Teatime Talks - a series of history talks inspired by 14 Henrietta Street

Teatime Talks is a series of talks inspired by the history and people of 14 Henrietta Street.

By listening and engaging with visitors, historians, experts, local people, former tenement residents and their families, we continue to uncover, record and respond to the 300 year story of 14 Henrietta Street.

"Such an interesting talk. I’ve lived in Dublin my whole life and never heard of Joseph Meade, and he practically built the city!” - Teatime Talk attendee, February 2025.

Our aim is to share the story of the house, the street, and the local community. We’ve welcomed historians, authors, artists, former residents and local experts to share their knowledge and experiences with us. Teatime Talks responds to the things we learn about 14 Henrietta Street to highlight hidden histories, elaborate on recurring themes and tell the stories of the house and its people. We aim to cover a large range of topics to showcase the uniqueness of the area and the people who live here, both past and present.

You can listen back here to some of our previous Teatime Talks including:

• A Stitch in Time with Orlagh Meegan-Gallagher
• Fleapits, Palaces, And Multiplexes A History Of Cinemas In Dublin
• Death by Faint Praise: The Life of Alderman Joseph Meade

Discover the Georgian history of 14 Henrietta Street, with Alvean E. Jones. This Teatime Talk at 14 Henrietta Street was given in Irish Sign Language and interpreted for hearing audience members. This Irish Sign Language event was part of National Heritage Week 2024. National Heritage Week celebrates Ireland’s cultural, built and natural heritage.

If there is an aspect of Dublin history linking to Henrietta Street that you think should be explored more, please Let us know! You can contact Donal Fallon, Social Historian, via socialhistory@dublincitycouncilculturecompany.ie

Our next talk is John Philpot Curran. Join writer, solicitor and relation of Curran, Ronan Sheehan, for this talk exploring his life and influence. The story of 14 Henrietta Street is forever linked to the law through King's Inns, where John Philpot Curran is honoured to this day. His legendary legal defences of United Irishmen brought him to great prominence and earned the praise of Karl Marx. Curran was said by Daniel O'Connell to be "the soul of the Irish Republic". He even made an appearance in James Joyce's Ulysses!