Powerscourt House, Dublin

Powerscourt House is the former Dublin townhouse of Viscount Powerscourt, It is located on South William Street. It was constructed in the eighteenth century for Richard Wingfield, 3rd Viscount Powerscourt (1730-1788). He was a member of the Irish House of Lords. The townhouse enabled him and his family to stay there when they were visiting from their Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry, County Wicklow.

Within a couple of years of the abolition of the Parliament of Ireland, the viscount sold this Dublin residence since he received his seat now at the House of Lords in London. Many other peers also sold their palatial Dublin residences, which led to an economic and cultural decline of the city.

The government bought the property for £15,000 and between 1811 and 1835 the Stamp Office, where impressed stamp duty newspaper stamps, a form of revenue stamp were applied to newspapers, journals and periodical, was located in Powerscourt House.

Powerscourt House is now a shopping centre.

Main staircase

Ceiling of staircase

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