Now, back in its heyday, this building was the epicenter of municipal action. Before it moved here, the town’s administrative affairs were managed out of a simple market house. Things took a turn for the fancy in the late 1870s when Lord Brabazon and his wife Mary decided that Bray needed a more majestic establishment. They chose this very spot at the corner of Killarney Road and Vevay Road, and voila-this beauty was designed by the dynamic duo, Thomas Newenham Deane and Guy Dawber, in the Tudor Revival style. Construction wrapped up in 1884, costing a tidy sum of £6,359. That’s a lot of Victorian pocket change, isn’t it?
The structure itself is dressed to impress. Just look at those three symmetrical bays with iron gates on the ground floor and pairs of lancet windows. Fancy, right? And above, those half-timbered oriel windows are like the fancy eye makeup of the building world, complete with heraldic carvings to boot. You simply can’t miss the two-stage octagonal fleche on the roof. And no, 'fleche' isn't a sneeze in French; it’s that pointy thing sticking up there with clock faces and louvres.
What’s more, the side elevations are arcaded and open on the ground floor because-surprise-you used to be able to have markets right here in the building! And inside, the council chamber was the place to be. With its timber roof, carved chimney pieces, and stained glass windows, it was practically the VIP lounge of Bray’s administration.
Fast forward to 1997, and guess what? The building decided to embrace its inner foodie. McDonald's moved into the ground floor, giving the term "local government" a whole new meaning. Meanwhile, the council stuck around upstairs until 2002 before moving to new Civic Offices.
And in a twist straight out of a local government drama, in 2014, Bray Town Council was dissolved and blended into Wicklow County Council. So this grand old building is now more about burgers than bylaws, but it’s still an essential slice of Bray’s history. And hey, even if you’re here for the architecture, who can resist a little comfort food, right?
Alright, onward! Ready for your next stop?
