History

The Honorable Society of King’s Inns is the oldest formally established institution of professional legal education in Ireland. It was founded in 1541 during the reign of Henry VIII when the king granted the Society the lands and properties on which the Four Courts now stand, originally occupied by the Friars Preachers (Dominicans).

Founded in 1541, the School of Law at King’s Inns is the oldest formally established institution of professional legal education in Ireland. Our reputation is international and eminent graduates include former Presidents of Ireland, Taoisigh, politicians, leading academics, many leaders and advocates across other professions, and, of course, judges and barristers in practise throughout the English–speaking world.

King’s Inns history is significant with a diverse legal and cultural heritage and a Library that houses over 110,000 volumes. We actively preserve and showcase our heritage and magnificent architecture through the many cultural and arts projects we operate. View them here.

Inns of Court &
Constitution Hill

When the Four Courts were built in the 1790s, King’s Inns moved to Constitution Hill and the benchers commissioned James Gandon to design their present property. From than on, these would be the headquarters of the benchers and the School of Law. The primary focus of the school is the training of barristers but also reaches a broader community by offering a wide range of accessible and online courses in specialist areas of the law.

In the Middle Ages, the need for apprentice lawyers to learn about common law led to the founding of hostels where they could live and study. The Inns of Court were places where the students were provided with accommodation, meals and tuition. Up to 1800 the buildings at Inns Quay provided all that was needed for practice at the bar. There were chambers where barristers lived and worked, a hall for eating and drinking, books for research, a chapel for prayer and gardens for recreation. Things changed somewhat with the move to Constitution Hill. Chambers and a chapel were to have been built but the plans were never executed. However, many of the 17th century traditions remain or are co–mingled with 21st century developments.

The Black Book

The formal records of King’s Inns (the “Black Book”) date from 1607. Initially a voluntary society but by 1634 membership had become compulsory for barristers wishing to practise in the courts. King’s Inns archives and records commence with the Black Book and include admission papers of students and barristers up to the present date, as well the admission papers of apprentices and attorneys until the 1860s.

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