The Georgian Houses on Merrion Square

The Georgian houses of Merrion Square

The Dublin audio-guided tour has you admire, around Merrion Square Park, the famous Georgian-style houses, omnipresent in the city. Tall middle-class residences of the eighteenth century, they are characterised by their sober brick façade and their white windows.

The famous colourful doors

While the façades are uniform, it is the doors that make these houses famous: painted in bright colours, red, blue, green or yellow, they contrast with the dark brick. Tradition has it that this diversity of colours was born of Irish humour, each inhabitant having chosen a different shade to distinguish their door from that of their neighbour. These Georgian doors have become an emblematic image of Dublin.

What there is to see

Around Merrion Square and Parnell Square, the rows of Georgian houses with their colourful doors offer a harmonious and photogenic spectacle. The square itself, with its flowered park and the statue of Oscar Wilde, completes the walk. It is one of the finest architectural ensembles of Dublin, a witness to the elegance of the eighteenth century.

Practical information

The Georgian houses can be discovered around Merrion Square and Parnell Square, in central Dublin. The streets and the square can be walked freely at all hours and on the level; the houses, largely private or institutional, are contemplated from the street.

What characterises the Georgian houses?

They are characterised by their tall, sober brick façade, their white windows and above all their doors painted in bright colours, which have become an emblematic image of Dublin.

Why are the doors of different colours?

According to tradition, this diversity of colours was born of Irish humour, each inhabitant having chosen a different shade to distinguish their door from that of their neighbour.