In the 1970s, during excavations for the construction of Dublin Corporation offices, archaeologists uncovered a massive Viking settlement dating from around 841 AD at Winetavern Street and Wood Quay. The site was an incredibly well preserved settlement, with layers of houses, workshops and streets built over centuries providing incredible insights into daily Viking life in Dublin. If left intact and properly excavated, it might have been the best preserved Viking town in the world, far beyond just a collection of artefacts. The soil conditions on the site were anaerobic, allowing for organic materials to be very well preserved. The discovery sparked huge protests in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as campaigners, including archaeologists and the general public, fought to stop the destruction of the Viking site.
Over 80 cultural and social groups, including the Council of Europe, appealed for the site to be preserved. The High Court deemed the site to be a National Monument, but Dublin City Council and the Commissioners of Public Works managed to subvert the verdict through a loophole. If it had been turned into a heritage site, it could have been a world class Viking tourist attraction.
Also demolished to make way for DCC offices was 'The Irish House' pub, which sat on the corner of Wood Quay & Winetavern Street. The pub was a tourist attraction in its own right, built in 1870, it showcased symbols and influential figures in Irish history. The exterior featured six round towers, six Irish wolfhounds, the Maid of Erin and nationalist figures like Henry Grattan and Daniel O'Connell.
Photo with thanks to Peter Mirolo.
