The Grafton Quarter

The Grafton Quarter is the area stretching from the entrance of St Stephens Green at Grafton Street to Dawson Street. The Grafton Quarter incorporates Grafton Street which dates back to the 1700’s. The street was named after Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, the illegitimate son of Charles II of England. The street was developed from an existing country lane by the Dawson family in 1708, after whom the parallel Dawson Street is named. After O’Connell Bridge was built to span the River Liffey, Grafton Street transformed from a fashionable residential street into a busy cross-city route. Today it is one of the two principal shopping districts in Dublin. The area hosts a variety of retail stores, cafés, trendy bars, restaurants and luxury hotels and caters for both high-end and high-street shoppers.