Bank of Ireland

Wrought-iron railings on carved granite plinth, erected 1889, having brackets to interior. Wrought-iron double-leaf gate to east elevation. Cast-iron double-leaf gates, flanked by openwork cast-iron piers surmounted by cast-iron urns, with double-leaf cast-iron pedestrian gates to archways of pavilion, matching vehicular gates and railings to south of courtyard. Maker’s insignia to gates. Central curved cast-iron railing screen on carved granite plinth wall. Enclosing courtyard to front (south) of Bank of Ireland, fronting onto College Green to the south, Foster Place to the west, and College Street to the east.

The railings which enclose the piazza and screen walls of the Bank of Ireland were erected in 1889 during improvement works by Millar & Symes. Cast by the firm of Kennan & Sons, the wrought- and cast-iron work is well executed and contrasts pleadingly with the plinth course, which is of Ballyknockan granite. Kennan’s were a local firm, with an iron works on Fishamble Street, and their insignia on the gates lends contextual interest. The railings contribute to the setting and character of the composition, while attesting to the technical skill and artisanship involved in the manufacture of ironwork in the latter decades of the nineteenth century. The central front section, with its ornate cast-iron piers, is of particular note, adding decorative interest to the streetscape.