In eighteenth century Dublin the Hell-Fire club met at Daly’s club on College Green, and other places rather more in keeping with the Hell-Fire traditions. These were basically organisations which were formed by the bored and rakish sons of the aristocracy, often in old ruins or halls on country estates; they were places where immorality of various kinds could be indulged and practised. They also had ritualistic tendencies, often involving sexual and drunken orgies.
In Dublin, the Hell-Fire club acquired the local name of ‘The Devil’s Kitchen’ and the rascals associated with it were known as ‘bucks’. The club was founded by Richard Parsons, Earl of Rosse and Colonel Jack St Leger. These characters were out for a good time and with no sense of restraint. Their motto was ‘do as you will’. The wildness of their parties may be illustrated by the tale of Buck Sheely, a man who was caught cheating at cards; after a mock trial, the victim was thrown through the window on the third floor, and he was dressed up as a bull, with actual skin and horns used. It was no joke though, as Sheely died.