Sharing the History of the Four Courts, Dublin, Ireland

Building

  • The Corridor between the Four Courts and Rear Yard Extension, 1857

    The 1836 works to the Four Courts not only included fitting a new Law Library, Rolls Court and Nisi Prius Court into the back of the original building, but also involved the erection of an additional rear building comprising a… Continue reading

  • The First Barristers’ Robing Rooms, 1851

    From the Dublin Weekly Nation, 14 August 1875, an illustration of the Liberator Daniel O’Connell exiting the original robing room of the Four Courts. This room’s situation below the Round Hall rendered it vulnerable not only to flooding, but also… Continue reading

  • Boy Racers on Arran Quay, 1834

    The entry of a stray bull into the Round Hall in 1835 proved a one-off event. Livestock, in general, were not attracted to the Four Courts. Carriages, on the other hand, were an entirely different matter, particularly when driven by… Continue reading

  • Lawyers Exit, Pursued by a Bull, 1835

    From the Dublin Pilot, via the Leeds Times, January 3, 1835: “On Thursday week, about one o’clock, a bull on its way from Smithfield, turned into the entrance of the Four Courts, under the grand portico, and immediately put to… Continue reading

  • The Original Judges’ Car Park, 1852

    The annual State Trials for conspiracy and treason were a very exciting time at the nineteenth-century Four Courts. Many members of the public of all political persuasions attended to observe and comment.  All tried to put their best face forward. … Continue reading