Newman House

On the far side of the square, at 85 and 86 St. Stephen’s Green, is Newman House, once the home of the old Catholic University (later University College Dublin), which boasted James Joyce amongst its distinguished graduates. Number 85 is restored to its pristine, aristocratic years of the 1740s. On the ground floor are wall reliefs of the god Apollo and his nine muses, done elaborately in stucco. A staircase of Cuban mahogany leads to a reception room with more riotous plasterwork figures on the ceiling. Number 86 has some rooms with interesting associations with the Whaley family and Gerard Manley Hopkins, and the Bishop’s Room has been restored to its Victorian splendor. (Open Jun, Jul, Aug, tours on the hour from noon, tel: 01 706 7422.)