Gateway in Unknown Townland

St. Nicholas Gate on Nicholas street, annotated St. Nicholas' Gate (Site of) on the 1863 ed. OSi 25-inch map. This gateway also known as Asculf's Gate and St Patrick's Gate (Clarke 2002, 21) on the Dublin City walls (DU018-020001-). In 1250 the Dublin White Book recorded that; ' Richard Chartris and Agnes, his wife: The tower next to St. Patrick's Gate, on the western side, at the yearly rent of four shillings of silver; with reservation of free ingress and egress. If the buildings on the tower should be ruined by fire, or otherwise, Richard and his wife are, at their own cost, to re-edify and maintain them' (CARD Vol. 1, 86). Another grant from c. 1252 in the Dublin White Book recorded a grant; ' To Reimund of Poitou: The entire Gate of St. St.Patrick's, with cellars and appurtenances, easements underneath and on each side, and the custody of the gate during life. Reservation of ingress and egress. Annual rent, half a mark of silver' (CARD Vol. 1, 90). In 1466 the Dublin Assembly Roll recorded that Dublin citizen John Boulond was granted; 'one of the yates [gates] of the seide citte callet Seint Nicholas Yate, for terme of his lyff, berryng yerly therfor viii.d. of silver that is to say, iiii.d.' (CARD Vol. 1, 322-3). In 1535 The Dublin Assembly Roll ordained that 'William Queytrott of Dublin, merchant, shold haw the hold towr over Seynt Nicholas Gate, with all the appurtenances, for ever to hym and his heirs mallis, apon condicion that he byld and make two flat rowis apon hitt well coveryd with lede, apon his own propir cost, within two yers next after the dat abow wryttyn, and also do all maner other necessary reparacion belongyng to the said towr duryng as long as he and his heirs mallis shall broke and enyoy hitt; the said William and his heirs mallis or their assignis paying yerly for and out of the said towir, with all the appurtenances, unto the use of the citte of Dublin iii.s. iiii.d. of leffull mony of Irland all maner of services and demands. Prowydit allway that the cittezents of the citte of Dublin, and ther successors for ever in tyme haw fre incomyng and fre outgoyng to and fro the said tour when and as oftyne as nede shall requir for the defence of the said tour [and] gate with all the appurtenances. And also prowydid that if the said William dey without issue male of his body laffull begottyn, that [the] executors or assignis of the said William haw the said towr in terme duryng thre skor yers and one, and that in consideracion of the cost that the said William is bound by indentur unto the citte to doo apon his part' (CARD Vol. 1, 399). St. Nicholas Gate was described in 1585 as follows; 'From Geneviels towre [DU018-020007-] to Saint Nicholas gate is 252 foote [77m] distant, and the wall and rampier agreinge in licke height and thicknis as the other parte of the said wall and rampier aforsaid. Saint Nicholas gate hawe towe rounde towres withowt, and sqware within, and the said gate placed betwixte bothe the towres, every towre three heightes, whereof towe loftes and fowre lowps [loops] in every towre, the wall 5 foote [1.5m] thicke, 39 foote [11.8m] in lengthe one waye, and 18 foote [5.5m] brod the other waye, and the towre 45 foote [14m] hie, with a perculles [portcullis] for the same gate. From Saint Nicholas gate to the towre [DU018-020008-] in sir William Sarsfelds possession is 312 foote [95m] distant, whereof there is 74 foote [22.5m], nexte adjoyninge unto Saint Nicholas gate, of the wall but 16 foote [4.9m] hie, and the firme grounde 9 foote [2.7m] hie within the said wall and the reste beinge 238 foote [72.5m] is fowre foote and a halfe [1.4m] thicke, 16 foote [4.9m] hie besydes the garettes and a rampier within of 15 foote [4.5m] thicke and nere as hie as the wall in the insyde, besydes the buttris which is from the botom of the diche [ditch] to the fundation of the wall 19 foott [5.8m] goode, by estimacion' (CARD Vol. 2, 552). Nicholas street: Known as St. Nicholas Gate it was three storeys high and had two round towers outside the wall and two square ones within with a portcullis for the gate. It is probably identifiable with Hascuff's Gate mentioned in 1534 (McNeill 1950, 50; Bradley and King 1987, 1, 48). Shown on Speed's map (1610). (Gillespie 1973, 330; Healy 1973, 18-19; Clarke, Dent and Johnson 2002, 32). No surface remains visible. See attached Speed's 1610 Map of Dublin City showing St Nicholas Gate labelled No. 45 Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 28 April 2023