James Gandon designed Dublin’s Custom House in a neoclassical style. The building was constructed between 1781 and 1791 on the north bank of the River Liffey, under the direction of John Beresford, Ireland’s revenue commissioner.
Gandon was born in London and is more precisely described as an English architect who became famous for his work in Ireland. He took over the Custom House commission after Thomas Cooley, the original architect, died. The project became his first major Irish commission and established his reputation in Dublin.
The building cost about £200,000 and opened for business on 7 November 1791. Its four façades feature ornamental sculpture by Edward Smyth, including representations of Ireland’s rivers. The Custom House was badly damaged by fire during the Irish War of Independence in 1921, then restored by the Irish Free State. Its rebuilt dome uses darker Ardbraccan limestone instead of the original Portland stone.