Temple Bar (Temple of Bars)

Temple Bar, Dublin's cultural quarter or left bank. An amazing area to explore and a must see for any visit to the capital of Ireland. Something for everyone to see and do. Back in 1987 it was a totally derelict area that was was due to be demolished to make way for a CIE (Dublin Bus) depot but as luck would have it was saved by the then Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Charles J Haughey who had the idea to turn it into Dublin's left bank, an idea thought up by one of his "girlfriends".

So the area was saved and within a few years became the in place to be seen. Your Visit to Temple Bar Starts Here! Dublin's Cultural Quarter is located on the south bank of the River Liffey and is home to more than fifty organisations offering you all types of cultural experiences in some of the most spectacular and innovative venues in the city. Temple Bar aka Temple of Bars, today is a total transformation to what it was back in the early 1980's.

Today it is a world famous area which attracts millions of tourists each year and offers something for everyone from dozens of bars offering live Irish music, many places to eat including several famous restaurants Gallagher's Boxty House (traditional Irish food) and Elephant and Castle which are packed all day and night long.

Temple Bar (Eustace Street) is also home to the IFI Cinemas (3 small cinemas) and Irish film house which show mostly alternative and Irish-made films and has also a great restaurant which again is very popular. Temple Bar has many street entertainers and buskers, art galleries a farmers market, open air cinema (summer time), endless music venues, several theaters including Irelands smallest (The New Theatre) as well as home to U2's Clarence hotel.

Temple Bar is a special place and one cannot help have a smile on one's face when walking through it as there is always something worth seeing, Its a magical area full of fun, plenty of craic and loads of frolics.  Many buskers and street performers make the area really lively and fun.

Temple Bar has gotten bigger so take a new look; it now includes several new streets with some names like Cow Lane, Copper Alley among others that you may never have even heard of. The new area is located between Parliament and Fishamble Streets and has a newly pedestrianised area with plenty to offer visitors including several new places to eat , some new and unusual shops and places to relax and enjoy a drink. A nice place for a  quick snack is the wonderful Queen of Tarts in Cow Lane, great food and cakes all home make.

Getting to Temple Bar could not be easier to get to as it is located right in the centre of the city and all roads lead to this area from north south east or west. Also buses, trains and taxis are all very close by and if you are driving it has two car parks also. Temple Bar is a unique area and well worth a visit.

The film Far and Away starring Tom Cruise and his then wife Nicole Kidman was filmed here,  before it's transformation Temple Bar resembled a place like back in the 1800's so it did not take much work to make the area resemble Boston of the 1880's,  shop fronts were added to the buildings and the derelict sites had fake stores added and when finished looked pretty amazing, but was all removed when filming finished. The movie is famous for the "Irish accent" of Tom Cruise or lack of it.

Did you Know! Handel's Messiah was performed for the very first time on Fishamble Street in Temple Bar on April 13th, 1742, Each year Temple Bar celebrates Handel and his Dublin connections beginning with the annual performance of the Messiah on the original location on Fishamble Street. (Handels arch which was the original entrance to the Music Hall) stood from the 1740's to the late 1990's when during construction of a block of apartments a truck backed into it and it was destroyed). 

Temple Bar, has three outdoor markets: The Food Market (Every Saturday), The Book Market (Every weekend), and the designer Mart at Cow's Lane (Every Saturday).