Parnell Street facts for kids
| Sráid P(h)arnell (Irish) | |
Parnell Street is a major artery in central Dublin. It is home to the city's unofficial Chinatown and Koreatown
|
|
 Location in Central Dublin
|
|
| Former name(s) | Great Britain Street |
|---|---|
| Namesake | Charles Stewart Parnell |
| Length | 1.0 km (0.6 mi) |
| Width | Up to 32 metres (105 ft) |
| Location | Dublin, Ireland |
| Postal code | D01 |
| Coordinates | 53°21′09″N 6°15′42″W / 53.35250°N 6.26167°W |
| west end | Capel Street |
| east end | Gardiner Street, Summerhill |
| Other | |
| Known for | Rotunda Hospital, the Ambassador Theatre and the Gate Theatre |
Parnell Street (Irish: Sráid Pharnell) is a busy street in Dublin, Ireland. It stretches from Capel Street in the west to Gardiner Street and Mountjoy Square in the east. You can find it at the north end of O'Connell Street, where it meets Parnell Square.
A Look Back: Parnell Street's Past
Parnell Street was once part of an old road. This road connected the ancient city of Dublin to the northern coast. In the 1700s, new roads were built, and Parnell Street became a place for grand buildings. Many of these buildings were in the Georgian style.
Famous places like the Rotunda Hospital, the Ambassador Theatre, and the Gate Theatre are all on Parnell Street. In 1748, a man named Bartholomew Mosse bought land here. He wanted to build the Rotunda Hospital, which helps mothers and babies.
The street used to be called Great Britain Street. But in 1911, it was renamed after Charles Stewart Parnell. He was an important Irish political leader. This happened after a statue of Parnell was put up where the street meets O'Connell Street. Sadly, none of the original 18th or 19th-century buildings are still standing today.
In the 1970s, many changes happened to the western part of Parnell Street. Plans for a new road caused many buildings to be torn down. This meant that most of the beautiful old Georgian buildings were lost. They were replaced by much larger, modern buildings. The street also became wider, with two lanes of traffic in each direction. The Ilac Centre, one of Dublin's oldest shopping centers, has an entrance on Parnell Street.
The Parnell Monument, a large statue, was built in 1906-1907. It stands where Parnell Street and O'Connell Street meet. Chapters Bookstore, Ireland's biggest independent bookshop, has been on Parnell Street since 2006. It closed for a short time in 2022 but reopened with new owners.
Parnell Street Today: A Lively Place
Parnell Street has seen a lot of new development recently. The Moore Street Mall also has an entrance here. If you love movies, you'll be interested to know that Cineworld (UGC) cinema is on Parnell Street. It's the largest cinema in Ireland, with 17 screens! There's also an Aldi supermarket for shopping.
The eastern part of Parnell Street has become a very diverse and lively area. Many Chinese and Korean restaurants have opened there. Because of this, the east side of Parnell Street is often called Dublin's Chinatown. You can also find many businesses run by people from African and Eastern and Central European countries. This mix of cultures makes Parnell Street a really interesting place to visit!
