Temple Bar is a lively district on the south bank of the River Liffey in central Dublin, Ireland. This area is known as the city’s “cultural quarter” and offers a bustling nightlife, making it a popular tourist destination. Its history dates back to medieval times when it was known as St. Andrews Parish, a suburb outside the city walls. Over the centuries, Temple Bar has been redeveloped and transformed, with its modern reputation as a hub for culture and entertainment taking shape in the 1990s.

The Temple Bar district’s name is thought to have originated from the Temple family, notably Sir William Temple, who built a house and gardens there in the early 17th century. The district may have also borrowed its name from the storied Temple Bar district in London, where the main toll gate into London was located, dating back to medieval times. Temple Bar has a long history of artistic and cultural significance. In the 18th century, the first performance of Handel’s Messiah took place on Fishamble Street. Additionally, the Society of the United Irishmen, a Republican revolutionary group, was formed at a meeting in a tavern on Eustace Street in 1791. The area was also the center of prostitution in Dublin during the 18th century but declined in popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries, leading to urban decay and derelict buildings.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the state-owned transport company Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) proposed to build up and demolish property in the area and build a bus terminus. While the bus station project was eventually canceled, the low rents attracted small shops, artists, and galleries to the site. In 1991, the government established Temple Bar Properties, a not-for-profit company to oversee the area’s regeneration as Dublin’s cultural quarter. Today, Temple Bar is home to numerous cultural institutions, including the Irish Photography Centre, the Ark Children’s Cultural Centre, the Irish Film Institute, the Button Factory, the Arthouse Multimedia Centre, Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, the Project Arts Centre, the Gaiety School of Acting, IBAT College Dublin, and the New Theatre. The district also houses the Irish Stock Exchange.

Temple Bar is a hotspot for nightlife, offering various nightclubs, restaurants, and bars. Notable pubs in the area include The Temple Bar pub, The Porterhouse, The Oliver St. John Gogarty, The Turk’s Head, The Quays Bar, The Foggy Dew, The Auld Dubliner, Bad Bobs, and Busker’s Bar.

Two renovated squares, Meetinghouse Square and Temple Bar Square, serve as public spaces for events and gatherings. The Temple Bar Book Market is held on weekends in Temple Bar Square, Meeting House Square hosts outdoor film screenings during the summer months, and the Temple Bar Food Market on Saturdays. In popular culture, a dance sequence from the Bollywood film Ek Tha Tiger was filmed in Temple Bar. Various musicians have written and released songs about or referencing the area, such as Billy Treacy, Nathan Carter, and the Irish rock band Kodaline. Sources:

1. “Barra an Teampaill / Temple Bar”. logainm.ie. Irish Placenames Commission. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
2. “Dublin Quarters – Visit Dublin”. visitdublin.com. National Tourism Development Authority (Fáil