The Irish
Sweep Offices, Ballsbridge, Dublin - demolished
The Irish
Sweep Offices, Ballsbridge, Dublin - demolished
What was the Sweep?
A privately formed lottery that had Irish Government support, the Irish Sweep was a byeword for success in the 1930's. Success in the Sweep was based on a raffle, the winners drawing a horse, set to run in one of a number of classic races. The top prize went to the ticket holder with the winning horse and other prizes went to those that drew the other horses. Very elaborate pagents marked the pre-war drawing of prizes, with artistic tableau and decorated floats keyed to a particular theme.
Ticket sales in America were strong, if illegal. Before the opening of state lotteries killed off the business, the Sweep was a dream ticket to riches, but for one in a million. About £85m was also distributed to hospitals between 1930 and 1970.
Across the road from the RDS, site of the famed Dublin Horse Show, the relatively newly formed Irish Hospitals Sweep built their new head offices in 1937. Perhaps that was the most appropriate of all homes for a business with such strong equine connections.
The Building - by J J Robinson
The Office and mailroom complex that was built in 1937 / 38 was to handle the trade in ticket books and the administration of a world wide business. Basically a warehouse with an office addition, it even survived the demise of the Irish Sweep, in the grounds of the head office of a Banking group, until relatively recently.
It had features such as porthole windows, glass brick, and swept out bays in a characteristic art deco look, emphasised by a snow white paint job and with grounds kept impeccably. It may also have had custom designed furniture, to judge from photographs. Inevitably the banker prevailed over the gamblers and the building was demolished.
A very elaborate planned deco style tower extension to the building, also by the same architect, J J Robinson , which was intended to hold the drawing of the winning ticket, was a casualty of the outbreak of the war, which severely restricted the international business, leading to the eventual abandonment of the planned extension.