Barter’s first Turkish bath for the general public designed by Mr Richard Barter (no relation to the doctor) and constructed by local builder Denis Murray. This detail shows what was described as a ‘Grecian’ front with three windows and two doors, all arched and surmounted by circular lights of stained glass. Between the two entrances, one for men and the other for women, was a central ticket office. Both sets of baths were similar, being 80ft × 20ft (24.4m × 6m) in area. (Detail from a photo in The Lawrence Photograph Collection Lab 6448. The National Library of Ireland)
The baths seem to have closed in the late 1880s, and in my 2006 photograph the building appears, at first glance, to have been replaced by an apartment block. But closer examination shows that the ground floor façade is basically the same, while there are two additional floors above. The corners of the front of the building remain rounded at the ground floor level although door and window openings have been interchanged.
The upper image shows the cooling-room in Barter’s second Turkish bath in the Irish capital (the Dublin Hammam) at 11 and 12 Upper Sackville Street, later renamed Upper O’Connell Street. The room is two storeys high with a balcony behind which are changing cubicles above those at the ground floor level. At the far end is a large arched opening. In the main area are deck chairs and recliners, and an occasional table. There are two statues, one of which is on the balcony.
The lower image shows the exterior of the building. The frontage shows a typical Georgian four storey building, previously occupied by Reynold's Hotel. The Turkish baths were built behind and adjoining the renamed Hammam Hotel.
Armoured cars outside the Hammam during the 1922 Irish Civil War. Most of the windows have been broken and the main doorway and remaining windows destroyed. Although pounded by rifles, grenades, and machine-guns from 2–5 July, those hiding inside escaped. A few hours after this photo was taken, the building was completely destroyed by shells and fire. The baths were never rebuilt. (Dublin City Library and Archive)
#onthisday 17 March—St Patrick's Day—Dr Richard Barter opened 2 Irish-Roman (Victorian Turkish) baths: in 1859, the 1st #TurkishBaths in Ireland for public use at 9 Grenville Place, #Cork; & in 1869, his 2nd #Dublin baths at Sackville—now O'Connell—St. Before & after pix +ALT 🗃️ #irishhistory #C19th
![As late as the 1950s, the baths were so popular that, according to the Belfast News-Letter (and several other papers on 21 Nov 1956), 'Because some women take too long to have a Turkish bath, Middlesbrough's all-male Sanitary and Baths Committee decided to impose a time limit of four hours. Recommending this in his report the baths superintendent[, Mr S Fisher,] said that on women's days some patrons stay in the baths for six or seven hours.'](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:x5l2x75jny3cocqmgprgdjy7/bafkreignf5ldjayz62z6wkshmby6cwknj2vslbowxlumyvmlodnqshuqwu)
![Contemporary newspaper advertisement for Le Hammam Bains Turco-Romains. Cut shows large betowelled male bather facing forwards. To his right a view of the double-galleried cooling-room overlooking the plunge pool. Beneath the illustration are the admission charges: men Fr 5.50; women Fr 10.00. A special Turkish bath for women is entered at 47 Bd Haussmann [round the corner from the men's main entrance].](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:x5l2x75jny3cocqmgprgdjy7/bafkreih242uu4hrt3bt3kh3uy6thqbl4o6icsusr2oinngs2ctiqk67p4m)
