The Honorable Society of King’s Inns was formally established in 1541. It derives its name from King Henry VIII who was instrumental in ensuring that a lease of the lands at Inns Quay (where the Four Courts are now located) was transferred to the benchers. By the end of the 19th century, the government of the day decided that it needed a building in which to house permanent courts. The Honorable Society of King’s Inns is the oldest institution of legal education in Ireland. It was founded in 1541 during the reign of Henry VIII when the king granted the Society the lands and properties on which the Four Courts now stand but which were then occupied by a Dominican monastery. When the Four Courts were built in the 1790s, King’s Inns moved to Constitution Hill and the benchers commissioned James Gandon to design their present property. Henceforward, these would be the headquarters of the Benchers and the School of Law. The primary focus of the school is the training of barristers but now also offers a range of other courses.