Four Courts, Neoclassical courthouse in Dublin, Ireland
Four Courts is a courthouse in Dublin built of grey granite and Portland limestone, with a tall central dome and a riverfront facade facing the Liffey. The circular hall inside is supported by Corinthian columns and leads to galleries and courtrooms that extend on either side.
Architect Thomas Cooley began the project in 1776, and James Gandon completed it in 1802 with the dome and facade. During the Civil War in 1922, an ammunition store exploded and destroyed the entire dome and many rooms, which were then rebuilt.
The riverside building represents civil justice and remains a working center of law, where judges, barristers, and citizens gather daily under the dome. Visitors sometimes see robed lawyers crossing the inner hall or waiting in corridors between hearings.
The courthouse operates on weekdays, so visitors cannot enter all areas and must pass security checks at the entrance. Photography is not allowed inside, and the rotunda is only accessible during opening hours.
The copper-clad dome above the rotunda rises nearly as high as the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. After the explosion, many sandstone cornices and wooden panels were replaced with plaster and modern materials.
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