I passed these earlier on today and was fortunate to be carrying a camera. The gate hinges of the National Concert Hall are truly fantastic, massive cast iron hands that grab your attention as you pass. A description of the Earlsfort Terrace gates comes from Alfred G. Jones, architect for the Dublin Exhibition of 1865, who noted that:
The principal entrance to the building is from Earlsfort-terrace, through six pairs of gates which form a portion of the enclosure wall and chain railing; this runs the entire length of Earlsfort-terrace, for a distance of 250 feet along Hatch-street. Each of the gate entrances has four piers of granite, circular on plan, 3 feet 3 inches at base, 8 feet 6 inches high, and surmounted with a cast-iron lamp-post 7 feet high. The iron gates are 15 feet wide, and 6 feet high, hung to massive cast iron hands, which are leaded into the stone piers.
The source of Jones’ comments is the old reliable Archiseek, who have a great article on the 1865 Dublin exhibition available to read here.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
I always admire these gates as I pass Earlsfort Terrace, walking or on the bus. Unfortunately the lovely cast iron is marred on the Upper Hatch Street side by an ugly fence addition, which does nothing for the curtilage lines of the site.
http://g.co/maps/jz5rd
Yeah… I know the gate hinges well… Have photos somewhere on a camera from before…. They’re amazing hinges…. and the chains, then the gates to the side also, beautiful.