The Old Irish Parliament

The old Irish Parliament, now the Bank of Ireland

The Dublin audio-guided tour takes you past the huge semicircular building that now houses the headquarters of the Bank of Ireland. The building was constructed in the early eighteenth century to house the Parliament of the Kingdom of Ireland.

The first purpose-built parliament

It is one of the first buildings in the world constructed specifically to house a parliament. The Irish Parliament sat there until the Act of Union of 1800, which attached Ireland to the United Kingdom and abolished the assembly. The building was then sold to the Bank of Ireland, which established its headquarters there, keeping the former House of Lords with its original decor.

What there is to see

The building, in Georgian style, impresses with its semicircular columned façade, a testimony to eighteenth-century architecture. Inside, the former House of Lords, with its tapestries and period decor, can be visited. Located at College Green, opposite Trinity College, it is a major landmark of the city centre and of Irish political history.

Practical information

The old Parliament is at College Green, opposite Trinity College, in the heart of Dublin. Headquarters of the Bank of Ireland, access to certain rooms, including the former House of Lords, depends on the institution's own conditions; the façade can be contemplated freely from the street.

What was the old Parliament used for?

It was built in the early eighteenth century to house the Parliament of the Kingdom of Ireland, one of the first buildings in the world designed specifically for this function.

Why did it become a bank?

After the Act of Union of 1800, which abolished the Irish Parliament, the building was sold to the Bank of Ireland, which established its headquarters there.