St James's Gate marks the original entrance to the Guinness Brewery, the world's largest stout brewery since Arthur Guinness signed his famous 9,000-year lease in 1759. The gate itself is a modest but historically charged archway on Thomas Street at the edge of the Kilmainham and Liberties districts.
The surrounding area retains something of the industrial character of old Dublin — the brewery complex, bonded warehouses, and workers' streets that shaped this part of the city for over 250 years. The Guinness Storehouse visitor attraction is a short walk away, but the gate itself is free to see.