Thomas Pleasants (1729-1818) was a merchant, property developer and philanthropist in Dublin, Ireland, after whom Pleasants Street in Dublin 8 was named on its opening in 1821.^[1]

Pleasants was born in County Carlow in 1729, son of William Pleasants and his wife Grace Edwards. His grandfather was Thomas Pleasants, alderman of Dublin.^[2]

His grandfather had leased a large piece of land near Capel Street from Dublin Corporation, which Pleasants inherited some time after his grandfather's death in 1729. His initial income derived from this property, though he also had dealings with his cousins the Pasleys, who were wine merchants at 9 Abbey Street.^[2]

He married in 1787 Mildred Daunt, second daughter of George Daunt, surgeon in Mercer's Hospital.^[3]

He and his wife (died 1814) were buried in the churchyard of St Bride's Church.^[4]

Among his donations were over £12,000 in 1814 for the erection of the Stove Tenter House near Cork Street for poor weavers in the Liberties who prior to this would have had to suspend work in rainy weather.^[5]

£8,000 was donated for the building of the Meath Hospital.

Pleasants donated his large library and a large sum of money to the Royal Dublin Society.^[3]

On his death in 1818, Pleasants bequeathed his own house at 67 Camden Street (modern day number 75) for the provision of a girls' school and orphanage, along with £1,200 per annum to run it. Extra money was provided for dowries for the girls (only applied to Protestants) to marry. His friends and relations including Reverend Thomas Gamble, Joshua Pasley and Samuel Coates acted as the first three governors and their named were inscribed on a plaque on the front of the building.

The building has originally been acquired by Pleasants in 1814 and was likely built around 1790.^[6]

The orphanage was amalgamated with Kirwan House orphanage and the T.P. Dormer Trust in 1949.^[7]

• Image of Pleasants Asylum from the Irish Architectural Archive