Includes bibliographical references and index.

In 1859, Dubliners strolling along country roads witnessed something new emerging from the green fields. The Victorian house had arrived: wide red brick structures stood back behind large front lawns. Over the next forty years, an estimated 35,000 homes were built in the fields surrounding the city. Distinguished by their elaborate entrances and imposing granite staircases, Dublin produced its own unique version of the Victorian house form. Today, these houses are some of the capital's most highly valued structures, and are protected under strict conservation laws. However, despite their significance, there has been little research on those behind their creation, and of the complex processes which brought them into being. Based on measured surveys, photographs, and contemporary drawings and maps, this book is the first in depth analysis of Dublin's Victorian domestic architecture. Focusing on the work of three entrepreneurial developers, who built high quality houses in different sectors, it follows in their footsteps as they speculated in house building: signing leases, acquiring plots, and sourcing bricks and mortar. What motivated them to invest in the housing market, and how did they finance their operations? It considers the roles of landowners and local government in supporting the suburbs: by supplying land, providing services and controlling building standards.