BACK LANE SEPTEMBER 2012 [MOTHER REDCAPS]
This building is in much worse condition now in 2021 than it was when I photographed it in 2012.
This building forms part of the Mother Redcaps complex, constructed as a shoe factory for James Winstanley c.1875 and remodelled for use as a large indoor market and public house complex in 1988. Archaeological excavations held on the site in 2006 revealed deposits ranging from Hiberno-Norse to post-medieval, indicating the long history of occupation at this location.
A friend of mine described Back Lane as just another ugly backstreet but it features buildings of interest such as Tailors’ Hall, after 300 years, the oldest surviving Guild Hall in Dublin.
The building It is protected under Section 12 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1994 and is a designated Heritage site under the Heritage Act 1995.
Building began in the first decade of the eighteenth century. It is of considerable architectural and historical interest. It had a variety of different uses, including a meeting place for the Tailors’ Guild and other Guilds, it was used for entertainment, teaching, as an army barracks and a court house.
Tailors’ Hall is best known for the series of important meetings held there in 1792 organised by the Catholic committee. These came to be known as The Back Lane Parliament.