How Temple Bar, Dublin Got Its Name

The name Temple Bar comes from two successive Anglo-Irish families who owned the riverside plot in the 1600s.

1. The Temple Family (early 1600s) – Sir William Temple (1555–1627), Provost of Trinity College Dublin (1609–1627), acquired the land. His son Sir John Temple (1600–1677), Master of the Rolls in Ireland, inherited it.
2. The Bar Family (later 1600s) – The land passed to the Bar (or Barr) family, who built the first bridge across the Liffey at this point in 1670, known as Bar Bridge (later Essex Bridge, now Grattan Bridge).

The combined association — Temple's land + Bar's bridge — gave the district its name. By the 18th century, "Temple Bar" denoted the entire riverside quarter, which evolved from aristocratic housing to a dense commercial/entertainment zone. The medieval "Temple Bar" gate in London (Fleet Street) is unrelated; it marked the City of London boundary.

Modern Temple Bar

• Designated cultural quarter in 1990s; preserved cobblestones, historic facades.
• Home to Irish Film Institute, Temple Bar Gallery, Meeting House Square, vibrant nightlife.
• Criticized for touristification; still a symbol of Dublin's historic core.