sites of public execution
Recently renovated and now the home to public art and live performances, Grand Canal Square is part of an urban renewal project on the Dublin Docklands. However, the site has had different public functions in the past. In the 18th century, the area was called Misery Hill and housed the public gallows for the hangings of pirates and thieves. Irishmen fighting against British rule were also hung here during the 1803 rebellion. In Medieval times, due to the location’s proximity to the water and the edge of town, there was another form of misery quartered here. People with leprosy who could not afford to stay in the hospice in town were moved here on their way out of the city.