King's Inns

The Honorable Society of King's Inns (HSKI) is the institution which controls the entry of barristers-at-law into the justice system of Ireland. The full title retains the historical spelling variant "honorable" in preference to the contemporary Irish/British "honourable" (see article 'spelling differences'). The society was created in 1541, this being 51 years before Trinity College, Dublin was founded, making it one of Ireland's oldest professional and educational institutions. The founders named their society in honour of King Henry VIII of England and his newly-established Kingdom of Ireland. The society secured a lease of lands at Inns Quay on the north bank of the River Liffey in Dublin. The society was reconstituted in 1607,...