James's Street, Dublin
 Buildings, some disused, on James's Street in 2010 | |
  | |
| Native name | Sráid San Séamas (Irish) |
|---|---|
| Former name(s) | Saint James's Street |
| Length | 740 m (2,430 ft) |
| Width | 12 metres (39 ft) |
| Location | Dublin, Ireland |
| Postal code | D08 |
| Coordinates | 53°20′35″N 6°17′26″W / 53.34306°N 6.29056°W |
| west end | Mount Brown |
| east end | Thomas Street |
| Other | |
| Known for | St James' Church (Church of Ireland) St James' Church (Roman Catholic) St. James's Hospital St. James's Gate |
James's Street (Irish: Sráid San Séamas)[1] is a street in the Liberties area of central Dublin, Ireland. Originally the location of one of the medieval city gates of Dublin, St. James's Gate, it has been the home of St. James's Gate Brewery since the 18th century.
The street runs from approximately the steps of Cromwell's Quarters and Mount Brown to the junction with Watling Street and Thomas Street. The street is a continuation of High Street and the ancient Slighe Mhór out of the city to the west.
History
St. James's Gate, located on the modern James's street, was the western entrance to the city during the Middle Ages. During this time the gate was the traditional starting point for the Camino pilgrimage from Dublin to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia (Spain).[2] The area has been a departure point for the Irish pilgrims since at least the year 1220.[3]
The street and gate appear numbered and annotated on John Speed's Map of Dublin (1610).
Though the gate was demolished in 1734,[4] the name is still used for the surrounding area,[5] and in particular for the St. James's Gate Brewery which was taken over by Arthur Guinness in 1759.[4]
The Record of Protected Structures, maintained by Dublin City Council, includes a number of buildings and structures on James's Street.[6] These include several buildings associated with St. James's Gate Brewery and St. James's Hospital, St James' Catholic Church, the former St James' Church of Ireland church and the areas former post office. A fountain obelisk and sundial near Bow Lane West designed by Francis Sandys[6] and built in 1790,[7] is also protected and located near the junction with Steeven's Lane.
St James Catholic Church, built in 1852, is the home of the Camino Society of Ireland, providing information on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.[3]
An internal railway for the Guinness brewery existed under the street in the past, but is now closed off, however a pedestrian tunnel connecting Guinness plant on either side of street still exists.
The roasting of barley at St. James's Gate Brewery for the production of Guinness, which produces a "coffee-like pungency", creates an aroma in the James's street and wider Liberties area that is very noticeable, and has been noted by The Irish Times as one of the "quintessential smells of Dublin."[8]
In popular culture
The 18th century obelisk on James's Street, with inset sundials, is mentioned in James Joyce's novel Ulysses.[9]
As part of a 1966 TV special named A Little Bit of Irish, singer Bing Crosby sang amongst the keeves and vats at the Guinness Brewery in James's Street with the Guinness Choir.[10]
The interjection "James's Street!" is sometimes used as an euphemistic alternative to "Jesus Christ!".[11][12][13]
Notable people
- James "Lugs" Branigan (1910–1986), well-known member of the Garda Síochána in the 1950/60s and proponent of 'tough justice', was born at 1 James's Street
- Cian Byrne (born 2003), professional footballer who plays as a defender for League of Ireland Premier Division club Bohemians, grew up on the street[14]
- James Carey (1845–1883), a member of the Irish National Invincibles involved in the 1882 Phoenix Park Murders, was born on James's Street[15]
- Philip Cosgrave (1884–1923), Cumann na nGaedheal politician who served as a TD in Dáil Éireann from 1921 to 1923, was born at 174 James's Street[16]
- W. T. Cosgrave (1880–1965), first president of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State, was born on James's Street[17]
- Brendan Grace (1951–2019), comedian, lived at 2E Echlin Street, off James's Street, in the early 1960s[18]
- Jim Lockhart (born 1948), member of Horslips[19]
- William Haldane Porter (1867–1944), British civil servant, who was responsible for the creation of the Aliens Branch of the Home Office, lived with his wife at 98 James's Street in the final years of their life
- Mark Rainsford (1651/1652–1709), Lord Mayor of Dublin and the owner of what was to later become the Guinness Brewery died at a house on the street[20]
- Mark Sheehan (1976–2023), musician with the band The Script, was originally from the James's Street area[21]
References
- ^ "James's Street / Sráid San Séamas". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023.
- ^ "The Pilgrimage". Irish Society of the Friends of St.James. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011.
- ^ a b Mulvaney, Amy (13 February 2019). "Double Take: The Dublin church with 800-year-old links to an ancient pilgrimage". thejournal.ie. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Archive Fact Sheet: St. James's Gate" (PDF). guinness-storehouse.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2018.
The medieval gate of St. James was demolished in 1734, 25 years before Arthur Guinness took over the Brewery on the site
- ^ Stephen Mansfield (2009). The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer that Changed the World. Nelson. ISBN 9781418580674.
Called St. James's Gate because of the church and parish by that name nearby, it stood for five centuries before crumbling to the ground. The name was retained for the location though, largely because there had been a holy well on the site that was the centrepiece for an annual summer festival
- ^ a b Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 - Volume 4 - Record of Protected Structures (PDF), Dublin City Council, pp. 126, 127
- ^ "James's Street, Dublin 8, Dublin". buildingsofireland.ie. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
- ^ McNally, Frank (6 August 2019). "Not To Be Sniffed At – Frank McNally on the disappearing smells of Dublin". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
- ^ "The Joyce Project : Ulysses : James's gate". joyceproject.com. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
Section 12 of Wandering Rocks follows Tom Kernan on the far western edge of Dublin as he walks eastward "From the sundial towards James's gate," along James's Street, and then north toward the river
- ^ O'Reilly, George. The Making of the Television Show "A Little Bit of Irish". Printcomp. p. 1.
- ^ Ring, Evelyn (3 September 2004). "Soap to swear by as Fair City celebrates 15 years". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
Scriptwriters had wanted him to say 'Jesus' but he couldn't [..] I had to say 'For James's Street' instead
- ^ Share, Bernard (2005). Slanguage: A Dictionary of Slang and Colloquial English in Ireland. Gill & Macmillan. p. 169. ISBN 9780717139590.
James's Street! [interj. euphem. [..] thoroughfare best known for the location, since 1759, of the brewery of Arthur Guinness [..] ]: Jaysus!
- ^ Walter, Elke (2017). Irish Slang - Echt Irisches Englisch. Reise Know-How. ISBN 9783831747887.
- ^ "Late bloomer Cian Byrne emerges from behind Bohs' enemy lines to FAI Cup final stage". Irish Independent. 10 November 2023.
- ^ Quinn, James (2009). "Carey, James". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Royal Irish Academy. doi:10.3318/dib.001470.v1.
- ^ "General Registrar's Office". IrishGenealogy.ie. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
- ^ O'Halpin, Eunan (October 2009). "Cosgrave, William Thomas". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Royal Irish Academy. doi:10.3318/dib.002077.v1.
- ^ Nolan, Karen (2010). Sweet Memories: The Story of Urney Chocolates. Whitestown, Drinagh, Wexford: Blue Rook Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-9566474-0-5.
- ^ "This much I know: Jim Lockhart". Irishexaminer.com. 18 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- ^ Fallon, Donal (12 November 2012). "A Former Lord Mayor: Sir Mark Rainsford". Comeheretome.com (Dublin life & culture). Archived from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
- ^ Sweeting, Adam (17 April 2023). "Mark Sheehan obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 June 2025.