Custom House, Dublin 1

The Custom House (Irish: Teach an Chustaim) is a neoclassical 18th century building in Dublin, which houses the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
The Custom House, designed by the renowned James Gandon, was completed in 1791.
It is one of Dublin's finest heritage buildings and has played a unique role in Dublin's social, economic and political history over the past 200 years.

Initially the building was exclusively the headquarters of the Commissioners of Custom and Excise; however by the beginning of the twentieth century, the dominant role of the Custom House was in relation to local government.
The building was burnt to the ground on 25 May, 1921 during the Irish War of Independence; restoration work was completed by 1928.

A second programme of restoration began in the 1980s and was completed in time for the bi-centenary of the Custom House in 1991.
The Custom House is often considered architecturally the most important building in Dublin and is sited on the river front with Beresford Place to the rear.
The sculptures that most associate with the Custom House are the keystones of riverine heads, the heads of the rivers are laden with the fruits of their basins.