St. James's Gate, located off the south quays of Dublin, on James's Street, was the western entrance to the city during the Middle Ages. During this time the gate was the traditional starting point for the Camino pilgrimage from Dublin to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia (Spain).[1] Though the original medieval gate was demolished in 1734,[2] the gate gave its name to the area in which it was located,[3] and in particular to the St. James's Gate Brewery (which was taken over by Arthur Guinness in 1759).[2]
The medieval gate of St. James was demolished in 1734, 25 years before Arthur Guinness took over the Brewery on the site
Called St. James's Gate because of the church and parish by that name nearby, it stood for five centuries before crumbling to the ground. The name was retained for the location though, largely because there had been a holy well on the site that was the centrepiece for an annual summer festival