Gateway in Unknown Townland

Bridge Gate also known as Ostman's Gate - Annotated 'Bridge Gate (Site of)' on 1863 ed. OSi 25-inch map at the junction of Lower Bridge Street and Merchant's Key adjacent to Whitworth Bridge which was probably built on the site of the medieval bridge also called Ostmans' Bridge (DU018-020042-) which crosses the River Liffey. Annotated 'Old Bridge' on Rocque's 1756 Map of Dublin City. Around the year 1250 the White Book of Dublin recorded a grant to; 'Radulf le Hore, their fellow-citizen: A tower, with its appurtenances, at the head of the Ostmans' Bridge, towards the south. Annual rent, two shillings of silver, with reservation of free ingress and egress. Under common seal; attested by commonalty' (CARD Vol. 1, 85). The White Book of Dublin recorded a grant c. 1285-90 to 'William de Notyngham, citizen: A stone tower, near the Ostmans ' Bridge and adjoining the tower beyond the Ostmans' Gate' (CARD Vol. 1, 106). In 1556 the Dublin Assembly Roll record a grant to; 'Petyr Carrycke, sherman, shall have the custodie and keaping of the Bridgate and Gormondes gate with the fee of vi.s. viii.d., he doing his duetie in his awne person, or by an able man, and not by a child or insufficient person' (CARD Vol. 1, 456). 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 and Gormonde's Gate [DU018-020029-] ' (CARD Vol. 2, 32). In 1571 the Dublin Assembly Roll recorded that; 'the inhabytantes of the Bridge street keye and Oxmantowne shall have one of the bels of Saint Georges to be put to the use of a clocke over the Bridge gate in the towre ther, whensoever all thinges appertayninge to the saide clocke be made upp in full aredynes. Provyded that yf yt shall fortune that the saide inhabytantes do not contynue the same as a clocke, that then the saide bell to be restoryd to the cyttie againe' (CARD Vol. 2, 69). The Bridge Gate was described in 1585 as follows; 'The wall of one syde of the said Mr. Ushers howse [DU018-020013-] to the Bridge gatte is 104 foote [32m], the wall 4 foote [1.2m] thicke, and 19 foote [6m] hie, and the grounde is firme 5 foote [1.5m] hie within the said wall, and the Liffie goethe hard by, and at every ful sea it floes upe against the said wall, being a springe tyde. The said Bridge gate is a sqware towre, towe storie hie; the loer storie is a vawte [vault] with 2 lowps [loops]; the upper storie is a timber lofte and no lowpe. The towre is sgware, 18 foote [5.5m] one waye, and 14 foote [4.2m] another waye, the wall 7 foote [2.1m] thicke, and 30 foot [9m] hie from the pavment. From the Bridge gate along the Marchaunt Key to Prickettes towre is 843 foote [257m] distant, and the Key 9 foote [2.7m] hie from the chanell to the pavment' (CARD Vol. 2, 555). In 1595 the Dublin Assembly Roll recorded that ; 'the Bridge gate is now in perell of fauling, wherby greate daunger may happen to her majesties subiectes passing that waie, besydes great inconvenience to growe to this cittie, yf the same do happen to faule: for remedy wherof, it is ordered and agreed, by thaucthority of this assembly, that Mr. Smithe and Mr. Bellewe shalbe agentes to prosecute uppon the cittie chardges the bill preferred befor the Lord lord deputy and councell against Mr. William Ussher for this cause, and that in the meane tyme Mr. Maior shall take present order lickwise uppon the cittie chardges, wherby no daunger by the coming downe of the said gate may happen' (CARD Vol. 2, 283-4). In 1596-7 the Dublin Assembly Roll passed a motion for the 'spedy buylding of the Bridge gate, and the reparacion of some defectes latlie espied in the vaut of the Newgate: it is ordred, by the aucthoritie aforsaid, that Mr. William Usher shalbe presentlie conferrid withall about the said Bridge gate, and that expedicion be usid in furthering boothe gates, and that Mr. Thressurer shall call in presentlie uppon the dettors to the cittie, and use Mr. Maior [h]is aucthoritie for compelling them to paie forthwith suche monyes as is owing by them, and that Mr. John Tirrell and Mr. Walter Galtrom, aldermen, shall hastin the masters of workes to go forward in the said worke' (CARD Vol. 2, 302). In 1608 the Dublin Assembly Roll described; 'the dangerosnes of the slippe nexte adioyning unto the Bridge gate, by reason of the ruyns the same is fallen unto, and therefore to avoide the myscheafes that might ensue therbye, and praied some good course to be held for repaiering the defectes therof: it is therfore ordered and agreed, by the aucthorytie aforesaid, that the thresurer and masters of the woorkes shall presently viewe the defectes of the said slippe, and that Mr. Maior shall give warrant to the said thresurer for dysburssinge of soe muche monny as shall defraie the chardge therof for the better defens of the citty; and that sir John Tirrell, Mr. Forster, Mr. Ball and Mr. Plunckett to be assystant to give their advice for the better fortefyeing therof' (CARD Vol. 2, 500). Bridge Gate described in the Urban Survey of Dublin as; 'From Usher's House [DU018-020013-] to the Bridge Gate was 35 yards. The gate defended the southern end of the bridge. It was two storeys high, with the lower storey vaulted. It is first mentioned about the year 1200. The gate was rebuilt in 1598 when a slab bearing the arms of Elizabeth I was placed on it (Healy 1973, 21). It is termed Ostman's Gate in 1284 (CARD Vol. 1, 103) (Bradley and King 1987, Vol. 1, 51). Bridge Street Lower: The former existence of a gate here is mentioned by Clarke (2002, 21). Marker plaque on site in 2002. Bridge gate defended the S end of the bridge across the River Liffey at Usshers Quay. Mentioned c. 1200 AD, it was burned down early in the 14th century (De Courcy 1996, 44-5). In 1585 Perrot recorded that the gate was a square tower, two stories high (L 5.6m x Wth 4.34m x H 9.4m; wall T 2.1m) with the lower storey vaulted. The upper storey was a timber loft with no loops (op. cit.). It was rebuilt in 1598 when a slab bearing the arms of Elizabeth I was placed on it (Healy 1973, 21). No surface remains visible of the 'Bridge Gate'. See attached section of Speed's 1610 Map of Dublin City showing the Bridge Gate on the S side of the Bridge (No. 5) crossing the River Liffey, accessible online at http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/PR-ATLAS-00002-00061-00001/38. See attached section of Rocque's 1756 Map of Dublin showing the multi-arched 'Old Bridge' traversing the River Liffey. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 7 July 2023