The Irish Heritage Trust and Poetry Ireland are working together to unlock the potential of No. 11 Parnell Square in the heart of Dublin city.
2026 sees the completion of an ambitious conservation project which marks the beginning of a new chapter for this iconic Georgian building, to become an inclusive cultural centre dedicated to celebrating and sharing Irish heritage and culture with the public.
One of Dublin’s most distinguished Georgian townhouses
The conservation project is managed by architects McCullough Mulvin and led by the Irish Heritage Trust, in partnership with Poetry Ireland.
Thanks to the generosity of Fingal County Council, both organisations now have their headquarters in this historic building, alongside the Irish Landmark Trust.
Conservation work on No. 11 includes the magnificent oak-panelled Dublin County Council chamber of 1901, which is known from James Joyce’s Ulysses and his short story “Ivy Day in the Committee Room” (Dubliners, 1914).
The impact of the project will reach beyond this famous Dublin square as occupants at 11 Parnell Square East. It will be opened as a living, contemporary, all island home for Irish poetry and a space in which our built heritage and Dublin’s civic history will be celebrated.
A Cultural Hub in the Heart of Dublin
Parnell Square is Dublin’s de facto literary quarter, and attracts visitors with a passion for heritage and culture. They come to enjoy plays, exhibitions, readings, and a host of events at the world-renowned Gate Theatre, Hugh Lane Gallery, Irish Writers Centre and nearby James Joyce Centre.
Dublin city has ambitions to establish a thriving cultural cluster in the Parnell Square area, and No. 11 will become an integral part of these plans. This includes the development of a new City Library on the north west quarter of Parnell Square.
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