Ship Street Little

Ship Street Little, a street born of a spelling mistake

The Dublin audio-guided tour takes you along Ship Street Little, a street whose name comes from a curious spelling mistake. In the Middle Ages, you would have stood here at the site of a large sheep market, on the south side of Dublin Castle.

From sheep street to ship street

The medieval name of the street was sheep street, with a double e, meaning sheep in English, and not ship with an i, which means vessel. This distortion, attributed to the Dublin accent, eventually stuck over time. The street then filled with houses and shops, occupied mainly by tanners, printers, engravers and bookbinders.

What there is to see

In the twentieth century, the craftsmen were moved out to allow the construction of the offices of the State's attorney general, visible in the street. Ship Street Little runs along Dublin Castle and keeps the memory of medieval Dublin, between vanished markets and old trades. It is a discreet but history-rich stop, away from the main tourist flows.

Practical information

Ship Street Little is on the south side of Dublin Castle, in the heart of the city centre. The street can be walked freely at all hours and on the level. It borders the old castle barracks and the state administrative buildings.

Why is the street called Ship Street?

Its medieval name was sheep street, in reference to a sheep market. The distortion into ship street, meaning vessel, is due to the Dublin accent.

What trades were established in the street?

The street was occupied mainly by tanners, printers, engravers and bookbinders, moved out in the twentieth century for the construction of state offices.