When buildings are undergoing considerable work, signs of previous incarnations can appear. At 159 Capel Street, the name Walsh’s is once again visible over the shutters of the premises (a better image here, from the excellent ‘Dublin Ghost Signs’). The people behind the Temple Bar seafood favorite Klaw have acquired the site, and it will be reopening to the public soon as PoKē.

While it’s great to temporarily get a look at the Walsh’s signage again, it isn’t only such signage which can reveal the history of buildings, and sometimes there are further clues of the past in the brickwork. Looking at this building earlier as I made my way up Capel Street, I wondered how I never spotted the faded ‘Stars and Stripes’ painted onto the exterior of the building.

In a former life, the building was home to the American Hotel, which operated there in the 1930s. The proprietor was Michael Costello, “a noted athlete and hurler in his day”, who died at the address in 1938. It appears that the American Hotel was a short-lived venture, but more than eight decades on the flag remains visible on the premises.

While Walsh’s name will no doubt disappear once more in the weeks ahead, as a new business makes 159 Capel Street home, the fading reminder of the American Hotel will remain.