
File:Lower Leeson Street, Dublin, Ireland.jpg, Bus lane on Lower Leeson Street
File:Upper Leeson Street - geograph.org.uk - 1779470.jpg, Upper Leeson Street
File:Dublin - Burlington Hotel area - Leeson Street Upper - geograph.org.uk - 1616259.jpg, Upper Leeson Street
File:Grand Canal, the lock at Leeson Street Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 862763.jpg, Grand Canal at Leeson Street Bridge
File: EDWARDI VII (7247430400).jpg, Triumphal arch erected on Leeson Street Bridge for the visit of Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910.
The second child ...
to Dublin in 1903
See also
*
Georgian Dublin
*
Joseph Leeson, 1st Earl of Milltown
*
List of streets and squares in Dublin
This is a list of notable streets and squares in Dublin, Ireland.
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References Notes
Sources
*
External linksStreetnames of DublinaArchiseekArchitecture of Ireland– English-Irish list of Dublin street names aLeathanach baile Sh ...
References
Sources
*
External links
TripAdvisor review on the area
{{Streets in Dublin city, state=autocollapse
Streets in Dublin (city)
Former red-light districts in the Republic of Ireland
St Stephen's Green
Georgian architecture in Dublin (city)