The Four Courts (Na Ceithre Cúirteanna in Irish) in Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's main courts building. The Four Courts are the location of the Supreme Court, High Court, and Central Criminal Court of the Republic of Ireland. The Supreme Court (Irish: Chúirt Uachtarach) is the highest judicial authority in the Republic of Ireland. ... The High Court (Irish: An Ard-Chúirt) of the Republic of Ireland is a court which deals at first instance with the most serious and important civil and criminal cases, and also acts as a court of appeal for civil cases in the Circuit Court. ...

The Four Courts along the River Liffey quayside. Part of the original Gandon-designed interior decoration of the dome, lost in the 1922 destruction.

The Four Courts was built between 1796 and 1802 by renowned architect James Gandon, who built The Custom House. The building originally housed the four courts of Chancery, King's Bench, Exchequer, and Common Pleas, hence the name of the building. A major revision in the legal structures in the late nineteenth century saw these courts replaced, but the building retained its historic name. The new courts system remained until 1924, when the new Irish Free State which had replaced British rule introduced a new courts structure, replacing the old High Court of Ireland, the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland and the Lord Chancellor of Ireland with a new Supreme Court presided over by the Chief Justice and a High Court of Justice, presided over by the President of the High Court. image of Dublins main court building. ... image of Dublins main court building. ... Download high resolution version (642x900, 160 KB)image of the Four Courts lost interior - no copyright This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (642x900, 160 KB)image of the Four Courts lost interior - no copyright This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... 1796 was a leap year starting on Friday. ... --69. ... The Four Courts by James Gandon James Gandon (1743 -1823) is today recognised as one of the leading late 18th century, early 19th century architects to have worked in Ireland. ... The Custom House is a palladian 18th century building in Dublin, Ireland which houses the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. ... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) (1922–1937) was the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties that were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and... The Four Courts The headquarters of the Irish judicial system since 1804. ... The office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland from earliest times until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. ...

The Four Courts were seized by Commandant Ned Daly's 1st Battalion during the Easter Rising in 1916. They survived the bombardment by British artillery that destroyed large parts of the city centre, however in 1922 they were gutted as part of the Irish Civil War. Edward Ned Daly (28 February 1891 – 4 May 1916) was commandant of Dublins 1st battalion during the Easter Rising of 1916. ... Easter Proclamation, read by Pádraig Pearse outside the GPO at the start of the Easter Rising, 1916. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Combatants Irish Republican Army (1922-1969) Irish Army of the Irish Free State Commanders Liam Lynch Michael Collins Richard Mulcahy Strength c. ...

Republican rebels led by Rory O'Connor who opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty, seized the building. The new Irish government under the Chairman of the Provisional Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Irish Army, Michael Collins was forced to attack the building to dislodge the rebels provoking a week of fighting in Dublin. In the process of the bombardment the historic building was destroyed. Most dramatically however, when the anti-Treaty contingent were surrendering, the west wing of the building was obliterated in huge explosion, destroying the Irish Public Records Office which was located at the rear of the building. It has been alleged that the Republicans deliberately boobytrapped its priceless Irish archives, which were stored in the basement of the Four Courts. Nearly one thousand years of irreplaceable archives were destroyed by this act. However, the insurgents, who included future Irish Taoiseach Sean Lemass denied this accusation and argued that while they had used the archive as a store of their ammunition, they had not deliberately mined it. They suggest that that the explosion was caused by the accidental detonation of their ammunition store during the fighting. Rory OConnor (1883 - 1922) was an Irish republican activist. ... Signature page of the Anglo-Irish Treaty The Anglo-Irish Treaty, officially called the Articles of association between Ireland and the British Empire, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom and representatives of the (extra-judicial) Irish Republic which concluded the Anglo-Irish War. ... The Irish Army is the main branch of the Irish Defence Forces of the Republic of Ireland. ... Michael John Collins (Irish name Mícheál Eoin Ó Coileáin; 16 October 1890 – 22 August 1922) was an Irish revolutionary leader, served as Minister for Finance in the Irish Republic, as Director of Intelligence for the IRA, as a member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty... The Irish Civil War 1922-23, began with a week of street fighting in Dublin the Irish capital from June 28 1922 to July 5. ... The Irish Public Records Office was an archive of political, relgious and administrative documents dating back to the 12th century. ... The Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh) or, more formally, An Taoiseach, is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet. ... ...

For a decade, the old courts system until 1924, then the new Free State courts system, was based in the old viceregal apartments in Dublin Castle. In 1932, a rebuilt and remodelled Four Courts was opened again. However much of the decorative interior of the original building had been lost and, in the absence of documentary archives (some of which had been in the Public Records Office and others of which were among the vast amount of legal records lost also), and also because the new state did not have the funds, the highly decorative interior was not replaced. Two side wings were rebuilt further from the river to undo the problem caused by excessively narrow footpaths outside the building. However that change, and the removal of chimney-stacks, has removed some of the architectual unity and effect planned by Gandon in 1796. Dublin Castle. ...

In 1937 a new constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann, introduced a remodelled courts system. Again the highest court was called the Supreme Court, with a slightly changed High Court (minus the words 'of Justice'). Though in the early 1990s, the then Irish Chief Justice suggested building a new purpose-built building to house the Supreme Court, leaving the other courts in situ, the Supreme Court for the moment remains in the Four Courts. The Constitution of Ireland is the founding legal document of the state known today as the Republic of Ireland. ...

The destruction of the Four Courts in 1922.

Though one of Dublin's most spectacularly beautiful buildings, the Four Courts was for many decades poorly maintained, with unattractive additional buildings added on at the back. The interior also was poorly maintained and decorated. The recent establishment of the Irish Courts Service, which took over the running of the courts system and the maintenance of courts buildings from the Department of Justice has raised hopes that the building may once again be restored to its true grandeur. Image File history File links This work is copyrighted. ... Image File history File links This work is copyrighted. ... The Minister for Justice, Equality & Law Reform is the chief minister in charge of law and order in the Republic of Ireland. ...

Its exterior still shows the effects of the events of 1922, with its facade containing bullet holes, which deliberately were not removed to remind people of its complex history.

External links

• The Bar Council

Irish state & public buildings pre- & post-independence

Áras an Uachtaráin (formerly the Viceregal Lodge) | Central Bank of Ireland | Chapel Royal | Chichester House | Chief Secretary's Lodge | Collins Barracks | Custom House | Dublin Castle | Farmleigh | Four Courts | General Post Office (GPO) | Government Buildings | Green Street Court House | Old Parliament House | Leinster House | Little Ratra | Under Secretary's Lodge image of Dublins main court building. ... Áras an Uachtaráin (formerly the Viceregal Lodge) is the official residence of the President of Ireland, located in the Phoenix Park on the Northside of Dublin1. ... Banc Ceannais na hÉireann or the Central Bank of Ireland is the Republic of Ireland which had control of the issue of Irish banknotes and coins. ... The Chapel Royal in Dublin Castle was the official Anglican chapel of the Household of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from mediæval times until the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922. ... Deerfield is the official residence of the United States Ambassador to Ireland, located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin. ... Collins Barracks is a former military barracks in the Arbour Hill area of Dublin, Ireland. ... The Custom House is a palladian 18th century building in Dublin, Ireland which houses the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. ... Dublin Castle. ... Farmleigh was formerly one of the Dublin residences of the Guinness brewing family. ... The General Post Office (GPO) (Irish: Árd Oifig an Phoist), designed by Francis Johnson, is located in Dublins OConnell Street, is the headquarters of An Post, the Irish postal service. ... Irish Government Buildings is a large edwardian building, centred on a quadrangle, in which some of the key offices in Irish government located. ... The Irish House of Commons entrance The original entrance to the building, facing onto College Green. ... Leinster House The former palace of the Duke of Leinster. ... Little Ratra, now the Civil Defence School and sometimes called Ratra House, is one of the minor state residences located in Dublins Phoenix Park. ... The Under Secretarys Lodge was formerly the Dublin residence of the British Under-Secretary for Ireland (the British Administrations chief civil servant). ...