Newman House
85-86 St. Stephen's Green
About
These fine Georgian town houses on the south side of St. Stephen's Green are the historic seat of the Catholic University of Ireland. Named for Cardinal John Henry Newman, the 19th-century writer, theologian, and the first rector of the university, the buildings date from 1740 and are decorated with outstanding Palladian and rococo plasterwork, marble tiled floors, and wainscot paneling. No. 85 has a somber exterior, but inside it has been magnificently restored to its original splendor, with one exception -- when the Catholic University took over the buildings in 1865, the fathers must have been put off by the luscious rococo nudes carved into the elaborate plasterwork, for they had all the female forms painted over. Most have been blessedly returned to their natural shape, but a figure of Juno is still hidden by a very conservative tunic. Note: Every other Sunday, Newman House hosts an antiques-and-collectibles fair, where dealers from throughout Ireland sell a wide range of items, including silver, rare books, paintings and prints, coins, stamps, and so forth.
