For many many years, the shortest street in Dublin was Canon Street which was situated just off Bride Street near St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It was originally named Petty Canon Alley in the 1750s after the minor canons (members of the clergy who “assists in the daily services of a cathedral but is not a member of the chapter.”) of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
The street had just one address, the public house of Messrs. Rutledge and Sons, and was such described in 1949 as the ‘shortest street in the world’ (Irish Press) and in 1954 as the ‘shortest street in Europe’ (Irish Times).
Canon Street can be seen in this old photo. Rutledge and Sons is the corner building in the bottom left hand side of the picture.
An image of the pub from the 1940s.
It also hosted, to rear of the street, the famous Dublin Bird market for hundreds of years.
The pub was demolished and so the street disappeared in the late 1960s to make way for the widening of Bride Street.
Today, it is generally accepted that Palace Street, just off Dame Street and a attached to Dame Lane is Dublin’s shortest street with only two addresses. No.1 is the French restaurant Chez Max and No.2 was the building that hosted the The Sick and Indigent Roomkeepers Society from 1855 to 1992.
Does anyone know of a shorter street?
I would be surprised if Cross Kevin Street is not shorter than Palace Street.
Cross Kevin Street is not named on the Ordnance Survey’s Dublin City and District Street Guide (7th edition), but the street does have a name sign marking it. It connects Bride Street with New Bride Street, between the juntions of those two streets with Bishop Street and Lower Kevin Street.
How is a ‘street’ defined, must it be named as a street? And how do you measure it, kerb to kerb?
How would Harry Street compare for length?
I always thought Dean Street (connecting The Coombe to the crossroads at New Street/Kevin Street/Patrick Street) was the shortest street in Dublin.
I agree, and I’ve been told this by many from the area, there in Fallon’s fine pub 🙂
I had a look at Cross Kevin St. today – ashamed to say I’d never consciously noticed the sign before – and it looks like a winner to me: if ‘street’ means a public way with two entrances and called’ ‘……’ Street.’
There are various ‘Courts’ Buildings’, ‘Places’ etc in the city that are probably shorter though. I measured Palace Street and Cross Kevin St. on Google pedometer (not the most accurate) and they came in at 30m and 20m respectively.
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