W W 7** 77 own-Wall rtifications of Ireland , vS^. Fleming The Town-wall Fortifications of Ireland The Town-wall Fortifications of Ireland BY J. S. FLEMING F.S.A. (Scor.), M.R.S.A. (!RK.), ETC. ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR PAISLEY: ALEXANDER GARDNER fag ^pjrointmtnt to thr Mt Untnt Victoria LONDON SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KKNT & CO., LMD. rKINTEI) BV ALEXANDER (iARl)NEH, PAISLEY PREFACE. Ix making these few sketches of the Town-Wall Fortifications, the product of periodical visits to Ireland extending over many years, the author had no object beyond perhaps contributing an article with the illustrations and notes of the cities which the walls defended to the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Irish Society of Antiquaries, of which he has the honour to be a member ; but as the sketches accumulated, and no work on this branch of the castellated archi- tecture of Ireland appears to have been published, he ventured to think that the collection with relative notes in book form, would be favourably accepted by the Irish antiquary as a small but not unin- teresting contribution to the National archaeological literature. The original drawings have been added to by a few others, taken from ancient prints wherever the author had access, of wall erections which, by the exigencies of civic extensions had to be removed, and thus so far making the series complete. Short histories, with dates and terms of the Royal Incorporating Charters of these cities, pro- viding for the expense of the erection and subsequent maintenance of the walls surrounding the cities, are given, which disclose by a sidelight the condition of Ireland following on the occupancy of the Anglo-Norman Invaders (1171). For the legendary history of the derivation of the Celtic names of the cities whose walls are illustrated and described, Standish H. O'Grady has declared himself responsible ; and for this invaluable contribution, as well as for other services frankly and ungrudgingly given in revising the text, I trust he will gi-atify me in allowing me here to acknowledge my deep obligation, and express my grateful thanks to him. J. S. F. CALLANDEU, May, 1914. 2060949 CONTENTS AND LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PACK Fethard Wall and Antiquarian Group, - Frontispiece Castle, Mill Street, Cork, - Title-page I. WATKRFORD, 11 1. Hound embattled Tower, Tramore Railway Square, 12 2. Square Tower and part of Wall, Brown's Lane, - 13 3. The French Tower " (circular), Castle Street, 14 4. Half- moon Tower and pail of Wall, in Wedge- worth's stables, - 15 5. " Reginald " or " Ring " Tower, on the Quay, - 17 II. WEXFOUD, 23 6. Ruintd Loop-holed House on Wall, - 21 7. Circular Wall-tower and part of Wall, 23 8. Plan of " West-gate " basement, 24 9. The " West -gate," a square ivy -covered Gate-tower, 25 III. FORE, 28 10. South Gateway. 28 IV. DROGHEDA, - 30 11. "St. Lawrence Gate," exterior side, - 30 12. Do. do., interior side in 1784, 31 13. "St. John's," or "West-gate," - 32 V. FETHARD, - 34 14. Square Gate-Tower and Archway, - 35 VI. NEW Ross, 37 15. " Fair-gate " (removed), 38 16. "Three Bullets .Gate " (removed), 39 17. Circular Wall-tower, the only remains of ancient wall fortifications, - 41 6 CONTEXTS AND LIST OF IT/LUSTRATIONS. I'AGF. VII. KlLMALLOCK, - 43 18. Ancient Square Tower with Archway, - 43 19. North Gate, Spanish architecture, - 44 MIL KILKENNY, 46 20. Bastion on ancient Walls of Town, 47 IX. CLOXMELL, - 49 21. The " West-gate " and ruined houses on walls (exterior), - 49 22. Do. do. do., interior or town side, 50 23. Wall-tower and recessed loopholed wall, St. Mary's churchyard, - 51 X. ATHLOXE, 53 24. The ancient " North -gate," a square building, - 53 25. The Connaught Tower, ancient citadel, 54 XL GALWAY, 56 26. The " Blind Arches," the ancient " Water-gate," 56 27. Old Archway, 57 XII. YOUGHAL, 61 28. " Water-gate," small embattled archway, 59 29. " The Iron Tower," or " Tinnicastle " Gateway (removed, 1777), - 61 30. Half-moon Wall-tower, 62 XIII. KELLS (IN OSSORY), 64 31. West side of outer surrounding Wall, and its Main Tower, - 64 32. South side of surrounding Wall, and its three Towers, - 65 33. Outer Gateway, entrance to the Burghers' Court, 67 34. Gateway and Bridge over the fosse, 69 35. Inner Gateway and Bridge over fosse, with Wall and adjacent Tower, separating Burghers' Court from Ecclesiastical Court, 71 CoNTKMs AM) LIST OK ILLUSTRATIONS. J'AGE XIV. TRIM, 74 36'. The " Sheep Gate " and part of Town-wall, 74 XV. ATIIKSRY, 75 37. Athenry Square Gate-tower with circular Arch- way, 75 38. Athenry Wall-tower, - 76 XVI. LONDONDERRY, 81 39. Ancient Wall-turret or Bastion, and part of looped Town-wall, - 79 40. Ship Quay Gateway, 82 XVII. CARRICKFERGUS, 83 41. North-gate,- 83 XVIII. DUBLIN, 87 42. " Brown's Castle," one of the principal ancient gate-to were of Dublin's fortifications (removed), 85 XIX. LIMERICK, 88 43. Part of Town- wall, 88 44. St. John's Gate. - - 89 Knockanneen Castle, Tipperary, - 91 THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. ["""HE few existing remains of town -wall fortifications, which * formerly enclosed and protected every important town in Ireland, and which yearly diminish in number, are, as a class, undeservedly overlooked by writers on the antiquities of such towns as they describe. From their special architecture, however, and diversified forms of construction apparently regulated by the civic builder's taste, or his lack of it, rather than by any general scheme of fortification applicable to a town's protection the remains in question are most interesting ; and a desire to perpetuate their memory, so far as may be, by these few sketches of those still existing, as well as of others still extant in the last century, must be the excuse for this book. That earlier town defences were mere palisades or stakes of wood with a covering dry ditch, or, as in a very much later instance, of mere "sods and turfs," called a " varmour," in the town of Carrick- fergus, we have abundant evidence in the chronicles of their time. Such defensive works obviously were essential both to the safety of citizens and to the protection of their goods ; for the undisciplined and, for siege purposes, ill-equipped Irish naturally would turn their attention to the newly erected towns, with their richer booty, and shun the strongly fortified and garrisoned Norman castles. Thus, in all charters of early important towns on their incorpora- tion, we find special obligations imposed on their citizens to protect themselves and their property by surrounding the town with sufficient fortifications, embracing walls of stone and essential gateways, to secure it against the assaults of " our Irish rebels " ; while for the o expense of their erection and subsequent maintenance provision was 10 THE Towx- WALL FORTIFICATION'S OF IRELAND. made by a tax, or set of taxes, called " the Coquet,"" eventually known as "the mural tax." 1 Royal charters of the English kings from Henry II. to Richard III. (1171 to 1395) in which the king designates himself "Rex Ang. Dux Norm, et Aquit. Dominus Hibernian 2 all have similar provisions for this special purpose, and it is to be noted that the material of construction was stipulated to be stone. 3 In these few sketches will be recognised not only a type of stone structure differing from the castle proper, but in many specimens of towers they will be found to vary not only from those on the walls of neighbouring towns, but even from each other on the same wall. Mr. W. F. Wakeman says that the walls of Irish cities and towns anciently remarkable for strength and the security they afforded, have been almost entirely destroyed, though several gates and towers remain. Those erected by the Danes have disappeared long since, and still existing remains are attributed to the English as being invariably found in connection with places known to have anciently been strongholds of that nation. The greater number of the towers are square and of considerable height (Handbook of Irish Antiquities, p. 1 43). Our sketches show that square forms with pointed gateways form but a very small proportion of the towers now extant, the majority being circular, as well as the archways through the gate- towers. The general ground plan as shown (Sketch 8) is that of the square two-storied tower, West-gate, Wexford : an example with a circular- arched passage through it, which contains in the basement, on the right hand, a small ill-lighted cell for offenders, with a narrow stair leading to a room over the archway; and on the left hand, under recessed archways, a stone seat to accommodate the watchman on guard and the collector of town's customs, whose duty also it was to open and shut as well as to guard the gates. 1 Coquet or cocket was a certificate from the Custom House that duty had been paid, and is derived from the words quo quietus used in the receipt for the tax, and latterly all customs came to be known by that name. 1 Henry II. was so pleased with his title Lord of Ireland, that in his style he placed it before his duchies of Normandy and Aquitaine. 3 Chartcn Pricilegia et Immunitatis, Ireland, 1171 to 1395. THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 11 I. WATERFORD. WATERFORD (which occurs in an Anglo-Irish text of about A.D. 1420 l ) is the anglicised form of Norse Vcdrafjord = Weather- firth, a name which, whether in praise or dispraise, the Ostmen doubtless had good reason for conferring on this bay. The Irish name was, and is, Port lairge, which would have been anglicised Portlargy = Thigh- port, and at first sight is obscure perhaps ; but the legend, very briefly, is this 2 : In prehistoric times Roth, son of Cichang, a Fomorian [Scandin- avian] pirate king, came on a Southern prospecting expedition "his left hand to the sea and his right to the coasts of Britain.' 1 '' Presum- ably he must have been almost through the straits of Dover when he heard, as it were proceeding from muir n-Icht (the Ictian Sea or British Channel) the strains of " mermaids."" He rowed for them, and came upon a set of lovely beings with golden hair, etc., who soon sang him to sleep. Then, however, their under-water part came into play. With monstrous talons they dismembered him, devoured him, and by the drift of the sea a larcu; or thigh, of him was propelled into the bay in question. Larac is an older form of n.f. larag; gen., lairge , dat. ace., lara\g. Note that in Irish the acute accent equals the French circumflex A . As the early Pagan Otmen had done before them, so also, in A.D. 1171 the Norman invaders recognised the excellent anchorage and shelter which this estuary afforded to their galleys. The still existing walls, which to a considerable extent are of their original height and have five wall-towers, all differing in construction, are fairly well preserved. 1 The English Conquest of Ireland (E. E. Text Society, Original Series, No. 107). 2 See Book of Leinster, Book of Ballymote, and other Irish MSS. 12 THE Tows- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. Sketch 1 is of a small circular embattled tower, standing in a cooper's yard close to Tramore railway station ; evidently it has but recently been repaired, and that to a considerable extent, the upper Sketch 1. part and battlements having been modernised. In an old drawing this tower, defined as an " ancient Waterford fortification," appeal's with its original stepped battlement, as common to Irish castles. Sketch 2. Sketch 2 is a squai*e double tower, standing in a private garden ; we reach it by following slight traces of the old town-wall. It is roof- less, and the walls, which still are of their original height, are roughly built of undressed stones. THE TOWX-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. Sketch 3. Sketch 3 is an elevated circular tower called the " French Tower," which we reach by still following the wall up Brown's Lane. Its great THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 15 height, overlooking as it does the whole city and harbour, suggests the idea that it was built as a watch tower ; or else that it was one of two towers, with an archway between them, and forming one of the city gateways. It is roofless, but its walls are in good preservation. Sketch 4. Sketch 4 is the " Half-moon Tower," at which we arrive by still following traces of the wail amongst clustering houses and other buildings ; it stands, with a piece of the wall contiguous, in Wedge- worth's stableyard, is less definite in form, and more dilapidated. 16 THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. The " Beach Tower " is about forty perches further on, and in good preservation. It is built against the escarpment of the wall : on the south side it appears but a few feet high, whereas on the north it shows a considerable elevation of wall. So closely surrounded and hidden by buildings is it, however, that it cannot be photographed, and only with difficulty could a perfect drawing of it be made. Sketch 5 is " Reginald's Tower," or the " Ring Tower," which some antiquaries will have to be a wall-tower of the same series. But neither in architecture nor in construction is it either Irish or Norman, nor will any observant antiquary suppose that Normans could have built it at one time with the other existing wall-towers, although subsequently it may have come to be used as such. Its solid, carefully- constructed masonry of dressed stones, without the usual batter to its walls, points to the foreign builder, and one of an epoch prior to the Anglo-Norman invasion. We have an example in the castle of Grandiston ; but the tower there seems to be a copy or adaptation, and clearly was ei'ected at a long subsequent period. Of the twenty towers which tradition attributes to the city walls, the following are, with their names, reproduced from a map of 1673 : (1) Ring Tower ; (2) St. John's Gate and Tower ; (3) Close Gate ; (4) French Tower ; (5) St. Patrick's Gate and Fort ; (6) Barry strand Gate; (7) Arauendell's Fort; (8) Arauendell's Gate; (9) lady's Gate; (10) Green Tower; (11) Colbeck Gate. Mr. F. Power, writing in the Royal Irish Antiquarian Society's Journal for September, 1912, describes the city in its earliest stage as having covered some thirty acres in all, and girt by a stone wall supplemented with deep fosses, having strengthening towel's at its various angles. "One of these latter, Reginald's (or the Ring) Tower, and a second, Turgesius' Tower, stood close to the present Cathedral in Barronstrand Street ; a third, St. Martin's, near the present convent in Lady Lane ; a fourth, the French Tower, in Castle Street ; and, for certain, a bastion at the south-west angle ; and, about twenty yards from its locality, a nearly perfect square bastion on the east side of the Railway Square, entered through a private residence ; and a squat tower midway between the south-west and north-west angles and towers. Sketch r>. ItECilXAI.D Oil RIN(! TOtt'EU. &s <*:; a^t- ~-l ;= ^ ./^JRlSp: / : j* J 4^ilP Wi% xfflEnH >^ ^i^^fPf^^%^^ *p- SL^^^M^Iya^B^ % ^,; ^T^^!^^^*. ?S o %^eV^iili .31^ / t K 4S# t3(u Jy**. ^^^r s :^S O^ j.e^^ >^ t- -"- . ^'^ "BEECH TOWKH " (REAR OF HARVIE'S WORKS, WATEHFORD). Sketch 4 a ' To face page 19- THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 19 " From the French Tower the wall is traceable, and runs on the north side of Brown's Lane and rear of Stephen's Street to the jail, the latter occupying the site of the ancient citadel, it being here arched and recessed ; and at the rear of Harvie's works, another small tower, called the 'Beach Tower 1 ; and in Wedgewood's stables, above referred to, and forty perches distant therefrom, a half-round bastion completes the sixth existing tower; and thence the city wall ran north- east to meet at Turgesius 1 Tower of the earlier Danish city. 11 The city's earliest charters are those granted by King John in 1205; by Edward III., April 20, 1377; and by Richard II., July 30, 1388 ; which, inter alia, imposed on the citizens the burden of erecting and maintaining in efficiency the stone walls and towers and the gates of the city's then limited area, along with its quay and harbour, for which purposes the corporation is granted the right to levy the custom called the coqtiet, and that for a space of ten years. To judge by the walls of two at least out of five towers, they may well be as old as the first of these charters, the third of which gives a reason for the concession of this coquet : that the town walls had been dilapidated and breached during the slaughterings and depreda- tions " of our Irish enemies and our rebellious Englishmen, as well as by the invasion of our various other enemies, French and Spanish." i: ' &*ss?r- ^2res&aH ff r^rrg/r: r , ,, ^Lr ' e =4*=j^;ftlj$ ' SP^SS^* ^JJBP - ,.-i- i m^uy'^ Sit^S^W: I %?a2i ' < ^- /' V , V>-cs X. ! Lt^.FfilhTU'.y. s* .v -< -^*^r \^S' K^ ! / " ' f'*^ i. "^\.' fcxr- >- j ' -; *=t, -T' (T _\ jTlff/Si'J ^ > .U :-t i ^>^ %& '-, < T-" > r r ^viyH Tj-^X ^ "^^ t \ -^ >; -V-5*^ i ^^11 2^ ; ^* ^ f^ % -. ^^AJW #3CSs Il^:2k5^ra ySb M?8tf *% ^3 ^ / v rfSfc ^^ts X ^ /- -< -. ^ 7^ CW . ij* , Wv3 N Hc5 1 8 THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. IIWEXFORD. WEXFORD, anciently IVeisefordie, a compound bhe pi'ior half of which is not satisfactorily explained by the authorities. In Irish it was, and is, called Loch Garman, and of course has its legend : In the time of the monarch Cathaoir mor (died, A.U. 166) was a notable freebooter and outlaw, Gaiinan, who, in the feis Temrach, or convention of Tara (which was a "Truce of God"), purloined the queen's diadem ; for which cast of his art her husband had him drowned in what now, anglice, is Wexford harbour. This lesser port has in good preservation a considerable portion of its old walls, with three towers. These walls, it is alleged, originally were twenty feet in height and on the inner side reinforced by an earthen ram- part twenty feet wide. The castle proper, an old print of which, from a drawing by Thomas Dinely (1680) is extant, is quite demolished. Sketch 6. From its type and present condition, this tower seems to be more modern than the others ; probably, indeed, it dates only from the Rebellion of 1798, and is like part of a looped dwelling- house built into the wall rather than a tower of defence. *& fc '."Y 43 ^|^%^f1W|| ^-' ! " f "^ Mr^--*- pKf, SSSKSfej: ; Sketch 7. .14.-' 24 THE TOWS-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. Sketch 7 shews a long length of the wall, with a tower circular, roofless, and devoid of battlement, its walls looped and the " West Gate v tower in the distance, in the outskirts of the town; which West Gate tower (Sketch 9) is the third and, architecturally, the most important of them : a square, ivy-clad building of two storeys, and pierced by a circular archway ; it is about twenty-five feet square, the vaulted passage (the outer end of which is now built up) is nine feet wide, and in the right-hand side of same is the door of a small, ill-lighted cell for offenders. On the same side, a narrow, winding stair leads to a chamber over the archway, lighted by a small window, and no doubt used to accommodate the civic guard and the collector of customs. In the left wall of the gateway are two arched recesses, with seats for the guard and gatekeeper when on duty ; all which details appear on the annexed basement plan, which also may serve as a compendious illustration of the conventional internal arrangements of such walled cities'/gateways. Sketch 8. Sketch 9. THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 27 WexforcTs earliest mural charter, granted by Strongbox's suc- cessor, the Earl of Pembroke, is dated 23rd July, 1317 ; it refers to certain cruel murders and atrocities committed in the city, the convicted authors of which were to suffer punishment at the castle gate. Now in those days there was but one form of chastisement for such and for many other offences. These last two remaining towel's would not seem of a construc- tion so early as the charter's date ; but may well be the original structures from time to time repaired and partly rebuilt, according as they suffered in divers sieges, the last of which was in 1798. THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. III. FORE. FORE anciently " Foure " a small town in the County West meath, the Irish name of which is Fabhar or Fobhar. Sketch 10. Two fragments of the wall remain : one comprises the south gate archway, another a similar archway of the east gate. Both are all ruinous and featureless, sole relics of this ancient Anglo-Norman city's fortifications. The first tower is of rude but ^^^^^^fet^.^ ^^f^^-~-^kt^' ?l:!^^fe' c ^^^^, 7H rS'^fim^ wVffy/'twU'f- iifii^ s ffj^^$$i,' t i,mf^, m , W ^'^m^t^ =..& mKl w^wli^'^ffi S r <.Xw.x^KK >-, /".n. . >*> EAST GATE, FORE (INTERIOR). i*m ! $^ i. . ' ,JPPfc fe-*"^^^ Mt$f- ^^m> OP To face page 29. THE TOWX-WAU, FORTIFICATIONS OF IKKLAXD. 29 massive masonry, with its circular arch formed of dressed stones ; and the discernible jamb and lintel stones of a small window, built up, indicate a former chamber over the gateway, otherwise its scant surviving walls would scarcely be taken for a gate tower at all. Tradition ascribes the town's foundation to the Norman invaders, but the erection of these walls is attributed to the fifteenth century, and that probably is the likelier date. They have been carefully preserved as venerable memorials of this village's ancient importance as a city. 30 THE Tows- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. IV. DROGHEDA. DROGHEDA, County Louth in Irish called Droichead titha, - " Ford-bridge, 111 in token that an old highway ford had been spanned by a bridge has preserved two of its city gates. Of the foundations of its other defences the remains are but few. Sketch 11. St. Lawrence's Tower, drawn as here in 1898, was restored on the original lines in the early part of 1700, and, as a THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 31 comparison with an old print very faithfully shows, it is a stately structure, and interesting as a good specimen of its class ; perhaps the most imposing town gateway now in Ireland, and the pride of its citizens. A casual observer will not readily understand the object of such massive gateways with connecting walls so much lower and of weaker masonry, which must seriously have discounted the strong tower's defensive value. May we attribute the size and imposing architectural appearance of St. Lawrence's Tower to the Corporation's pardonable pride in making the chief entrance to their town attractive, and commensurate with their civic dignity ? It may be described as consisting of two lofty circular towers connected by a hollow wall, in the lower part of which is an archway. The towers, as well as the arched wall which unites them and the continuing town-wall, are pierced with numerous recessed loop-holes on the town side ; originally these were furnished with timber platforms extending from tower to tower, otherwise defenders of the gate could not have used them (see Sketch 12). It is situated in the busy centre of the town. Sketch 12 is of the interior or townside prior to the restoration. Sketch 32 THE TOWX-WALL FORTIFICATIOXS OF IKELAXD. Sketch 13 shows the west, or St. John's, gate of same date a tower with square base and octagon upper half, standing isolated in the suburbs. It also (although a smaller structure) is a picturesque feature, yet not equalling its larger sister in pretension to ornament. ft Jok >i .s 6 cit t Sketch 13. It is the only other remaining tower octagonal in form ; it is pierced with long, narrow loop-holes, and was further strengthened by a portcullis, the groove of which still is nearly perfect. Since the period of Cromwell's "crowning mercy" the successful storming of Drogheda in 1690 the walls gradually have sunk to utter ruin ; but THE TOWX-WALL FORTIFICATIOXS OF IKELAXD. 33 from the portions yet existing in tolerably perfect shape, we can form an idea of their ancient extent, strength, and architectural charac- teristics. From an early period this was a walled town and strong place. In 911 we find it the hold of Turgesius the Dane, who fortified it. Immediately after the Anglo-Norman invasion, it was looked upon as a strategetical point of great importance, was strengthened accordingly, became the chief seat of the nominally ruling power, and so continued from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century. Successive "lord- deputies " ( = lord-lieutenants) kept up the strength of these defences. In comparatively recent years parts of the lofty and massive walls stood at their original height, while of the original four gateways the above two still are excellently preserved, affording a fair specimen of the old fortifications, and a type of their towers. The city's charter (Henry III., September 20, 1219) concedes to the citizens various customs and port dues, under an obligation to maintain its stone walls, its bridge and quay. To this date may be ascribed the erection also of said works. Another charter (Richard II., October 24, 1385) yet further conceded to the mayor and bailies right to levy new dues, and con- firmed the former grant of customs for maintenance, repairs, rebuilding the now dilapidated walls, paving the streets, etc. 34 THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. V. FETHARD. FETHARD (pronounced as English " feathered "), County Tipperary, is a town lying some seven miles north of Clonmel. In Irish it is called Fidh ard, = " High- wood," a name which, in the case of a synonymous place in Clare, is more phonetically anglicised " Feeard " (to rhyme with " hard "). It is a town of great antiquity, once of importance and high prosperity, but now reduced to little more than a village, noted for the fine abbey and monastery which alone testify to its one-time grandeur. The ecclesiastical ruins show the refectory, kitchen, and dormitory ; these, although roofless, are in excellent preservation, and situated at the south-east end of the town, where parts of the ancient walls are visible. There were four gate towers, but only the north gateway and tower are preserved (Sketch 14). Its arch spans the principal entrance to the town. It is the chief relic of the ancient and extensive wall originally surrounding the town, which is stated to have been half a mile long by a quarter ot a mile in breadth. The guard-house attached (see left of sketch) once had two storeys, but is much dilapidated. The tower's arch alone remains, containing a basement cell and, overhead, a civic guard's apartment. An early charter of Edward I. gives the Corporation power to enclose the town within a fortified wall ; it is confirmed by one of Edward III., dated October 18, 1375, which, moreover, enables the Corporation to levy customs out of which to defray the upkeep of their stone walls. A short distance east of the abbey church is a square castle, measuring forty-two by thirty-three feet on the outside, immediately south of which are two others one of similar dimensions joining the wall, which here is of some height ; the second, of an ornamental architectural character, with a hanging bastion and large east window, may be part either of the abbey's domestic buildings or of the bishop's palace. Smaller towers or bastions adorn this part of the wall, which seems to have been kept in good repair ; and these four ruined buildings, ecclesiastical and castellated, together with the abbey church spire, make an interesting antiquarian group (Frontispiece). FETHARD CATK TOW KB. THK TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 37 VI. NEW ROSS. NEW Ross, County Waterford in Irish, Ros mhic Thr'min, = " Grove of Treon's son."" Here Earl Strongbow's daughter (by his wife Eva, daughter of Derinot MacMurrough na n Gall, = " of the English"") built a magnificent city, as its ruins sufficiently prove. This place is not to be confounded with Ros gla$, = " Green grove, 11 the site of mainistir Eimhfn, = " St. Eiven's monastery," where now stands the town of Monasterevan (pronounced '" Munsterevan") in the Queen's County. In most egregious fashion, Dr. Lanigan, in his Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, L, p. 166, makes the two towns one, and gives the wildest explanation of both names. New Ross retains its Irish name, and in the Life of St. Abban is said to be (as it still is) " washed by the tide " ; and Colgan, in his Ada Sanctorum, 1645, describes it as being remarkable for the ruins of churches and fortifica- tions ; whereas Old Ross is not washed by the tide, never was washed by the tide, nor ever had any ruins at all save of one small, rude parish church. Lanigan must have been misled by the epithet Old ; but by a strange anomaly New Ross it is (as is well known) that stands within the walls of the town built by the EaiTs daughter shortly after the Norman invasion. Old Ross is five miles to the east of it (con- densed from John O'Donovan'a note to Annals of the Four Masters, ad an. 1394). Holinshead also (temp. Elizabeth) describes New Ross as an ancient city and " a haven of great import ; walls, gates, and towel's, equal in circuit to London walls; thi*ee gorgeous gates the 'Bishop's gate" 1 on the east, 'Aldgate' on the south-east, the ' South gate, 1 and a notable wooden bridge. 11 In the Report of the Royal Irish Society of Antiquaries, vol. xxvi., ;i writer emits the opinion that the Bishop's gate was known also as the Fair gate, sometimes, too, as the Maiden gate, and that of the four gates of Ross this was the most remarkable, which in the early fifteenth century was rebuilt by Richard Barrett, Lord Chan- cellor of Ireland and Bishop of Ferns. He resided at Mountgarrett Castle, about thrt e miles from New Ross, and through this gate he passed to officiate in St. Mary's Church. 38 THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. Within memory of living persons, in place of mere fragments here stood a beautiful English gateway. Mr. Wakeman described it as the most ancient and most elegant structure of its class then extant in Ireland, which the beauty of its " first pointed " details rendered well worthy of being called " fair."" This gateway had a portcullis, Sketch 15. and the soffit of the archway was delicately groined. Sketch 15 shows its condition when Mr. Wakeman wrote, and, if accurate, scarcely warrants his flattering description. THE Towx- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 39 Sketch 16. The "Three Bullets Gateway" had its singular name thus : in 1649, as a summons to surrender, Cromwell fired three cannon-shots at it ; the balls remain in the walls. It formed a prominent feature in the "battle of New Ross,"" June 15, 1798, and looked down on the severest struggle fought with the rebels. Here Sketch 16. too it was that Lord Mount] oy, colonel of Dublin militia, was piked when, generously but rashly, he advanced to reason with the rebels : a piece of treachery which roused to such a pitch of fury his own handful of troops that they repulsed the whole rebel force and well avenged his death. 40 THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. Sketch 17. The only existing wall-tower, presenting a few bond- stones which connected it with the original wall (the foundation stones of which are visible yet), stands some fifty yards above the site of the vanished Three Bullets Gate. A charter of Richard II., July 17, 1377, provides out of the customs 4t (four pounds), to be faithfully expended (nor applied to any other purpose) on maintenance and repairs of the town walls and port muros et portum ejusdem repair e et sustintaire. A subsequent charter, January 26, 1394, referring to the wall's then state of dilapidation and destruction caused by "our Irish rebels," concedes for the reparation of the same that custom called " the Coquet." A curious Norman-French poem by Friar Michael of " Kyledare" (Kildare, in Irish Oil Dard) ascribes the building of the walls and fortifications of New Ross to a " chaste widow, a politic dame and bountiful gentlewoman, called Rose ; " whereas, in Irish, ros (Welsh rhos) in seaside topography means a point or headland ; inland, a grove. Sketch 17. NEW ROSS WALL TOWER. THE Tows- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 43 VII. KILMALLOCK. KILMALLOCK, County Limerick in Irish cill Mocheallog, = " Mocheallog" > s church."" Between 639 and 656 that saint founded a monastery on this part of what eventually was to be a part of the Desmond Fitzgeralds' extensive territory ; the town, however, is said to have been a walled city before the Anglo-Norman invasion in 1171, and the abounding ruins of grand mansions within its precincts have gained it the name of " Ireland's Baalbec."" Sketch 18. It now is a mass of ruined hovels, propped by walls of once stately dwellings, which are represented as having been of hewn stone and generally of three storeys, ornamented with battlements, and 44 THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATION'S OF IRELAND. having limestone window-frames with tasteful mouldings and mullions, and capacious fireplaces carved in bold and massive style, with the original sharpness well retained. Some few of these elaborate and massive dwellings, indeed, have lasted on, but in more or less damaged condition. Altogether, Kilmallock affords a depressing picture of decayed grandeur. So late as 1783 it was a parliamentary burgh returning two members. Sketch 18. The only gatehouse still preserved is a half-ruined tower comprising a basement and three storeys. Through the former is a circular archway ; and the apartments over it are reached, through a pointed doorway (the windows also of which are pointed), by a stair directly off the court or street. The architecture is of a light, orna- mental, and tasteful, rather than massive, character, seemingly scarce older than the seventeenth century. 1 >"-*-*i4 lit i-i ?i tif Sketch 19. Sketch 19 is of the North Gate ; the other, of the two tower gateways referred to by O'Donovan as existing in his day (1840) in THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATION'S OF IRKLAND. 45 excellent preservation, and as being in its architectural features a specimen of the Spanish or Moorish type of tower. To a massive, square, low tower, with a broad archway through it, is attached a tall, narrow, lance-shaped tower, narrowing from its foundations to the roof, of a curved or semi -circular shape with over- hnnging eaves, and a range of narrow windows in the top chamber; it presents the appearance of a " minaret." In their architecture the two gateway towel's are of distinctly different types. Crofton Croker (died 1854) describes the town as being entered by a dark and massive gateway. In his day two of the original four gates were extant of solid architecture of Moorish or Spanish character. In some places the lower walls retained their original height, and could be traced continuously from the gateway on the Charleville side to that on the Limerick side, which is considered to be one-fourth of their original extent. Two ruined abbeys on the opposite side complete the vestiges of old Kilmallock. A charter of Edward III., March 4, 1374, refers to the bounds within which the citizens were empowered to exercise their functions and levy customs "to enclose the said town's fortifications with a stone wall " ; it also mentions its former wall-structures as having been destroyed by fire, so that likely these had been wooden palisades, now to be replaced by stonework. 46 THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. VIII. KILKENNY. KILKENNY in Irish, till Cha'mnigh, = " Church of St. Cainnech," angl. "Canice" (died 598). Sketch 20. "The Bastion Walls of Kilkenny" is the name given to this massive circular tower, which, with a great part of the old town wall, existed down to some thirty years ago ; but this, the most interesting part, as well as much more of the old wall, have all but disappeared long since. It is a circular, massive-built, dome-roofed tower, having in its base two doors and a small window ; which base would seem to have consisted of some building with apartments constructed in the wall itself or on it, and from this building the tower springs. A charter of Richard II., May 2, 1394, confirms to the corpora- tion and community their former privilege of levying customs for repairing and maintenance of walls, towel's, and gateways ; all which, to judge by their architecture and other evidences, may well be referred to that ' date. I . * m * WALL BASTION, KILKEXXY. Sketch 20. THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IKELASD. 49 IX. CLONMELL. CLONMELL, County Tipperary in Irish, Clunin meala, = " Honey lawn " or " meadow,"" a name supposed to have been won for the present town's site byjthe abundance of wild honey bees in the district. Sketch 21. Sketch 21. In 1650, Clonmell was besieged by Cromwell, who at first was repulsed with great loss by the commandant, Hugh O'Neill, 50 THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. major-general, with twelve hundred men. He was nephew to Owen Rua O'Neill, Irish commander-in-chief, and both were officers in the Spanish service. This attack is said to have been delivered at West Gate ; for the rest, Ludlow says that the breach eventually was made at a place selected, viz., in a part of the walls on which houses abutted, at no great distance from the church. Our sketch shows the ruined walls of houses built on this part of the wall, and is near both the church and the West Gate, and probably is the above breach. Sketch Sketch 22 shows the interior facade of the gateway as modernised and rebuilt, consequently devoid of all antiquarian interest. THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 51 Sketch 23. There are two wall towers, the masonry of one of which is too hidden by the luxurious growth of ivy to enable its form to be defined ; both, with the wall almost at its original height, form the west boundary of the graveyard of the venerable St. Mary^s f^^^z> -' -^-'i-W^l -^M ^F~' ^PT 1 '< ' ' , ~< ^ ^2'x 1 -' ^sJ?fe 4 ' ^ * t. '. , ^ <( .' I r'^t-YM ?' s, AW^ ftiT^I! U>;^%^nl/t|fou^y^ ^flkSfn ;idifiW3MteS Sketch 23. 52 THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. Church. The tower illustrated has a basement and an upper chamber, inter-communicating by a narrow stair in the wall ; and this, with the town wall itself, is looped for musketry. The tower's ivy-clad neigh- bour, of apparently similar form, the adjacent extramural proprietor has, by means of a flight of steps, connected with his garden, which lies under the wall on its outer side. Neither tower, at a pinch, could accommodate more than ten men. The most favourable terms of capitulation were had from Cromwell by the town matrons' 1 device of mounting the battlements with empty churns laid on their sides, thus, to the besiegers 1 dismay, displaying what seemed to be new and formidable engines of war, and presaging a tedious siege. This clean and prosperous town, with its fine, tree-lined pro- menade extending about two miles down the bank of its river, the Suir, is built partly upon several islands in the same, which bridges connect with the promenade. Clomnel is a credit to the enterprise and conscientiousness of its municipal authorities, and to other communities in Ireland offers an excellent example. From its proximity, also, to divers ancient abbeys and castles of great interest, to antiquary and artist alike it is a convenient centre. An early charter, October 10, 1299, is from Oto de Gendesino ; and the provisions regulating its customs and port dues would denote that even at this youthful stage of its existence this was a commercial port of importance. If the river Suir, however, was of a depth no greater than it is at present, it could have been, as now it is, navigable merely for flat-bottomed barges towed by horses, with a shipping trade of but little importance. Oto de Gendesino seems to have derived and held his rights as a vassal off" the crown ; and his charter is superseded by the following royal charters : Edward III., of January 22, 1355 ; July 12, 1364 ; and January 20, 1371 issued to the community direct, incorporating the town and conceding to the Corporation various specified customs, such dues to be "faithfully'" expended in repairing the town-walls and bridge. THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. X. ATHLONE. ATHLONE, part in Rosconmion (Connacht), part in Westmeath (Leinster), in Irish is Aih foam, = " Loin-ford," a name which origin- ated thus : About A.D. 1, Ailell, King-consort of Meave, Queen of Connacht, owned a special bull called an Finnbheannach, = " the Whitehorned," which to other bulls was as is a demigod or, at all events, a superman to the ordinary "homo." Of the same type, only more so, was another bull called an Donn Cuailgne, = " the Brown [Bull] of CvfMgne? owned by Daire mac Fachtna, chief of that mountainous district in Louth. Negotiations culminated in a war between Connacht and Ulster, the catastrophe of which was a meeting of the horned champions. After a noble fight, the Brown picked up the Whitehorned on his horns and ran off with him, in frenzy shaking him all the way and scattering his fragments broadcast. A loin fell at Athlone. _. I , ,.. C HJh r^"^ , - 1 ^* l - - '.'- + w Sketch 24 54 THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. This war, with all its episodes and side issues, is the theme of that lengthy and complicated Irish prose epic known as Tain bo Cuailgne, i.e., "the Driving of the Kine of Cuailgne" now anglice " Cooley." Sketch 24. This pen-drawing, made from one of fifty years ago, shows a square tower or keep having three storeys and a basement, through which, a little to the westward of the vertical centre line, runs a circular -headed archway, and over this again appeal's a sculptured heraldic shield bearing the city arms. The building of the castle is attributed to John de Gray, Justiciary of Ireland, 1210-13, to whom, or to whose children, we may deem the original town charter to have been assigned. -'' /O 7 T" Sketch 25. Sketch 25, taken by me in 1894, represents the ten-sided tower said to have formed the ancient citadel ; it is called " the Connacht tower," now sole relic of a vanished mass of military buildings. It often housed Queen Elizabeth's ill-starred favourite, the Earl of Essex, and from it are dated many of his letters to his royal mistress. THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 55 The town would seem to have been fortified, on both sides of the river, with turrets and gate towers. Together with the connecting bridge, the whole was covered and protected by the castle guns. Athlone was the scene of much warfare ; its last siege being in 1691, when it was taken by the Williamite army under the Dutch general, Godert de Ginkel, first Earl of Athlone (1630-1703). Again, the town and fortifications suffered severely by an explosion of 260 barrels of gunpowder, stored in the castle, and fired by lightning in the great storm of 1697. It is clear that the result must have been great destruction of the ancient walls and towers ; whence the existing works for the most part must date from the storm in question. 56 THE TOWS-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. XL GALWAY. GALWAY TOWN in Irish, cathair mi Gaillrnhe, = " the city of the [river] Gaillimh" retains, in ruinous condition, one gateway of its ancient wall fortifications ; it is known as " the Blind Arches," and stands in the market place. A map of the town in 1818 shows this gate by the name of " Watergate." Sketch 26. Sketch 26. At that date apparently there still was a considerable extent of the original wall, having gateways as side entrances to the town : 1, Williamsgate ; 2, Abbeygate ; 3, Westgate ; 4, Jail-quay Gate; 5, Parade-quay Gate; and 6, Watergate (see Sketch 26\ which, with the archway in the town (see Sketch 7), represents the only relics of the ancient works. RUINS OF THE LION WALL TOWER, GALWAY, Sketch To face page^56. There may be included the few ruins of the Lion Wall Tower (origin of name unknown), situated near Franciscan Convent, Galway. THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IKKI.AND. These extensive walls, extant as late as 1818, were soon after- wards almost all demolished in favour of important commercial buildings, the Corporation and the owners falling out on the point of title to the site of the razed walls. In her large work on Ireland, Mrs. S. C. Hall refers to the ruins of a strong tower as then adjoining the ruined arches. When our sketch was made (1894), no fortification was to be seen ; but as one of the blind arches (then occupied) had a chamber over it, that possibly may have been the basement of the tower referred to by Mrs. Hall. WATERGATE, YOUGHAL. Sketch 28. THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 61 XII. YOUGHAL. YOUGHAL in Irish, Eochaitt, = " Yew-wood " a sea-side town in the County Cork, at the mouth of the river Blackwater in Irish, Abliainn mhor, = "Big river," anglicised "Avonmore." In speaking English the former name always is used. Sketch 28 (Watergate). It was a walled town previous to the fourteenth century, the wall and its towers having been built in 1275. n- Sketch 29. These latter were five in number, respectively named " Northgate," "Southgate," "Tinniecastle" or "Irongate" (Sketch 29\ "Quaygate," and, on the west^side of the harbour, " Watergate," above, which still 62 THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. exist as restored early in 1800. From the comparatively modern character of this last gate, however, it cannot be the identical structure through which, in 1649, Cromwell entered the town; still less can it be coeval with the desperate struggle which, in the Quay Lane in 1595, happened between the insurgents and the Earl of Desmond (James Fitzgerald, sixteenth Earl, called " the Tower Earl," from his sixteen years' 1 captivity in London, and " the Queen's Earl ") It is a small and picturesque gateway, designed and built with taste. The " Tinniecastle " or "Iron Gateway, 1 ' 1 pulled down in 1777, was replaced by the present tasteless clock-tower, which is an eye- sore to architect and artist alike. Sketch 30. THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 63 Sketch JO is of a small wall-tower, with its connecting wall now existing, called the " Half-Moon Tower,"" and presents no special architectural features. The town's charter from Edward III., dated January 26, 1374, concedes to the city certain customs for the rebuilding of its walls, these having then " suffered and remained in a dilapidated condition since devastated by our various rebels and enemies ; " and on July 4, 1375, another charter, granting certain further privileges to the merchants and community of Youghal, shows that the town then was a thriving commercial port. Here is preserved the house inhabited by Sir Walter Raleigh while he assisted Lord-Deputy Grey de Wilton to quell the troubles in Munster, 1580-2 ; and the room is shown in which Sir Walter's servant found him smoking a pipe and, deeming his master to be on fire, promptly heaved a pail of water over him. 64 THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. XIIL KELLS. KELI.S, County Kilkenny in Irish, Cenannas, which, according to tradition, equals " Head-residence," as having been of royal founda- tion. This, however is a doubtful etymology ; there is a much more obvious one, but it cannot be discussed here. The old name eventually was supplanted by Cennlis, anglice " Kennlis,"" = " Head-fort," and hence the Marquess of Headfort has his title. " Kenlis " again was degraded to " Kells." , Sketch 31. It has two gateways, and the original walls, with their towers, are all but entire (see Sketches 31 and 32). This unique combination of town, fortress, and ecclesiastical buildings, completely enclosed within a stone wall of considerable height and at intervals strengthened :_ -8 THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 67 by towers, lies about ten miles from Kilkenny. Its ancient name was "Kenlisin Ossory." Mervyn Archdall (1723-91) describes Kells as having formerly been a walled town. In 1607 Lord William Bermingham burnt it. The two gateways (Sketches 83 and 3Jf) are (1) the main gateway in the surrounding wall, giving access to what was known as " the Burgher's Court," which embraces an irregular area of six hundred by five hundred yards. In this court are the foundations of several demolished dwellings. The sketch is made from the outside (the car-driver resting). It is a simple, circular-headed archway, with the conventional overhanging castellated balcony resting on corbels. Sketch 33, 34. GREAT GATEWAY, KELLS. Sketch 35. GATE TOWKK, KKI.LS. THE Tows- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 73 (2) Sketch 34 is that of the Great Gateway, entered over a low stone bridge of two arches spanning a deep fosse or ditch. This wall and its ditch, a formidable defence, divide the Burghers 1 (i.e., the military) Court and the ecclesiastical quarters ; which latter comprise the entire equipment of a large abbey, residence of its staff', and annexed burying-ground. The main entrance arch is interesting from its combination of three large curved slabs, strengthened by the usual stone-built supplemental arch over them, and from the extent and height of the existing ivy-covered ruins of its protecting tower an imposing structure of at least three storeys showed its importance (Sketch 35}. Ivy completely hides both form and architectural details, as it does the customary balcony or bastion projection, on corbels, which overlooks and defends this gateway. Either valve of the gate hangs on two neatly-cut and massive projecting stone eyes : an ancient feature. A charter of Richard II., July 22, 1391, gives licence to acquire lands for erection of the House of the B. V. Mary of Kenlis in Ossory. THE Towjf-WAtL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. XIV. TRIM. TRIM in Irish Baile dtha truim, = "Town of the Elder-tree ford " is in the County Meath, on the Boyne river, thirty miles from Dublin and four from the Duke of Wellington's birthplace, Dangan Castle. Aih truim, " Elder-ford," is mentioned in the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick ; in Bury's Life of whom it is rendered " Alderford," erroneously. Sketch 36. Sketch 36. This is copied from a minute one of Wakeman's, showing (as it existed in his time) the " Sheep-gate " on the town wall. We have here a small, formal, circular archway running through a square gatehouse, which has a mere fragment of the wall attached. It would seem to have been merely a minor or side-entrance to the town. A charter of Richard II., October 4, 1393, concedes the town- customs for re-erection, where necessary, of stone fortifications sufficing to check the neighbouring rebellious and malicious enemies. THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 75 XV. ATHENRY. ATHENRY, twelve miles east of Galway, in same county in Irish, Ath na riogh, = " the Ford of kings." This formerly was a walled town of some importance, founded by King John in 1211 ; to which date also belong its walls, now repre- sented only by the town gateway, shown in our first sketch (37\ and Sketch 37. 76 THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. the circular wall-tower as in the second sketch (38), both in good preservation. 1,M. /-"Vw'TO'toWw m -rt .;3s&&! '^&S?1 Sketch 38 (from pencil sketch, T. We.stropp ). In architectural style, the gateway, which at present forms the chief entrance to the town, is almost identical with that of the similar entrance-gate to the town of Kilmallock (Sketch 18} and the market- house of Carlingford, the latter of which is called "the Tholsel." These are of a date later than the ancient town-walls, which were THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 77 erected by Myler de Bermingham, original grantee of the King in 1241. He also it was that founded the intramural Dominican monastery, bestowing the site and 140 merks. In fair preservation are the picturesque wall-tower (Sketch 38), situated in a clump of trees, and some of the wall itself, near to the ruined Dominican monastery ; the tower, however, seems to be too large for a mere wall-tower. The " Tholsel " above referred to spans the south thoroughfare leading from Carlingford to Greenore. It has been modernised to suit its present purpose of municipal chambers to the mayor and twelve councillors ; in which process of conversion much of its pristine character has been lost, the only evidence of antiquity being a small, round-headed window surviving in a remnant of the old wall. ;x Sketch 39. BASTION, DERBY WALL. THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 81 XVI. LONDONDERRY. LONDONDERRY, County Down in Irish, doire Chalguigh, ="Cal- gach's oak -grove," a name dating from pagan times. Here, in 546, St. Columba built a monastery, and some centuries later the old name was dropped, doire Choluim chille, = " Deny [oak -grove] of Colum- kill." Lastly, James I. [of England], making by charter a grant to a company of London merchants, devised the cockneyfied name of " Londonderry,"" which, however, never has circulated orally. That it originally had walls similar to those of other towns is very probable ; but the fortifications existing at the historical siege of 1688 may safely be attributed to the mercantile adventurers above. The site of Derry by nature is defensive, and in 1628 the city walls were strengthened by addition of seven bastions and a dry ditch ten feet deep. There were four gates : 1, the Bishop's Gate, from which the garrison made sorties ; 2, the Ships' Quay Gate ; 3, the New Gate, now the Butchers' 1 Gate ; 4, the Ferry Port or Ferry Gate, that which " the 'prentice boys of 'Derry " shut, and so started the siege. After this event, two gates were added the New Gate and the Castle Gate. Of the above gates, 1, 2, 3 were rebuilt between 1805 and 1808, and their style enables us to infer that those which they replaced were certainly not older than King William's day. There were several bastions also, which gained their names during the siege : 1, the Double Bastion, where the Governor erected gallows, on which he threatened to hang his prisoners should the besiegers persist in driving the peasantry to starve under the walls ; 2, the Royal Bastion, flying the red flag of defiance ; 3, the Hang- man's Bastion ; 4, the Gunners' Bastion ; 5, the Cowards' Bastion ; 6, the Water Bastion ; 7, the New-gate Bastion ; 8, the Ferry Bastion ; 9, the Bishops' Bastion. Of several guardhouses, as well, whether for single sentinels or for watchmen, which stood upon the wall, only two remain, one of which is shown here as sketched in 1890 (Sketch 39). 82 THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. What with the walls repaired and the three above gateways rebuilt, these two turret-guardhouses offer the only original points having special antiquarian or architectural interest. The Ships' Quay Gate (Sketch Ifi}, already mentioned, is clearly of an eighteenth century type, and may be that which in 1789 was erected as a memorial to William III. THE TOWN-WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. 83 XVII. CARRICKFERGUS. CARRICKFERGUS, County Antrim In Irish, carraig Fhearghusa, - Fergus's rock " a port on Belfast Lough." Sketch 41- This, the North Gate arch, is the sole remnant of the early town-wall fortifications. The town itself, as some say, was founded, and its castle built, by one of the de Lacys in 1230 ; but this must be an error, for in 1216 Maurice Fitzgerald, an earlier governor, who had built many castles in other parts of the English pale, had issued orders to erect new defences and to strengthen and turret the old ones, which then were but mounds of " sods and turfs with a ditch." So too they remained for about three centuries, for in a map of 1550 the then limited town's only defence appears as little better than a deep ditch. 84 THE TOWN- WALL FORTIFICATIONS OF IRELAND. The occasion of Fitzgerald's building activities was the invasion of Ulster, in 1216, by a Scots army which, at the request of the northern chiefs, Edward Bruce, younger brother of King Robert Bruce, brought over. They penetrated as far as the city of Limerick, but had to retire to Carrickfergus, and in 1217 Edward fell in the Battle of Dundalk, which ended the campaign. In 1573, the easy capture and subsequent burning of the town by the Irish gave a strong hint as to the unwisdom of neglecting measures of protection. In the next year, accordingly, the mayor and council direct that it be surrounded and secured by a " varmour of sods and turfs " and a trench. Finally, it was only on the instructions of the then governor, Sir Henry Sydney, who recognised the utter inadequacy of any such defences, that a wall of stone and lime replaced the varmour, with addition of a fosse. This wall was to be four feet thick and sixteen feet high, and to have seven bastions, each one containing a " house " [chamber] for one sentinel. Subsequently, and during its construction, its thickness was increased to six feet and its height to twenty, with an outer wet ditch and four gates : 1, the Spittal or North Gate, which still exists, as shown here ; 2, the Woodburn or West Gate ; 3, the Water Gate ; 4, the Quay Gate. Of these, the first two were the most important, and had draw- bridges. The North Gate alone survives, and that in mutilated condition, the drawbridge and its appurtenances having been removed and the ditch filled up. Its architecture, as it stands, indicates restoration on a portion of the original basement, as well as of the circular arch, which is surmounted by a supplementary arch over it. All this work is of square, dressed stone, and the gate now is one of the principal entrances to the town. Carrickfergus, the fortune of which seems to have followed that of its castle, was taken and re-taken in 1642, 1648, 1649, and in 1689 by William III. Its last experience was in October of 1760, when the French naval commandant, Thurot, took it. The garrison of only a hundred and eighty men retired into the castle, and were continuing the defence when Lord Hawke's fleet appeared off* the port, and in the naval action which ensued Thurot was killed. Sketch Jf2. "BROWN'S" CASTLE, DUBLIN WALL. - . -~^JE V r\. * 1 ^ m Vx --te- C^" ' A 000 040 277