Fishamble Street

Fishamble Street was first laid down by the Viking's around the 10th century as a through passageway to connect the river to the main market centre around High Street.

It derived its name from the fish shambles or stalls which lined the street. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was an extremely fashionable street. It was here, in Neal's Music Hall, on Tuesday 13th April, 1742, over 700 men (without their swords) and women (without their hoops) were crammed tightly in to hear the world's first performance of George Frederick Handel's new oratorio "Messiah".