Cultural Quarter
Temple Bar
A typical scene from Temple Bar
Image courtesy of www.landliving.comTemple Bar
Image courtesy of www.landliving.com
Image courtesy of www.landliving.com
Temple Bar
A typical scene from Temple Bar
Image courtesy of www.landliving.comTemple Bar is located on the south of the city, sandwiched between the River Liffey and Dame Street. It is known as a lively entertainment area and stretches well beyond the street that gives it its name.
Historically, Temple Bar has been the venue for events of cultural importance. For example, in April 1742, the composer George Frederic Handel conducted the first ever performance of his masterpiece 'Messiah' in the New Musick Hall on Fishamble Street. Today, the Temple Bar Cultural Trust hosts a Dublin Handel Festival each year.
Even when Temple Bar declined in population and suffered mass decay during the 19th and 20th centuries, it was still a popular location for artists of all types. Galleries and other cultural venues were attracted by the low rents on offer here due to many buildings being left vacant.
Temple Bar Properties
Meeting House Square
Meeting House Square is an outdoor room bound by The Ark and the National Photographic Archive and School of Photography. The square features a stage and projection room to facilitate film screenings, performances and concerts. The Temple Bar Food Market is held here every Saturday.
Image courtesy of www.landliving.comMeeting House Square
Image courtesy of www.landliving.com
Image courtesy of www.landliving.com
Meeting House Square
Meeting House Square is an outdoor room bound by The Ark and the National Photographic Archive and School of Photography. The square features a stage and projection room to facilitate film screenings, performances and concerts. The Temple Bar Food Market is held here every Saturday.
Image courtesy of www.landliving.comDuring the early 1980s, with Temple Bar still largely run down, CIE had plans to demolish the area and build a new bus depot. However, after objections from residents and An Taisce (the National Trust of Ireland), the government decided to regenerate the area. They set up an organisation called Temple Bar Properties to oversee this process.
The mission of Temple Bar Properties was "to develop a bustling cultural, residential and small-business precinct that will attract visitors in significant numbers". The evidence from Temple Bar today suggests that they were reasonably successful in doing that.
Temple Bar Properties has since changed its name to the Temple Bar Cultural Trust. Amongst other things they run an information centre, provide use of their buildings to artists at a discounted rate, commission new art work and organise over 250 free outdoor cultural events each year.