Gateway in Unknown Townland

Gormond's\Gurmund's\Godmund's Gate was the W gate of Dublin City standing at the W end of Cook Street. Annotated 'Ormonde Gate (Site of) on 1863 ed. OSi 25-inch map where it is depicted standing on the street called Wormood Gate. Annotated 'Ormond's Gate' on Speed's 1610 map of Dublin City where it is labelled No. 29. In 1261, John Garget, a citizen of Dublin City was granted; 'A tower upon Gurmund's Gate, and the tower which is situated in the corner of the old wall of the city, in the lower part of the plantation of William the Clerk, towards the south, with all the adjacent land appertaining to the city and lying between the tower upon Gurmund's Gate, and the abovenamed tower, towards the south, and between the new wall of the city, towards the west, and the land which Walter Tailor held from the city, towards the east. The Mayor and commonalty remit to John Garget, during his life, two shilings and eight pence of the yearly rent for the tower called Gurmund's Tower, and the corner tower, situated in the corner of the old wall of the city between the New Gate [DU018-020377-] and Gurmund's Gate' (CARD Vol. 1, 94). Six years later in 1267, Roger de Assebourne, was granted; 'the towers upon the New Gate [DU018-020377-], with buildings, cellars, easements, and all appurtenances, as well near to as upon them, with the exception of two arches in the Gate, of which others are enfeoffed, and together with all the citizens ground adjacent on the south side. They also grant to Roger a piece of ground, with buildings and appurtenances, on the south side, between the New Gate and the house which William the Clerk inhabits, and another ground lying between that which the latter held, on one side, and the city wall on the other, and extending in length from the towers as far as the tower between the land and Godmund's Gate' (CARD, vol. 1, 100). In 1563 the Dublin Assembly Rolls recorded an agreement with; 'Peter Carricke, sherman, shall have ten shillings yerlie for k[eeping] of the Bridge gate [DU018-020030-] and Gormonde's Gate' (CARD Vol. 2, 32) In 1577 Richard Stanihurst recorded the following details about this gate; 'Gurmund his gate, hard by the Cucull, or Coockolds post. Some suppose that one Gurmundus builded this gate, and thereof to take the name. Others judge that the Irish assaulting the civitie were discomfited by the earle of Ormond, then by good hap sojourning at Dublin. And because he issued out at that gate, to the end the valiant exploit and famous conquest of so woorthie a potentate should be ingrailed in perpetuall memorie, the gate bare the name of Ormond his gate' (CARD, Vol. 2, 547). This gateway was described in 1585 as follows; 'From the towre [DU018-020011-] in Mr. Fitzsymons pocession to Gormondes gate is 140 foote [42m] distant, the wall 20 foote [6m] hie, and 5 foote [1.5m] thicke, and no rampier within, with a buttris withowte as befor. The said Gormondes gate is a sqware towre, twoe storie hie, wherof one rowme is upon a vawte [vault] with three lowps [loops] and a slate roote; the towre is sqware, 18 foote [5.5m] one waye, and 15 foote [4.6m] another waye, the wall 5 foote [1.5m] thicke, and 30 foote [9m] hie, with a perculles [portcullis] for the same gate. From Gormondes gate to a towre [DU018-020012-] in William Harbardeg pocession is 308 foote [94m] distant' (CARD Vol. 2, 554). In 1593 the Dublin Assembly Rolls recorded a lease to; 'the masters, wardens and corporacion of smithes and goldsmithes shall haye a lese for tearme of thre skore and one yeares, begyning at Easter last past, uppon Gormonds Gate, otherwyse cauled Ormonds Gate, with the appurtenances, payeing therfore yearly to this cittie foure shillinges, sterling , current mony of England, they covering the same with lede [lead]' (CARD Vol. 2, 263-4). Cornmarket (Wormwood Gate): Gormond's Gate was two storeys high vaulted with a portcullis for the gate. It was named after William Gudraud who lived nearby in 1233 (Healy 1973, 20). During the 17th century, the name of the gate was corrupted into Ormond Gate, and subsequently into Wormwood Gate (Bradley and King 1987, Vol. 1, 50; Clarke 2002, 21; Clarke, Dent and Johnson 2002, 32). See attached section of Speed's 1610 Map of Dublin City showing Ormond Gate (No. 29), accessible online at http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/PR-ATLAS-00002-00061-00001/38 and 1847 OSi City of Dublin: sheet 20 "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: Geraldine Stout Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 27 April 2023