The Lafayette Building on the corner of D’Olier Street and Westmoreland Street is a real Dublin landmark, and stands in great contrast to O’Connell Bridge House next to it. It seems younger Dubs refer to O’Connell Bridge House as the ‘Heineken Building’, but the corporate advertising on the building has changed several times! The Lafayette Building, which looks straight down O’Connell Street, is a far more visually pleasing building. It takes its contemporary name from the famous Lafayette photographers. As Christian Casey has noted in her architectural study of Dublin, it was built for the Liverpool and Lanchasire Insurance Company in the 1890s. Casey has described the building as a “Portland stone baronial excercise with Gothic and Ruskinian leanings”. J.J O’Callaghan was the architect, and the work was dubbed ‘O’Callaghan’s Chance’ by his contemporaries!
O’Callaghan’s contribution to Dublin’s architecture was significant, and as Frederick O’Dwyer has noted he designed a number of Dublin public houses for example, among them Mooney’s on Harry Street but also pubs on Baggot Street, Amiens Street and South Richmond Street among others. O’Callaghan was the architect responsible for the Dolphin Hotel, which for many years was to be found at Essex Street in Temple Bar. The building remains today.
The Dolphin Hotel in the 1930s.
The stonework of the Lafayette Building gives some indication of its former life. Above the Westmoreland Street entrance to the building, the London and Lanchasire Insurance Company logo can be seen. The building was originally constructed for use by this company:
London and Lanchasire Insurance Company.
In the front of the building, John Purcell’s tobacco importers and cigarette suppliers are to be found:
The Dublin City Public Library collection contains this fantastic image of John Purcell’s shop in a former life, facing onto D’Olier Street.
‘Dublin City Public Library’ collection of shop images.
Some will remember that in 2001 this building controversially became home to a Manchester United shop and cafe, which led The Irish Times to note that “it is surely ironic that Foley’s statue of Daniel O’Connell, the “Liberator of Ireland”, should now gaze across the Liffey at a retail outlet for an English soccer team.”
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
Another interesting snippet! What happened to the Manchester United shop and cafe?
The upper floors are converted into an apartment. One former tenant was John Hurt, the actor. In the last few years it was home to some wannabe politician whose name I can’t remember.
Think the fella you’re on about Dylan Haskins?! Seen some of the apts on Daft, look good.
That’s the guy. I think the rent was something outlandish like a grand a week.
I can only imagine!
[…] in our recent post of the stonework of the Lafayette Building and others like it show that Dubliners are always interested in the former lives of the buildings […]
The tobacco shop was my great-grandfather’s, John Purcell. I must come to Dublin to see the building!
To Sally Purcell- The tobacco shop is my ancestor as well! John Purcell of Grange Co. Limerick married to B. Grennan. He had quite a large family!
To M. McGuinness – We are descendants of Patrick (one the youngest of John’s children) who moved to the UK to study. I am living in greater London. Would be very interested in exchanging further.
Hi – John Purcell was my great grand father. My grandmother was Margaret – his eldest daughter. Would be great to connect.
Hi, would be very happy to connect with you Tracey.
Hi Sally – They were a big family! I knew a few of the siblings and I’m still close to one of John Purcell’s grandchildren. Would be great to share some stories. What’s the best way to connect?
Message me on Sally.purcell01(at)gmail.com. Thanks.
To Sally Purcell – John Purcell, older son of the tobacconist was my grandfather. I lived in Dublin in the sixties and there was still evidence of John Purcell’s other shops north of the Liffey.
To Brendan,
Fantastic news. Would be so interested in making contact.
Sally.purcell@aig.com
HI,
so six years on, we are looking a photo of a Purcell’s tobacco shop and all this comes up. We suspect our pic is in Liverpool. So we assumed it was our family who owned it, now I am not so sure!!! OUr Picture shows Bridget Purcell, born in Tralee, Kerry, in 1887, outside the shop. And her Father was a John Purcell, but I am guessing, not THE John Purcell. Ironically, as I search, I have a job on in Tralee, involving the GAA, in a couple of weeks so I shall touch the bricks there for inspiration. The place they lived seems to have been turned into a park to commemorate Kerins and O’Rahilly. Any ideas to link the two John Purcells, or about the shop in Liverpool would be gratefully received: info@sellingsolutions.ie
Hi Sally, Yes, Patrick born in 1908. Am so happy to have found you. Family in Bruff, Co. Limerick have lost touch after John Passed away. My e-mail is socialdirector@msn.com. Talk more.
To M. McGuinness – As noted to Sally Purcell above “John Purcell, older son of the tobacconist was my grandfather. I lived in Dublin in the sixties and there was still evidence of John Purcell’s other shops north of the Liffey.”
Hi Brendan, Would appreciate your making contact. Sally and I have great pictures of your Great Grandfather John, Great Grandmother and Uncles and other Purcell relations. A book containing family history fully documented is being printed at the home place in Limerick as I write with a book launch in November. Would like to share with you. socialdirector@msn.com – M.
Hi folks, did this progress at all? My grandmother was a purcell from Tralee.
[…] built in 1890 for an insurance company. The Dublin historians who write at Come Here to Me have a post on this building and the Dolphin Hotel which was also designed by J.J […]
What s beautiful building it is. hope it will always be looked after.
[…] shopfronts, other times physical signage. Some examples of this which we’ve looked at include John Purcell’s (the Lafayette building), Kapp and Peterson (Starbucks) and that mysterious little sailor on Duke […]
In the 1950s a large sign was on the building, facing O’Connell Street, that read “Stanley’s Photographers”, operating at that address.
I may have asked this before, but my grandMother was a purcell from Tralee and there is a picture of her sister outside A Purcell’s shop like this, but in liverpool. @ questions. Forst, any idea of the family tree of this John Purcell? Two, what is the connection with Liverpool?