Built in 1824,[3] it runs from the old medieval town centre onto the site of the western marshes, and today links the Western Road and Lancaster Quay with the Grand Parade.

[6] In 1921, one member of the public was killed as police lorries on the street were attacked during the Irish War of Independence.

[7] In 2000, one person was killed when the facade of a Washington Street building partially collapsed.

[9] The street was, again, temporarily closed in early March 2020 following another structural failure.

[10] Larger buildings on Washington Street include Cork Courthouse (1828)[11] and St Augustine's Catholic Church (1942).