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Dublin has undergone significant changes over the years. Despite all these changes, Capel Street remains one of the city’s historically important streets. It was one of the major links between the city’s north and south when the Essex Bridge was built. This bridge was constructed in the 17th century by Sir Humphrey Jervis.
He was the Lord Mayor of the Irish capital during the rule of Charles II of England. It was Sir Humphrey Jervis who had built much of his estate around St. Mary’s Abbey. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this part of Ireland was purely residential. It had some good-looking mansions and each of them had large courtyards and gardens.
Towards the end of the 18th century, the mansions were replaced by buildings. Many of the residential properties were transformed into places of business. As a result, the entire Capel Street got transformed, eventually becoming one of city center’s most unique commercial streets.
The diverse offerings of Capel Street
You’ll hardly come across the kind of niche shops that Capel Street has in other parts of Dublin. There are many examples to prove this point. Capel Street has a music shop, which has been created exclusively for electronic music equipment. One of the last remaining independent pet shops can also be found on this street.
Then there’s a shop that exclusively sells camping gear. You can see tarpaulins, rucksacks, and fully-assembled tents hanging from the exterior. It gives out the appearance of a vertical campsite largely owing to the camping gear that cover the shopfront. While exploring this street of Dublin, you’ll find it difficult to locate a franchise shop.
It seems as if it is entirely lined with independent supermarkets and grocers from different corners of the world. Among them are some of the best Asian supermarkets of Dublin. Capel Street also has Romanian, Russian, Bulgarian, and Moldovan supermarkets.
When you’re going from mid to lower end of the street, you’ll come across Camerino and Brother Hubbard. A multi award-winning local coffee shop and bakery, Camerino can be an ideal spot for lunch. It is a quiet spot for enjoying a delicious sandwich, which is served on their freshly-baked bread.
Brother Hubbard is yet another favorite among Dublin’s cafes. It offers simple but interesting treats, which never fail to attract food lovers. You’re never too far from the international restaurants as well. Capel Street has some of the best Chinese, Japanese, and Korean restaurants that serve some lip-smacking delicacies.
A popular attraction for the LGBTIs
The most iconic attraction of Capel Street is Pantibar, which is located at the lower end. It has made Capel Street an attractive place for the LGBTIs to have loads of fun. Every summer, this brightly-colored bar hosts the year’s biggest street party for Pride. It is also an ideal place to savor a pint in the afternoon and spend a grand night out.
Pantibar’s walls have excellent poster artwork and the bar’s compact stage hosts some brilliant performances. These performances come from talented DJs and beautiful drag queens. The stage of this bar also hosts music bingo. The legend behind this elegant LGBTI bar is Panti Bliss, the famous drag queen of Ireland.
