History

The Liberties is the well-known district in the south-west inner city of Dublin. Today The Liberties generally corresponds to the postal district Dublin 8. The Liberties are jurisdictions that existed since

the arrival of the Anglo Normans in the 12th century. They were town lands united to the city, but still preserving their own jurisdiction.

The most important of these Liberties were the Liberty of St. Sepulchre, under the Archbishop of Dublin and the Earl of Meath’s Liberty. The Liberty of St. Sepulchre stretched from Bishop St. to St.

Stephen's Green, along Harcourt Street to Donnybrook, across Rathgar to Harold's Cross and back along Clanbrassil Street to Patrick Street. The Earl of Meath's liberty ran west along The Coombe to Ardee St., turning north towards Echlin St. then along James's St. to Meath St., then through various smaller streets to Ash St. and back to the Coombe.

The Liberties hold a special place in the hearts of the Dublin working class, being home to the Guinness Brewery which has provided employment to so many families in this city over the course of generations.

Many places in The Liberties still have connections with a turbulent past in which political upheaval or dire poverty were the order of the day. In the 17th century, parts of them became wealthy districts, when the weaving crafts of the immigrant Huguenots had a ready market around the present day Meath Street Market, and a healthy export trade.

In the late 17th century development started in order to house the weavers who were moving into the area. Woollen manufacture was set up by settlers from England, while many Huguenots took up silk weaving, using skills they had acquired in their home country, France.A weavers' hall was built by the Weavers' Guild in the Lower Coombe in 1682.

As is the case now, life was very different for the rich and the working class. In 1790 the Liberties was described as the “scene of the most abject poverty, deplorable sickness, and a magazine of fury”.

During the 20th Century the Liberties remained a ‘working class’ area.

In October 2007, plans for a multi-million euro redevelopment of The Liberties were revealed by Dublin City Council. These plans have been met with strong opposition from residents of the area, claiming that the character of one of the city's oldest surviving areas will be destroyed by such redevelopment.