The iconic Clerys clock has been fully restored and revealed in time for a historical exhibition opening inside the former Dublin department store.
The fully-restored clock was unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Dublin this morning as part of both the opening of the exhibition and the reopening of the building itself - and it needed some quick readjustment as it was about 15 minutes early. The restored Clerys Quarter shopping centre inside the building will open in four months’ time
But people are now once again able to go inside the O'Connell Street building to see the historical exhibition Clerys: The Archives. Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy said: “The Clerys building is an iconic Dublin landmark, and it is tremendous news for the city to see it restored to its full glory. The Clerys Exhibition, which opens today, charts the exceptional history of this building and its role in the centre of Dublin life for generations.”
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Stokes Clocks owner Philip Stokes said: “The Clerys Clock is part of Stokes Clocks’ history since my late father, and I made the original in 1990. It is an iconic clock that is very much the heart and the soul of Dublin, and the history of Dublin is very much part of us at Stokes Clocks.
"When commissioned to restore it our brief was to bring it back to the original. We restored the hands and the roman numerals with gold leaf, and we modernised the mechanical system to keep it going for the next 100 years.”
The exhibition features documents, objects, and images to tell the story of the Dublin landmark, including the original lease from 1847. It will run until 30th of January, and it will be open to the public for free.
The restored building will open in four months’ time as a ‘world-class’ retail, office and leisure destination. The building will house office spaces, a H&M, a panoramic rooftop restaurant, and five new food-and-beverage units, including the newly refurbished tea rooms.
Clerys Quarter will combine both traditional elements and modern concepts to create a new city centre destination that will regenerate Dublin’s landmark street, said Core Capital CEO Derek McGrath. He added: “As destination retailers, anchor tenants Flannels and H&M will attract significant footfall to both the development and the wider area.
"Tenants of this calibre combined with the exciting panoramic roof-top food and beverage offering from Press-Up group will provide consumers with a unique shopping experience in the city centre. We look forward to opening our doors to the public later this year."
Are you looking forward to seeing Clerys open again - and what memories do you have of the place? Let us know in the comments below.
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