The Four Courts, Inns Quay, Dublin - 967

Museum quality art prints using archival inks created from my original canvas oil and acrylic paintings. I photograph and print these limited editions of 200 myself and the prints are available in three sizes both framed and unframed. Click on the print options and links above the Add to Cart button for more information.

A print from a watercolour painting of the Four Courts on Inns Quay, Dublin, from the opposite banks of the River Liffey. The building originally housed the four courts of Chancery, King's Bench, Exchequer and Common Pleas, giving the name to the building.

The Four Courts has been a cornerstone of the Irish legal system since its inaugural case heard in November 1796. Situated on the site of a 13th-century Dominican Friary, later transforming into the old King’s Inns, the current building was constructed between 1776 and 1796 through the collaborative efforts of architects Thomas Cooley (original draftsman until his death in 1784) and James Gandon (who was appointed to complete the building and added to the original design). Gandon was also the architect responsible for the design of the Custom House. The building was originally intended to consolidate dispersed legal offices and records which until then had resided in various buildings on the other side of the Liffey.

The decision in 1775 to centralize the legal system marked the end of centuries of a scattered Irish court system where two legal entities operated, with English rule in Dublin (‘the Pale’), and Brehon laws beyond the Pale.

Prior to the beginning of the 17th century, courts sat in various locations, predominantly in Dublin Castle. A lack of space led to a move in 1608, a stop gap solution that continued until 1775 when a decision was made to build on the site on the north bank of the River Liffey.

The completed Four Courts, with the iconic Round Hall and Dome, opened on November 8, 1796. Subsequent expansions in 1840 included land acquisition in order to house the offices of the Law Society of Ireland. Although Civil War damage in 1922 altered the interior, Gandon's structural elements, including the Round Hall, largely remain.

The term "Four Courts" predates the current building, originating from medieval times when it symbolized the principal courts of Exchequer, Common Pleas, King’s Bench, and Chancery. The name persisted through the merger in 1877 under the Judicature Act, a transformative moment creating a unified courts system, ending the practice of courts sitting in banco.

Today, the High Court wields full jurisdiction, empowered to declare legislation invalid if it contravenes the Constitution of Ireland. The 1937 Constitution is the primary source of law in the modern Irish legal system, incorporating pre-existing common law and statute law. Membership in the European Union introduced the Treaty of Rome as an additional source of law. The Supreme Court, comprising the Chief Justice and seven ordinary Judges, and the High Court, with a president and nineteen ordinary Judges, operate within these historic walls. The Circuit Court, a regional court, handles limited civil and criminal jurisdiction.

Over two centuries, the Law Library within the building has been the hub for the Bar of Ireland, serving as a headquarters, workplace, library, and club. The Round Hall bustles with activity during term time as counsel, solicitors, and clients gather, often to settle cases before they reach the hearing stage.