The Portobello

Corner-sited end-of-terrace four-bay three-storey public house, built c. 1875, having attic accommodation and gable-fronted end-bays to south of front (west) elevation and to west of side (south) elevation. Recent wraparound shopfront. Cruciform-plan roof with polychrome bundled chimneystacks having clay pots, and cast-iron rainwater goods. Rendered parapet with carved granite coping and finials to apices of gables. Gabled dormer windows, carved timber bargeboards. Rendered walls, render quoins and stringcourses. Square-headed window openings having granite sills, render architraves, steel balconettes and replacement windows. Timber shopfront to west and south elevations. Situated on east side of South Richmond Street and north side of Charlemont Mall.

A considerable amount of architectural detailing in the timber bargeboards, carved finials and bundled chimneystacks make this building an eye-catching addition to the streetscape. The cruciform roof, gables and dormer windows give it a strong Victorian character. Set on a prominent corner site, its scale, massing and siting on a rise close to the bridge, make it an imposing presence in the surrounding area. The building, formerly known as Davy’s Pub, was occupied by members of the Irish Citizen’s Army during the 1916 Easter Rising, when the strategic location adjacent to the bridge was used to open fire on British soldiers attempting to enter the city centre from Portobello Barracks.