One of Dublin’s finest 18th-Century buildings, it was almost destroyed during the War for Independence in 1921. However, ships carrying cargoes of dutiable goods, such as wine, tobacco, sugar and tea continued to tie up at the nearby quays. Their cargoes were often stored in warehouses or ’stacks’ attached to the Custom House Dock. In 1840 the building became the Irish headquarters of the Poor Law Commissioners, who carried a major responsibility for relief during the great famine of the 1840s.
In 1872 the Custom House became the headquarters of the Local Government Board of Ireland. The building also housed the Irish Revenue Commissioners. In May 1921, during the Irish War of Independence, the Dublin Brigade of the IRA attacked the building, setting it on fire. They wished to destroy the main tax and local government records as part of their campaign to undermine British administration in Ireland. The fire lasted for five days; all that survived was the shell.
