Editing O'Connell Street (section)

==19th century==
[[File:Sackville St Dublin 1842.jpg|thumb|left|Sackville Street in 1842|alt=View of the main street with a pillar in the centre]]
Sackville Street prospered in the 19th century, though there was some difference between the Upper and Lower streets. Lower Sackville Street became successful as a commercial location;{{sfn|Casey|2005|p=213}} its terraces are ambitiously lined with purpose-designed retail units.{{sfn|Bennett|2005|p=224}} Consequently, a difference between the two ends of the street developed: the planned lower end is successful and bustling next to the river, and the upper end features a mixture of less prominent businesses and old townhouses.{{sfn|Bennett|2005|pp=224–225}} Upon his visit to Dublin in 1845, [[William Makepeace Thackeray]] observed the street was "broad and handsome" but noted the upper section featured less distinctive architecture and had a distinct lack of patronage.<ref>{{cite book|last=Thackeray|first=W. M.|title=An Irish Sketch Book|year=1846|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/isb/isb01.htm |access-date=10 January 2016}}</ref>

[[File:Nelson Pillar, 1830.jpg|thumb|View of the [[Nelson's Pillar|Pillar]] and [[General Post Office, Dublin|General Post Office]] {{circa|1830}}|alt=View of a building to the left, with a pillar straight ahead]]
During the 19th century, Sackville Street changed in character from the Wide Streets Commission design into a boulevard of individual buildings.{{sfn|Bennett|2005|p=225}} One of the world's first purpose-built department stores was such a building: Delany's New Mart 'Monster Store' which opened in 1853 was later purchased by the Clery family.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/clerys-reopens-today-1184193-Nov2013/|title=Hurrah! Clerys to reopen today – just in time for Christmas|newspaper=The Journal|date=21 November 2013|access-date=25 September 2020}}</ref> It also housed the [[Imperial Hotel, Dublin|Imperial Hotel]]. Across the road, another elaborate hotel was built next to the GPO: the [[Hotel Metropole, Dublin|Hotel Metropole]], in a high-French style. Similarly, the [[Gresham Hotel]] opened on numbers 21 and 22 in 1817 to the north of the street in adjoining Georgian townhouses and was later remodelled, as it became more successful.{{sfn|Casey|2005|p=214}}

[[File:Postcard scan OConnell Br and Street (Sackville St) Dublin, early 20th century.jpg|thumb|left|Sackville Street (and the bridge), with trams, {{circa|1905}}|alt=View of the bridge and street taken from a high building, showing trams on the roadway]]
As the fortunes of Upper Sackville Street began to improve in the second half of the century, other businesses began to open such as the [[Victorian Turkish baths|Turkish baths]] built at the rear of Reynold's Hotel, and opened in 1869 as the renamed Hammam Family Hotel and Turkish Baths.{{sfn|Foley|2016|p=104}}{{sfn|Shifrin|2015|pp=47—49}} [[Standard Life#History|Standard Life Assurance]] built their flagship Dublin branch on the street,{{sfn|Casey|2005|p=217}} while the Findlater family opened a branch of their successful chain close to Parnell Street, as did [[Walter Gilbey|Gilbey's Wine Merchants]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.libraryireland.com/Dublin-Street-Directory-1862/1224.php|title=Sackville Street, Upper|work=Thom's Almanac and Official Directory for the Year 1862|access-date=3 October 2020}}</ref> The thoroughfare also became the centre of the [[Dublin tramways]] system, with many of the city's trams converging at the [[Nelson's Pillar|Nelson Pillar]].<ref>{{cite map|url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dublin_1922-23_Map_Suburbs_MatureTrams_wFaresTimes_Trains_EarlyBus_Canals_pub.png|title=Map of Dublin, Ireland, with suburbs, administrative divisions, details of the tram systems|publisher=Dublin Civic Survey Committee|year=1923|access-date=4 October 2020}}</ref> By 1900, Sackville Street had become an important location for shopping and business, which led to it being called "Ireland's Main Street".{{sfn|Haddock|2010|p=140}}

During the 19th century, the street began to be known as "O'Connell Street" though this was considered by some to be a "nationalist" name.{{sfn|MacDonald|1890|p=229}} Dublin Corporation was anxious as early as the 1880s to change the name but faced considerable objections from residents and business owners on the street. With the unveiling of the [[O'Connell Monument, Dublin|O'Connell Monument]] on the street in 1882 and subsequent renaming of the Carlisle Bridge as O'Connell Bridge in his honour, it marked "an important move away from commemorating only members of the [[Dublin Castle administration|Castle administration]] or the [[British royal family]]" in the street,<ref name = DC>{{cite web |title=History of Monuments - O'Connell Street Area|url=https://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/media/file-uploads/2018-05/history_monuments_oconnell_st.pdf |website=[[Dublin City Council]] |access-date=2024-05-27}}</ref> according to a 2003 report commissioned by Dublin City Council.

Despite objections, the Corporation passed a resolution to rename the street in December 1884, but in 1885, aggrieved locals, with the Attorney General of Ireland arguing their case, secured a Court order holding that the Corporation lacked the powers to make such a change.{{sfn|Casey|2005|p=212}}<ref name="Examiner_850713">{{Cite news |date=13 July 1885 |title=The proposed re-naming of Sackville Street - an injunction granted against the Corporation |work=The [[Cork Examiner]] |pages=4}}</ref> The necessary powers were granted in 1890, but it may have been felt best to allow the new name to become popular; over the years the name O'Connell Street gradually gained popular acceptance, and the name was changed officially, without any protest, in 1924.{{sfn|Osborough|1996|p=46}}