Grafton Street, Dublin

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Shoppers on Grafton Street

Grafton Street (Sráid Grafton in Irish) is the principal shopping street of Dublin, running from St. Stephen's Green in the south to College Green in the north. The street was named after the first Duke of Grafton, who owned land in the area. The street was developed from a then existing country lane by the Dawson family in 1708, after whom the parallel Dawson Street is named.

Since the 1980s, the street has been mostly pedestrianised, with the exception of the short stretch running between Nassau Street and College Green. This short stretch contains two notable Dublin landmarks, the eighteenth century Trinity College Provost's House and the late twentieth century statue of Molly Malone, which has become a popular Dublin meeting place. A life-size bronze statue of Phil Lynott was unveiled on Harry Street, off Grafton Street, on 19th August 2005.

Bewley's Oriental Cafe, a Grafton Street institution since its opening in 1927, announced at the end of October 2004 that it would be closing before Christmas, along with its Westmoreland Street cafe. Following a campaign by the Mayor of Dublin, Catherine Byrne, the cafe on Grafton Street was kept.

Buskers, including musicians, poets and mime artists commonly perform to the shopping crowds.

1 Rents
2 Shops
- 2.1 Notable shops
- 2.2 Other shops
3 Notable Buskers
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Rents

The opening of the Luas tram system at the end of June 2004 has led to a 20% increase in pedestrian traffic on the street as of October 2004, although the construction of a large shopping centre in Dundrum (the largest in Europe, when completed) toward the other end of the Luas green line could threaten these figures. Grafton Street rents increased by 46% between 2003 and 2004. The average 2005 rent was €3,653 /m²-year, making the street the seventh most expensive street in Europe. However, certain key retail sites rent for an astonishing €15,000 /m²-year, beating the world record [1]. (Europe's most expensive, Champs-Élysées rents for €6,600 /m²-year while the world's most expensive is Fifth Avenue, New York, which goes for €11,500 /m²-year [2]).

[edit] Shops

[edit] Notable shops

Brown Thomas department store, in the old Switzers building.
Weirs jewellers.

[edit] Other shops

This is an incomplete list -

BT2, aka. Brown Thomas 2, also containing a Starbucks café
Subway Sandwiches just off Grafton Street next to Molly Malone statue
Dunnes Stores Department Store and food hall.
HMV record store.
Marks and Spencer clothes and food hall, in the old Brown Thomas building.
River Island clothes, in the old Arnotts building.
Boots Pharmacy
Meteor
Vodafone
O2
McDonald's
Burger King
Specsavers
Habitat
Roches Stores
Champion Sports
Pamela Scott
Jack Jones Jeans

[edit] Notable Buskers

Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Mexican guitar playing duo
Damien Rice - ex-Grafton Street busker. Now famous musician.
Diceman - game store owner and street performer
The Public Health Service - three piece rock and roll music
Roadmage - comedy magic show
The Man And The Machine - beatbox and original rap
Shah Smooth - enigmatic limbo show
Old Harmonica Man - old man whos plays the harmonica. Surprisingly he makes a lot of money. His real first name is Michael.