Golden Lane, Dublin

Golden Lane

A Dublinbikes stand on Golden Lane
Native name	Lána an Óir (Irish)
Former name(s)	Cross Lane
Namesake	Goldsmiths
Length	150 m (490 ft)
Width	28 metres (92 ft)
Location	Dublin, Ireland
Postal code	D08
Coordinates	53°20′26″N 6°16′07″W / 53.340658°N 6.268608°W / 53.340658; -6.268608
west end	Bride Street, Bull Alley Street
Major junctions	Stephen Street
east end	Johnson Place

Golden Lane (Irish: Lána an Óir)^[1] is a street on the Southside of Dublin city. It runs from Bride Street in the west to Longford Street and Stephen Street in the east. It is intersected by Ship Street Great, Whitefriar Street and Chancery Lane.

It is one of the oldest streets in Dublin outside of the old city gates and walls, dating from at least 1466. It was originally named Cross Lane and is shown as such on John Speed's map of Dublin of 1610. This changed around the time the Goldsmith's Guild moved to Goldsmith's Hall at 22 Golden Lane in 1812 however the Golden Heart pub was also located on the street in the 18th century as well as a number of other goldsmiths. From 1709 to 1812 Goldsmith's Hall was located on nearby Werburgh Street.^[2]

As of 2023, none of the original pre-20th century buildings remain on the street, at least above ground level.^[3][4]

The street was close to the site of the Church of St Michael le Pole ("St Michael of the pool") at the time Norse invaders arrived in the 9th and 10th centuries.^[3][5] The church was located off Golden Lane between Ship Street Great and Chancery Lane.^[6]

The building was deconsecrated in 1682 following the uniting of the parishes of St Michael Le Pole, St Stephen and St Bride, and in 1706 it became a school.^[7] The round tower of the church lasted for almost 700 years until It was damaged in a storm in 1775 and was taken down.^[8]

The street was occupied in Viking times, as it is near the Dubh Linn, the black pool which gave Dublin its name. It was also at one of the highest points in the city near Dublin Castle and hence would have been a natural defensive position. Various Viking burials and artefacts have been found near the original street line.^[9]

In the 18th century, the street was mainly residential, containing the houses of educated and professional persons and merchants from the city proper.^{[citation needed]} A gatehouse referred to as "Whitefriars gatehouse" is detailed on the street on John Roque's 1756 map of Dublin.^[10] In 1790, the architect Francis Sandys designed a fountain on the street to match other fountains which he designed for James Street and Merrion Street, which are still in existence.^[11]

By 1862, the street was dominated by cobblers as well as some of the residual businesses related to the gold trade.^[12] By the early 20th century, the street, along with much of the inner city, was in decline with much of the street recorded as tenements in the 1901 census.^[13] The last of the original Georgian and pre-Georgian houses were demolished in the 1980s.^{[citation needed]}

• John Field - composer and musician^[14]
• Lily Kempson
• Fielding Ould - medical practitioner
• Laetitia Pilkington^[15]

• Ship Street Little
• St. Bride's Church, Dublin
• Dublin Assay Office

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Golden Lane, Dublin.

• RTE Archive photos of Golden Lane in the 1950s
• Dublin City Libraries photos from the 1960s-80s