What's the first thing you think of when you hear "Ireland"? - Perhaps it's leprechauns, green pastures, sheep or Guinness - but do you know the world-famous Irish doors with their colourful paintwork? They are a real tourist magnet and there are all kinds of legends surrounding the origins of the colourful doorways.
Colourful doors with style
What characterises Irish doors and how did they come about? The answer lies buried in Irish history: During the 18th and 19th centuries, King George I and his descendants ruled over Great Britain and Ireland. A special architectural style emerged from this period, known as the "Georgian style". This style was strongly characterised by strict mirror symmetry and elements reminiscent of antiquity. Doors were also given a distinctive look.
![shutterstock_443558224 [Konvertiert]](/fileadmin/_processed_/8/b/csm_shutterstock_443558224-Konvertiert-1-scaled_04f7f8bfc5.webp "Irish-coloured front doors - illustrations of classic portals")
The door leaf consisted of symmetrically arranged panels and the door frame was reminiscent of ancient Greek temples: the sides were either decorated with detailed or subtly indicated columns. A translucent glass arch was enthroned above the door, sometimes set into a roof-shaped structural element. The entire door construction was reminiscent of the monumental buildings of the Greeks and was intended to emphasise the majesty and power of the crown.
So how did the colour come into play?
In fact, there are many legends surrounding the colourful front doors of Irish homes. Here we present our three favourite stories.
Legend 1: Help for drunk men
One of the most amusing legends has it that it was concerned wives who gave their front doors a colourful coat of paint. After all, after a few glasses of good Guinness or whisky, more than one husband would lose his orientation. This is easy to imagine, as all the houses and doors looked the same due to the strictly regulated Georgian style. And so, the odd tipsy man would occasionally step over the wrong doorstep. To put an end to this faux pas, the wives simply painted their front doors in bright colours and guided their husbands through the correct front door using colour-coded markings.
Legend 2: Rebellious Irish
When Queen Victoria of England died in 1901, the royal household arranged that all doors should be painted black. This also affected Ireland. But the Irish responded to the order with their own act of defiance and did exactly the opposite. They grabbed their paint buckets and painted their doors in bright, vibrant colours.
Legend 3: Showing individuality
It was probably a pin in the side of the Irish when the British also imposed regulations on Irish architecture in the 18th and 19th centuries. British building promoters introduced strict regulations to ensure the townscape looked uniform. But they overlooked one small detail: the colour of the front doors. To stand out from their neighbours and project their individuality both locally and to England, the Irish painted their front doors in different coloured tones. This tradition has continued to this day.
So what do you think? Which legend is actually true? Unfortunately, there’s no clear-cut answer, and perhaps there’s a completely different reason behind it all? Ultimately, the colourful Georgian-style doors are a real eye-catcher and can still be admired today in the capital, Dublin.
The Irish look at GARANT
Did you find the Irish doors inspiring? Why don't you browse through our product segment? GARANT also manufactures many different doors with mirror-symmetrical panels. door tool you can configure your own door. Or you can browse through our product brochures for more inspiration.