Nassau Street (Dublin)

Nassau Street (Irish: Sráid Thobar Phádraig) is a street in central Dublin, running along the south side of Trinity College. It runs from Grafton Street in the west, to the junction of South Leinster Street and Kildare Street in the East.

The south side of the street is commercialised, with newsagents and a music shop to the east of the junction with Dawson Street and smaller shops to the west of it.

Formerly known as St Patrick's Well Lane after a 12th century well, it was renamed in the 18th Century, after the accession to the throne of King William III, a member of the House of Orange-Nassau. To emphasise the point, one of the houses erected a marble bust of William with the verse:

“

May we never want a Williamite to kick the breech of a Jacobite!

”

^[1]

The site of the well is in the grounds of Trinity College, near the Nassau Street exit.

Folklore connects the well with Saint Patrick, who (legend states) struck the ground with his staff and brought forth water bubbling to the surface. The well dried up in 1729.

Nassau Street is also very famous for being the location in which Irish writer James Joyce met his lifelong love, Nora Barnacle on 10 June, 1904.

References

1. ^ "Picturesque Dublin, Old and New", Frances Gerard, 1898, London, Hutchinson & Co. (Google Books)

Coordinates: 53°20′34″N 6°15′25″W / 53.342718°N 6.256892°W / 53.342718; -6.256892