Indicated — Unknown Townland

Fyan's Castle at the E end of Wood Quay depicted on Speed’s 1610 map of Dublin City where it is shown standing on the N line of the Dublin City walls running parallel to the S bank of the River Liffey (Clarke 2002, 21). Annotated 'Fyan's Cas. (Site of)' on 1863 ed. OSi 25-inch map. In 1305 Ordinances by the Common Council of Dublin described this building as; ‘the small tower opposite St. Olave’s church (DU018-020087-)’ (CARD Vol. 1, 223) located on Fishamble Street. The castle or mural tower was described as standing over the ‘fish slip’ on the S bank of the River Liffey. In 1456 the Dublin Assembly Roll recorded a grant to; ‘Jhon Marcus, marchand, schold have the towyr ovre the fysh slype ycalled for xxx. yere, beryng therfor vi.d. yerely, and the sayd Jhon shall repeyre sayd towyr and slype yn all plase wher hyt ys nedfull with lym and scand, and so to kepe hite upe styf and stanch duryng the terme forsayde. And yf hyt be unbylyt aftyr the fyrst yere, that than the Mayre and Baylyfys for the tyme beyng shold require hym to repeyre hit within iii. monthys aftyr the requisicion; and yf he do not, that hyt be laufull to the Mayre and Baylyfys for the tym being to entre into the said towyr, etc.’ (CARD Vol. 1, 290). In 1557 the Dublin Assembly Roll recorded an agreement with ‘Mr. Richard Fyand, Aldreman of the cittie of Dublin, shall have the towre over the slypp by Fitz Symonds house (DU018-020016-) upon the Wod Key, to hym and his heyres in fee ferme, paing xviiid. By the yere to the tresorie, with suche condicions as the lerned counsaill of the cittie shall thinke convenyent to be inserted in the said graunt’ (CARD Vol. 1, 469). In 1571 the Dublin Assembly Roll recorded an agreement that ‘two pryvies shalbe buylded and made by the masters of the cytties wourckes upon the chardges of the cyttie, one by easte Mr. Fyans new towre and thother over the myll stream without Gormondes gate [DU018-020029-]’ (CARD Vol. 2, 71). Fyan’s Castle on the city walls was described in 1585 as follows; 'From Prickettes towre [DU018-020014-] alonge the Woode Key [Wood Quay] to Mr Fianes castell is 356 foote [108m] distant, and the Key agreing in height from the chanell to the pavment as befor. The said Mr. Fians castell is a sqware towre, fowre storie hie, 38 foote [11.6m] sq ware nne waye, and 20 foote [6m] another waye, towe spickes or lowps [loops] in the loer storne, and windoes in every of the other rowmes; the wall fowre foote [1.2m] thicke and 42 foote [12.8m] hie, and the grounde firme, 8 foote [2.4m] hie from the chanell within the castell. From Mr. Fians castell to a smale towre [DU018-020016-] in the pocession of Fitzsymon, of Balmadroght, is 144 foote [44m] distant, and the pavment from the channell agreing in height as the Key befor' (CARD Vol. 2, 555-6). Castle described in the Urban Survey of Dublin City as; ‘This was located at the bottom of Fishamble Street, some 119 yards along Wood Quay from Prickett’s Tower [DU018-020014-]. It is first mentioned in 1305 and was some four stroyes high. In 1557 the castle was granted to Richard Fyan. In 1605 some adjoining land was reclaimed by Richard Proudfoote and the tower was subsequently known as Proudfoote’s castle’ (Bradley and King 1987, Vol. 1, 52). According to Gilbert (1854, Vol. 1, 375); ‘The Fyans were citizens of high importance in Dublin in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. John Fyan was Mayor in 1472 and 1479; Thomas Fyan, Sheriff in 1540; and the hospitality of Richard Fyan, Mayor in 1549 and 1564, has been extolled by local chroniclers. Robert Barnewall, fifth Lord Trimleston, married, in 1559, Anne, only daughter of Richard Fyan, Alderman, whose son is referred to in a document of the year 1618, as "William Fyan, of Dublin city, merchant, aged forty years." Later in the seventeenth century, Fyan's Castle acquired the name of "Proudfoot's Castle," from George Proudfoot, merchant, cousin to James Barry, first Earl of Santry, who inherited it from his father, Alderman Richard Barry, merchant, and Sheriff of Dublin. In the reign of Charles II., "Proudfoot's Castle" was occasionally used as a State prison’. In 1608 a land grant from King James to James Hamilton, esq. of Co. Wexford included; ‘A piece of waste ground near the E. and N. walls of the city of Dublin, extending from Fyan's castle, and so near the walls, and from the walls westward to a garden, late in the occupation of Will. Grace or Pat. Colly, and Fagan's orchard, and so by the bounds thereof to Hogge lane eastward; and from the Liffey N. to the city wall and Dame's-street S. parcel of the estate of the crown’ (Cal Pat. Rolls 6 Jas I, 130). In 1622 the Dublin Assembly Roll recorded that; ‘the said cranner and waterbayliffs shall permit noe man to measure coales at the Kea from Fyans Castle to the Bridge, but to such owners as are to dischardge their coales at the Kea from Fyans Castle to the Bridge, and none to be sent downe the river or harborrow to any barque or vessell, which sending of measures downe the river is found to be very hurtfull to the cittie, and a proffitt only to the ingrossers and retaylers of coales’ (CARD Vol. 3, 145). See attached section of Speed's 1610 Map of Dublin City showing Fians Castle (No. 7), accessible online at http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/PR-ATLAS-00002-00061-00001/38 and 1847 OSi City of Dublin: sheet 57 "City of Dublin," held by Ordnance Survey Ireland. © Public domain. Digital content: © Ordnance Survey Ireland, published by UCD Library, University College Dublin http://digital.ucd.ie/view/ucdlib:40849 Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 10 July 2023