Four Courts

The Four Courts
The Four Courts along the River Liffey quayside
Location within Central Dublin
General information
Type	Courthouse
Architectural style	Neoclassicism
Town or city	Inns Quay, Dublin
Country	Ireland
Elevation	4 m (13 ft)
Construction started	1786
Completed	1802; 215 years ago (1802)
Client	Kingdom of Ireland
Technical details
Material	Portland stone, granite, copper, cast iron, timber, steel, stucco, sandstone
Design and construction
Architect	Thomas Cooley, James Gandon

The Four Courts (Irish: Na Ceithre Cúirteanna) is Ireland's main courts building, located on Inns Quay in Dublin. The Four Courts are the location of the Supreme Court, the High Court and the Dublin Circuit Court. Until 2010 the building also housed the Central Criminal Court.

Work based on the design of Thomas Cooley for the Public Records Office of Ireland, began in 1776. After his death in 1784 renowned architect James Gandon was appointed to finish the building, which we recognise today as the Four Courts. It was built between 1786 and 1796, while the finishing touches to the arcades and wings were completed in 1802. The lands were previously used by the King's Inns. 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 court system in the late nineteenth century saw these courts merged into a new High Court of Ireland, but the building has retained its historic name. This courts system remained until 1924, when the new Irish Free State introduced a new courts structure, replacing the High Court of Ireland, the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland and the Lord Chancellor of Ireland with a Supreme Court of Justice presided over by the Chief Justice and a High Court of Justice, presided over by the President of the High Court. In 1961 the words "of justice" were dropped from the names of both courts when they were belatedly re-established consequent upon the enactment of the 1937 Constitution.