Weaver Square

Weaver Square

Weaver’s Square, located off Cork Street in Dublin, stands as a reminder of the city’s once-thriving weaving industry. This area, along with nearby streets like Ormond Street, commemorates the Huguenot weavers who settled here in large numbers in the late 1600s. These skilled artisans were invited by the Duke of Ormond to revitalise the textile trade, and their presence helped transform the Liberties into a bustling hub of wool, hides, and flax production. Newmarket, established in the 1670s by the Earl of Meath, played a key role in facilitating this industry, with its unique layout reflecting its dual purpose as both a trading center and a personal market for the Earl.

The legacy of weaving in Dublin stretches back over a millennium, with recent archaeological discoveries in the Liberties uncovering Hiberno-Norse items such as spindles, weights, and bone needles. These artifacts hint at the area’s long-standing involvement in textile production, including a thriving cap and scarf industry in wool and dyed silk, signifying high-status goods.

At the heart of this weaving tradition once stood the Weaver’s Hall on The Coombe, a dignified guild hall adorned with a statue of King George II holding weaving implements. Although the building is long gone, its memory lingers among older residents, and the image of the hall remains preserved in the Dublin City Library and Archive.

Despite its decline due to tariffs and taxes, the weaving industry in Dublin adapted by branching into related fields, such as upholstery and lace production. With the advent of motor vehicles, a new industry emerged, specialising in motor scarves, mufflers, and fashionable accessories like bow-ties.

Association with Poddle

Weaver Square does not seem to be located on the direct route of the Poddle or it’s streams. However in 1972, old wooden water pipes were found in Weaver Square thought to be 250 years old.  The Poddle Guard were stationed close by and intervened in 1752, when the Liberty Bouts learned that English Cloth was being prepared to be sold in Chamber Street and Weaver Square and were removing the cloth.

What the Newspapers Say

  • In 1752, the Liberty Boys learned that English cloth was being prepared for sale at houses in Chamber Street and Weaver Square. In response, they gathered in large numbers and forcibly removed over 10 pieces of cloth. They burned or tore apart 5 or 6 pieces before being dispersed by the Poddle Guard.
  • In 1972, Dublin Corporation workmen discovered timber water pipes, believed to be 250 years old, about five feet underground at Weaver’s Square, off Cork Street. While excavating to lay new pipes, they found seven feet of pipes and two steel joints. The oak pipes, approximately seven inches in diameter, were larger than any previously found in the city. It is believed these old pipes once carried water from the Poddle River, which supplied many parts of the old city until about 20 years ago. Workers Tommy Conway, John Burke, Peter Foran, and Paddy Dunne made the discovery.
Related newspaper articles
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Two centuries ago
21 Apr 1752

Yesterday morning about nine o’clock, the Liberty Boys being informed that several Pieces of English Cloth were sent out of the City to the Clothiers in Chamber Street and Weavers’…

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Old water pipes found
9 Nov 1970

TIMBER water pipes believed to be about 250 years old were found about five feet below ground level by Dublin Corporation workmen at Weaver’s Sq., off Cork Street. The pipes…

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