Perched beside the river Liffey, The Custom House is easily the most impressive of Dublin’s public Georgian buildings. Complete in 1791 the palladian style buildings original purpose was to collect tax from incoming ships, but currently houses the Irish Department of the Environment. The Custom House is a sister to The Four Courts and Kings Inn, all of which were built and designed by James Gandon.
The Building was heavily damaged during the Irish war if Independence, with the original interior completely destroyed by fire and the Dome rebuilt at a later date. You can actually see the difference in colour between the newer dome, which was built using Irish granite instead of the original Portland stone.
While the Custom house is closed to the public, it is worth visiting the vast and ornate exterior for it’s picturesque setting.
