| Newcomen Bank | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Office |
| Type | House |
| Architectural style | Georgian Neoclassical |
| Town or city | Dublin |
| Country | Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°20′38″N6°16′04″W / 53.3438702°N 6.2677291°W /53.3438702; -6.2677291 |
| Estimated completion | 1781 |
| Owner | Dublin City Council |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Portland stone |
| Floor count | 5 over basement |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Thomas Ivory andJames Hoban (1781) William Caldbeck (1856-62) |
| Developer | Sir William Gleadowe-Newcomen, 1st Baronet |
Newcomen Bank is a formerGeorgian bank building and private residence on the junction of Cork Hill, Lord Edward Street and Castle Street, designed by architectThomas Ivory in 1781 with the assistance ofJames Hoban.[1][2]
The bank itself was usually referred to as Newcomen's bank, Newcomen bank or Gleadowe-Newcomen's bank.
The building was constructed and named for theNewcomen family.
The banking business originated as Swift's bank at 17Eustace Street (then number 22 Eustace Street), founded around 1722 by the merchant James Swift.[3][4]
In 1742 the bank moved to Castle Street and by 1745 James Swift had died and the business was taken over by the new firm of Thomas Gleadowe & Company. In 1767, Thomas was succeeded by his sonWilliam Gleadowe. Five years later William had married an heiress,Charlotte Gleadowe-Newcomen, 1st Viscountess Newcomen and assumed the Newcomen name.[5]
After the business collapsed in 1825, the building was later acquired by the Hibernian bank out of bankruptcy. The Hibernian bank had been founded in April 1825 as a response to anti catholic discrimination by the Bank of Ireland and had its first premises at 81Marlborough Street before moving to the old Newcomen bank building in 1831. The Hibernian bank was itself later taken over by theBank of Ireland in 1958.[6][7][8][9]
Following the collapse of Newcomen bank and several other banks in the city in the 1820s, the Newcomen family and several other prominent families were financially ruined leading toThomas Gleadowe-Newcomen, 2nd Viscount Newcomen shooting himself in his office either at the bank or at his residence atKillester House on 15 January 1825.[10][11]
The building was constructed as a private residence in a neo-classical Georgian style in 1781 and faced in white portland stone. It was located opposite some of Dublin's most notable buildings including theRoyal Exchange,Dublin Castle, La Touche Bank and Benjamin Burton's Bank (1700-33) in what was then a prestigious location.[12][13][14]
Some of the interior stucco work was carried out by Vincent Waldré while the sculptor Simon Vierpyl was also involved in completing elements of the friezes throughout the building.
Further works were later carried out by William Caldbeck at the bank between 1856-62 doubling the Cork Hill bowed frontage and adding anIonic portico also in matching portland stone.[15]
The northern end gable was added byDublin Corporation architect Daniel J Freeman in 1884.
The bank was acquired byDublin Corporation in 1886 and was later usually referred to as the rates office.[16] It remained in use as the rates office until the early 2000s.
As of 2023, it is planned to restore the building for use as a multipurpose events and conferencing space.[17][18]
