The Doors of Dublin

You probably have heard about the famous “Doors of Dublin.” Even if you have not, as soon as you open any travel guide, you will have seen one or two. And as soon as you are in Dublin, you will spot them everywhere.

During the early 18th century, Dubliners began to build elegant new Georgian homes beyond the walls of the original medieval town. At the time of construction, all of the exterior doors were the same color.

The Georgian-style exteriors of these townhouses, by strict rules laid down by the developer, had to adhere to precise architectural guidelines – they were all uniformly built.

To set themselves apart, the Georgian Dubliners started painting their front doors whatever color struck their fancy to differentiate their homes from others.