[4][5] The street was laid out by Sir Humphrey Jervis in the late 17th century on the Abbey lands he purchased in 1674.

[8] Today it is known for its variety of restaurants, shops, cafés and pubs; as Panti, the owner of Pantibar put it, "You can buy a lightbulb, sexual lubricant, Brazilian rice, get a pint and go to a trad session".

105 Capel Street, now the Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre, is part of the original 14-bay terrace house built by Ralph Ward around 1770 and sits on the site of the former mansion of Thomas Connolly.

[14] In 1689, James II of England opened a royal mint in a large newly-built mansion at 27 Capel Street as well as another one at the Deanery in Limerick to make coins to fund his campaign to regain the throne.

In the late 1700s, the Italian composer, Tommaso Giordani, performed at a small purpose-built theatre on the street.