Outhouse 105 Capel Street - Open House Dublin 2026

Outhouse 105 Capel Street

105 Capel Street, Rotunda, Dublin 1

Dates & Times

Friday 16 October

2:00PM

Tour lasts 45 minutes

Tour type
  • Building Tour
Architect

Ralph Ward

Outhouse has occupied 105 Capel Street since 2001. The building is a protected structure and is listed by the NIAH.

About:
Capel Street was the first street laid out by Sir Humphrey Jervis, former Lord Mayor of Dublin, in the 1670s, and is now an Architectural Conservation Area. The building is a three-bay, four-storey-over-basement townhouse. Originally occupied by a mansion (c. 1676), purchased in 1707 by William Conolly, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, it was demolished in 1770 and the terrace built 1771 by Ralph Ward, Surveyor General. Through the years 105 was Corbet’s Hotel (1774–1810), where Robert Emmet planned the 1803 rising. Spirits trade (1810-1910) (Drake family, Begg Brothers). Magill’s chandlers (1910-60), Cosmon typesetters (1965-80) and Capel Upholsterers (1990–2001).

Tour
Tour begins outside with the exterior features: rusticated granite ground floor (matching Ward’s Merrion Square North houses), Flemish-bond brickwork, granite platband and first-floor sill, gauged-brick flat-arched window openings, arch-headed door ope with moulded stone surround and fanlight. Making our way to the basement which was originally the service quarters, we see how the foundations have been adapted for modern use as a theatre and meeting space.
We then ascend the original open staircase with carved tread ends, intricate handrails and fine joinery and view the original timber sliding sash windows, wooden flooring and hand-modelled Rococo stucco.

Entering The Red Room, the grand salon overlooking the street, view the high Georgian ceiling, cornice and Rococo plasterwork. Historically the principal reception room, now a community meeting space. Finishing then in The Library, former formal reception room which now holds the largest collection of LGBTQ+ books in Ireland.

Meeting Point: Front Steps, 105 Capel Street, Rotunda, Dublin 1, D01 R290

Drop-In


Accessibility Information

Easy Read information (designed for people with intellectual disabilities, people who can’t read well, and people whose first language is not English)


Georgian building, with three flights of stairs, ground floor cafe is semi accessible, bathrooms and lower/upper levels are not accessible.

Car Park:  Q Park Parnell, 140 metres.


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