King's Inns

King's Inns. In 1539 judges and leading legal practitioners joined together to lease the buildings of the recently dissolved Dominican friary in Dublin as term‐time accommodation. The lawyers lost possession of the renamed ‘King's Inn’ in the later 16th century but regained it, this time on a permanent basis, in the early 17th century. An organized society of the King's Inns was in existence by 1607. Membership did not become compulsory for barristers practising in the Four Courts until 1629 and for other barristers until 1635; by 1629 membership was also (in theory at least) compulsory for attorneys practising in the Four Courts. During the 18th century King's Inns acquired control over entry into both branches of the legal profession, and also disciplinary powers over both branches. However, it subsequently lost the power to control admissions to the ‘lower branch’ of the profession, and disciplinary power over it, to the Incorporated Law Society.

By the mid‐18th century the original King's Inn(s) had ceased to be habitable and in 1776 the new Four Courts were built on their site. The society began work on its present building at Henrietta Street in 1800.

Paul Brand