Misery Hill () is a street in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, Ireland, near

Grand Canal Dock Grand Canal Dock () is a Southside area near the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. It is located on the border of eastern Dublin 2 and the westernmost part of Ringsend in Dublin 4, surrounding the Grand Canal Docks, an enclosed harbour where the G ...

Location

Misery Hill is located near Grand Canal Dock. It is partly a one way street leading from Macken Street to Grand Canal Square. It runs along the northern aspect of the

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre (originally the Grand Canal Theatre) is a performing arts venue, located in the Docklands of Dublin, Ireland. It is Ireland's largest fixed-seat theatre. It was designed by Daniel Libeskind for the DDDA, built by ...

History

The most common theory of the origin of the name Misery Hill is related to the display of corpses of those hanged at Gallows Hill near

Baggot Street Baggot Street () is a street in Dublin, Ireland. Location The street runs from Merrion Row (near St. Stephen's Green) to the northwestern end of Pembroke Road. It crosses the Grand Canal near Haddington Road. It is divided into two sections: ...

on this street. Corpses could be left on display for up to 12 months. This practice was recorded as late as 1766, with the display of the corpses of two pirates being placed there. The practice ended with the opening of the

College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations a ...

. In 1803, two associates of

Robert Emmett Robert Emmet (4 March 177820 September 1803) was an Irish republicanism, Irish Republican, orator and rebel leader. Following the suppression of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, United Irish uprising in 1798, he sought to organise a renewed attemp ...

, John Begg and James Byrne were hanged on Townsend Street, but some oral sources claimed they were executed on Misery Hill. In medieval Dublin, during the 1200s, the area was a departure point for lepers leaving Ireland to go on pilgrimage to

Camino de Santiago The Camino de Santiago ( la, Peregrinatio Compostellana, "Pilgrimage of Compostela"; gl, O Camiño de Santiago), known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint ...

. The area between Misery Hill and

Lazer Lane Lazer may refer to: * An incorrect spelling of laser, an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation * An antiquated term for a person with leprosy. * Lazer, Hautes-Alpes, a commune in southeastern France * Panther Lazer, a ...

was occupied by a hospital for the pilgrims, dealing in basic first aid for those in lower social classes. The care provided was so basic as to be called "miserable", and this is another theory as to the etymology of Misery Hill. Architectural historian, Paul Clerkin asserts that those suffering from leprosy that could not gain admittance to the leper hospital at

Hawkins Street Hawkins Street is a street in central Dublin, Ireland. It runs south from Rosie Hackett Bridge, at its junction with Burgh Quay, for to a crossroads with Townsend Street, where it continues as College Street. History Hawkins Street dates from ...

would live in this area, at a remove from the main city. In the 20th century, the area around Misery Hill was industrial, with stores, and a large

gasometer A gas holder or gasholder, also known as a gasometer, is a large container in which natural gas or town gas is stored near atmospheric pressure at ambient temperatures. The volume of the container follows the quantity of stored gas, with pressu ...

Sir John Rogerson's Quay Sir John Rogerson's Quay is a street and quay in Dublin on the south bank of the River Liffey between City Quay in the west and Britain Quay. Named for politician and property developer Sir John Rogerson (1648–1724), the quay was formerl ...

. In the late 20th and early 21st century, the area was completely redeveloped as part of the wider

Dublin Docklands Dublin Docklands ( ga, Ceantar Dugaí Átha Cliath) is an area of the city of Dublin, Ireland, on both sides of the River Liffey, roughly from Talbot Memorial Bridge eastwards to the 3Arena. It mainly falls within the city's D01 and D02 ...

. The headquarters of

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

in Europe are on the corner of Misery Hill and Macken Street.

Literary influence

The poet David Wheatley's 2000 collection of poetry is entitled ''Misery Hill,'' with the street being the starting point for his Joycean inspired modern journey through Dublin.

References

{{Streets in Dublin city, state=autocollapse Streets in Dublin (city)