A bit of History
The longstanding friendship between France and Ireland is based in no small measure on the Irish love of the French language and culture.
An Alliance Française committee was already in existence in 1912 and was part of the Fédération des Comités de l’Alliance Française dans les Iles Britanniques, which was created in 1907. After independence, in 1922, the Dublin French Society was founded by the French consul. While the majority of French Clubs outside France limited themselves to small cultural events, the Dublin Centre had teaching as its key activity immediately after the war. French classes for adults were held in the premises at 18 Herbert Street, then called, the Centre Culturel Français.
In 1960, the centre officially became the Alliance Française in Dublin with the arrival of a Délégué Général, seconded by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Due to the growth of its activities, the AF moved to 1 Kildare Street (the former Kildare Street Lords Club), right in the heart of Dublin. The address is one of the most prestigious and famous in Dublin. The new head office of the Dublin Alliance was inaugurated on the 15 November 1974 by, the then Prime Minister, Mr Jacques Chirac. In 1986, a subsidy from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs enabled the Dublin committee to purchase the building.
Between 2002 and 2006 the AF Dublin executed extensive renovation and refurbishment works, of both the exterior and interior of the building, with cutting-edge techniques used for the first time in Ireland to preserve this listed Irish Heritage site. In 2016 AF Dublin also transformed its Library into French Library into a digital and multiform space that can host conferences and screenings with state-of-the-art audiovisual components. The new French Library is a vital addition to the expansion of French culture in Ireland.
In 2024 AF Dublin celebrated the 50th anniversary of its home at 1 Kildare Street, and paid tribute all members, partners, stakeholders and friends who have helped to shape it.
