Mother Redcaps - Select Image To View Photographs

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BACK LANE

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The Mother Redcaps Tavern Market (often simply called Mother Redcaps) in the Liberties has unfortunately fallen into a state of significant dereliction following its closure in the mid-2000s. While it appeared intact from the outside in 2013, the interior has been largely stripped, and the building has been at the centre of a long-standing planning and legal stalemate involving the neighbouring Iveagh Market.

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History of Mother Redcaps

The complex at 40-48 Back Lane has a layered history that spans centuries of Dublin's industrial and religious life.
Winstanley Shoe Factory: For much of the 20th century, the building was the home of James Winstanley’s footwear factory. It was a major employer in the Liberties before closing in the 1980s due to shifts in the global manufacturing industry.
The Market and Pub: In 1988, the site was transformed into an indoor market and a traditional-style pub. It became a beloved cultural hub, famous for its Sunday morning markets, traditional music sessions, and its connection to the local community.
Archaeological Significance: The site is incredibly sensitive; it sits on the line of Dublin's medieval city wall. Excavations have uncovered remains of the 17th-century Kildare Hall (a Jesuit chapel and college) and even older Viking-age earthen banks.

Current Status and Dereliction

The decline I observed is largely due to the site being tied to the stalled redevelopment of the Iveagh Market.
Failed Redevelopment: Since the early 2000s, there have been several proposals to turn the Mother Redcaps and Iveagh Market complex into a hotel, hostel, and food market. These plans were stymied by legal disputes between the Dublin City Council and the leaseholder.
Derelict Sites Register: As of 2024, the site has been listed on the Dublin City Council’s Derelict Sites Register. It has been described in planning reports as "vacant or idle," with issues such as broken windows and internal stripping contributing to its "derelict state."
Regeneration Hopes: The Dublin City Development Plan (2022-2028) still identifies the Mother Redcaps Tavern Market as a key "regeneration site" that should ideally complement a reopened Iveagh Market, though no active construction has commenced.

Back Lane (historically called Rochel Lane) is one of Dublin's most storied thoroughfares, running parallel to the medieval city walls. While I saw it in the context of Mother Redcaps Tavern Market, the street’s history stretches back over 800 years.

The "Back Lane Parliament" and Political History

Back Lane was a crucible for Irish political and religious movements.
The Back Lane Parliament (1792): The street’s most famous historical event occurred at Tailors' Hall. The Catholic Committee met here to organize a petition to King George III for the repeal of the Penal Laws. Because the meeting consisted of delegates from across Ireland, it was dubbed the "Back Lane Parliament."
The United Irishmen: In the 1790s, the Tailors' Hall also served as a meeting place for the Society of United Irishmen, including figures like Wolfe Tone, who sought to unite Catholics and Protestants in a push for Irish independence.

Religious Conflict and Secret Chapels

In the 17th century, Back Lane was a focal point of the struggle between the Crown and the Catholic Church.

Jesuit College and Kildare Hall: In the 1620s, despite the suppression of Catholicism, the Jesuits founded a clandestine chapel and college on the street (near the Mother Redcaps Tavern Market site). It was seized by the government in 1629 and handed over to Trinity College Dublin, becoming a satellite campus known as "New College." It was eventually returned to Catholic use under James II before being demolished.

The Guilds and Industry

As the name suggests, the lane was the centre of Dublin’s trade guilds.

Tailors’ Hall: Built between 1703 and 1707, this is the only surviving medieval guildhall in Dublin. It was the headquarters of the Guild of Merchant Tailors until 1841. Today, it serves as the headquarters for An Taisce - The National Trust For Ireland.

Winstanley’s Shoe Factory: In the 19th and 20th centuries, the street shifted toward heavy industry. The massive Winstanley factory (which later became the Mother Redcaps Tavern Market complex) dominated the lane, employing hundreds of locals from the Liberties.

Why it feels like a "Back Alley" today

The lane was once much narrower and more enclosed. The "derelict" feeling I encountered recently is the result of decades of planning blight. After the Winstanley factory closed and the Mother Redcaps Tavern Market shut down in 2005, the street lost its foot traffic. The stalemate over the Iveagh Market redevelopment has left Back Lane as a quiet, somewhat neglected corridor, despite its immense archaeological and historical value.