Statues - Hither & Thither

Site Search:

Dublin - Baile Átha Cliath
Co. Dublin - Contae Átha Cliath

Inns Quay, D7
(The Four Courts)

Statues at the Four Courts

Description

The building originally housed four superior courts, of Chancery, King's Bench, Exchequer and Common Pleas, giving the name to the building. It was built between 1786 and 1796. On the roofline are five stone statues (in poor condition):

Dublin - Baile Átha Cliath - Statues at the Four Courts
Wisdom, with a serpent.
Moses
Authority, with a sceptre.

Mercy, probably with an olive branch.
Justice

Sculptor

Edward Smyth (Co. Meath 1749 - 1812), Irish sculptor (Wikipedia).
Walter Strickland, A Dictionary of Irish Artists (1913) (on-line).

Sources & Information

Wikipedia, Four Courts.
Viola B. M. Barrow, 'Edward Smyth', Dublin Historical Record 33, 2 (March 1980), pp. 56-66.
Patrick Lenehan, 'Edward Smyth, Dublin's Sculptor', The GPA Irish Arts Review Yearbook (1989/1990), pp. 67-76.
Architecture of Dublin City, 1802 - The Four Courts, Inns Quay, Dublin
ICLR, History of the Four Courts.

Locatie (N 53°20'44" - W 6°16'24") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: ie347; Photograph: 21 June 2023
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt