Page 98 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

96  DUBLIN AREA B Y AREA

Detail of woodcarving (c.1724) at St Michan’s Church
q King’s Inns w Smithfield r St Michan’s
Henrietta St/Constitution Hill. Map B1. Map A2. Church
Closed to the public. ∑ kingsinns.ie Church St. Map B3. Tel 872 4154.
Laid out in the mid-17th century
This classically proportioned as a marketplace, Smithfield Open mid-Mar–Oct: 10am–12:45pm
public building was founded in used to be one of Dublin’s oldest & 2–4:45pm Mon–Fri, 10am–12:45pm
Sat; Nov–mid-Mar: 12:30–3:30pm
1800 as a place of residence residential areas. However the Mon–Fri, 10am–12:45pm Sat. & 8
and study for barristers. To 2.5-acre space received a = 7 limited. ∑ stmichans.com
build it, James Gandon chose £3.5 million makeover in the
to seal off the end of Henrietta early 2000s, resulting in this Largely rebuilt in 1685 on the
Street, which at the time was well-designed pedestrian site of an 11th-century Hiberno-
one of Dublin’s most fashion- cobbled plaza surrounded by Viking church, the dull façade of
able addresses. Francis Johnston contemporary architecture. St Michan’s hides a more
added the graceful cupola in Known locally as Smithfield exciting interior. Deep in its
1813, and the build ing was Square, it is used as a venue for vaults lie a number of bodies
finally completed in 1817. outdoor civic events. The preserved because of the dry
Inside is a fine Dining Hall, Lighthouse cultural cinema is a atmosphere created by the
and the Registry of Deeds welcome addition to the area. church’s mag nesian limestone
(formerly the Prerogative walls. Their wooden caskets,
Court). The west façade has e Old Jameson however, have cracked open,
two door ways flanked by revealing the intact bodies,
Classical cary atids carved by Distillery complete with skin and strands
Edward Smyth. The male figure, Bow St. Map A2. Tel 807 2355. of hair. Among those thought to
with book and quill, repre sents Open 9am–6pm daily (from 10am lie here are the brothers Henry
the law. Sun). Last tour: 5:30pm. Closed Good and John Sheares, leaders of the
Sadly, much of the area Fri, 24–26 Dec. & 8 0 = 1798 rebellion (see p45), who
around Constitution Hill is ∑ jamesonwhiskey.com were executed that year.
less attractive than it was in Other less gory attractions
Georgian times. However, the Proof of investment in the include an organ (1724) on which
gardens, which are open to emerging Smithfield area is Handel is said to have played. It
the public, are still pleasing. this large exhibition in a is thought that the churchyard
restored part of John Jameson’s contains the unmarked grave of
distillery, which produced United Irishman Robert Emmet
whiskey from 1780 until 1971. (see p81), leader of the abortive
A visit here starts with a video 1803 Rising.
and further whiskey-related
facts are then explained on a
40-minute tour. This takes you t Four Courts
around displays set out as a Inn's Quay (public entrance: Morgan
working distillery, with dif ferent Place). Map B3. Tel 888 6000.
rooms devoted to the various Open 9:30am–12:30pm, 2–4:30pm
stages of production. Mon–Fri (when courts in session).
The tour guides show
how the Irish process differs Completed in 1802 by James
from that of Scotch whisky: Gandon, this majestic public
here the barley is dried with building was virtually gutted
clean air, while in Scotland it is 120 years later during the Irish
smoked over peat. The claim Civil War (see pp48–9). The
is that the Irish product is a Public Records Office, with
smoother, less smoky tipple. its irreplaceable collection of
The west façade of King's Inns, with its After the tour, visitors can documents dating back to
caryatids and two doorways sample this in the bar. the 12th cen tury, was also
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp296–7 and pp308–11

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