| Architect |
W. M. Mitchell &
Sons |
| Date Built |
1918 |
| Location |
151 - 156
Thomas Street |
| Description |
|
|
The IAWS on the front of this building
indicates that, when it was built, it was
home to the Irish Agricultural Wholesale
Society. The Dictionary of Irish
Architects indicates that between 1909 and
1911 W. M. Mitchell designed a, "Suite
of offices & other buildings"
on this site. Seven years later, in
1918, the dictionary says that Mitchell
designed, "new premises" at
151 - 156 Thomas Street, that were
"in course of erection." The
building is described as,
"Reinforced concrete construction with
brick frontage of 122 ft.3 ins." The IAWS has changed dramatically over the years. The company website says that, " ... the founder of the co-op movement, Horace Plunkett established the Irish Agricultural Wholesale Society Ltd in 1897 to engage in the international commodity markets on behalf of its co-op members. While the initial focus was on seed and fertiliser, the Society's activities soon spanned flour to insecticide. The business even had interests in dry cargo freight and banking for a time. The years that followed saw the Society become a force in Irish agriculture; in the 1960s entering fishmeal production and in the 1970s producing its own blended fertilizers." In 1988 IAWS was in a position to list the majority of its assets on the Dublin Stock Exchange. In the years that followed, IAWS became known as Aryzta, transforming itself from an Irish co-op into a global food giant, through a number of acquisitions. In December of 2005 part of the business was "spun-off" to create One51(a name based on this address on Thomas Street) which according to its website, " ... operates a portfolio of businesses in the areas of Environmental Services, Renewable Energy and Injection Moulding Plastics." The sign on the gateway to 151 Thomas Street suggests that, in 2012 at least, all of these entities operated out of the building.  An historic plaque,
on the front of the building, informs
passers-by that the building occupies
the spot where the commander-in-chief
of the United Army was arrested in
1798. At that time a house
occupied the site and Fitzgerald was
hiding inside when a party of men came
to arrest him. He refused to go
quietly and killed one man and injured
another with a knife. However,
he was shot in the shoulder and died
of his injury while incarcerated in
New Prison.
|
|
|
IAWS
Building, Dublin, Ireland
 Close Window  |