HISTORY OF THE CONFERENCE AND EVENTS VENUE AT THE MANSION HOUSE
The Round Room at the Mansion House was built in 1821 to receive King George IV as it was deemed that there was no room grand enough in the city to receive royalty.
It was in this room, in 1919 that the first Dail Eireann was held: Making the first definitive parliamentary move for Home rule 70 of the elected Irish representatives did not attend West Minister but pledged to the First Irish parliamentary meeting ever held in Ireland instead.
In 1921, 100 years after the room was built to receive the British monarch, the Anglo-Irish Treaty was ratified here. The ratification ended the Anglo Irish War, created Ireland as a Free State and caused the Civil War.
In the 1990s the venue was leased to an event Management team and it became a commercial events centre. In 2005, The Conference and Events Venue became home to MHL Event Management LTD, the dedicated event management team based in the Mansion House. After a large amount of refurbishment, the room has now returned to its former glory as the grandest room with its large banquet hall for gala dinners, conferences, meetings, exhibitions and venues in Dublin. The state of the art conference facilities and multiple rooms are ideal for large and small meeting venues in Dublin. The Supper Room became Fire Restaurant, one of the best Dublin City restaurants.
The Mansion House itself is still home to the first citizen of Dublin, the Lord Mayor. For more information on the Lord Mayor, and the history of the Mansion House, please click here.
INTERESTING FACTS:
- On the 25 April 1715, the Dublin Corporation purchased the house at a cost of £3,500 and also agreed to pay a yearly rent to Dawson of forty shillings and a loaf of double-refined sugar weighing six pounds each Christmas. In return, Joshua Dawson agreed to build on an extra room to the house which could be used for civic receptions - the famous Oak Room
- Dublin was the first city in Ireland or Britain to have an official residence for its Lord Mayor.
- The Mansion House is not unique in having been planned and built as a private residence for a wealthy individual, and later taking on a public function. Most of Dublin's great mansions now have a civic or political role. The Mansion House is unique, however, in that it retains its residential function in addition to its public function.
- The Mansion House famous visitors include, Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace of Monaco, Pope John Paul II & Queen Victoria