O’Meara’s public house AKA The Irish House

Would have loved to have seen the inside of this pub. O’Meara’s public house AKA The Irish House, it sat on the corner of Wood Quay & Winetavern Street. It was the last of the many taverns from which Winetavern Street got its name. It was demolished to make way for the Dublin Corporation offices. The pub was built in 1870 and showcased the symbols and influential figures of Ireland's history. The exterior featured six round towers, six Irish wolfhounds, the Maid of Erin and nationalist figures like Henry Grattan and Daniel O'Connell. I've never seen any pictures of the inside, but from what I've read, the interior was equally impressive. Despite being a popular tourist attraction, the pub fell victim to a compulsory purchase order. The site of The Irish House was the area where the Viking settlement at Wood Quay was uncovered. The Guinness Brewery financed a project to salvage some of the pub. In July 1968, scaffolding went up and all statues were removed and transported to a warehouse at the Guinness Hopstore. The Irish House was demolished by Dublin Corporation later that year. Today, some of the figures from the exterior are on display in the Dublin Civic Trust on Ormond Quay.