Gateway in Unknown Townland

Twin-towered gate-house called the New Gate was located at Cornmarket, at the E end of Thomas Street (Slighe Mor) and W end of High Street. This was the W gate of Dublin City which in 1177 was mentioned in the Dublin White Book when a grant was confirmed for a 'church founded outside the new western gate of Dublin' (CARD, vol.1, 166). This gateway on the Dublin City walls (DU018-020001-) was described in 1585 as follows; 'From the towre [DU018-020010-] in Mr. Fagans pocession to the sowth-easte towre of the Newe gate is 120 foote [36.5m] distant, the wall 17 foote [5.2m] hie and fyve foote [1.5m] thicke, and no rampier within the said wall, but howses joyning close to the said wall within, and the licke buttris withowt the said wall, as the other parte of the said wall hawe befor. The Newe gatte have twoe towres and every towre is three heightes, with twoe small towrettes [turrets] in the tope, and the gatte howse standes betwixt bothe the said towres; the loer storie of every towre is vawted [vaulted], and the other towe stories lofted: every towre is 12 foote [3.65m] sqware within the wall, and the wall fyve foote [1.5m] thicke, and in every rowme towe lowps [loops]; the gatt howse is 40 footte [12m] one waye, and 15 foote [4.5m] another waye, and the height of boethe the said towres, from the pavment to the leades, is 40 foote [12m], besydes the garettes, and there is a perculles [portcullis] for the saide gatte. From the northe towre of the Newe gate to the towre [DU018-020011-] in Mr. Nicholas Fitzsymons pocession is 180 foote [55m] distant, the wall 4 foote [1.2m] thicke and 22 foote [6.7m] hie, with a buttris withowte as befor, and no rampier within but howses close joyning to the wall within' (CARD Vol. 2, 553-4). The S tower of the Newgate was used as a prison (DU018-020757-) from the late 13th century onwards (Clarke 2002, 23). In 1261, Roger de Asshebourne, Mayor of Dublin; 'delivered to William Passemer, citizen of Dublin, a vacant place which extends from the corner of the old tower of the New Gate as far as the land which William the Clerk holds from the citizens of Dublin' (CARD Vol. 1, 92). In 1267, Roger de Assebourne, was granted; 'the towers upon the New Gate, 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 [DU018-020029-]. The towers, with their present buildings, cellars and easements, and those which Roger or his heirs may hereafter build, together with the grounds, are to be held at the annual rent of forty shillings of silver, with reservation of free entry and egress, for the safety of the city, if there should be a general war; but any damage so incurred is to be repaired by the city' (CARD, vol. 1, 100). Under this lease the; 'Mayor and commonalty of Dublin remit to Roger de Assebourne, during four years, the annual rent of forty shillings named in preceding grant. They undertake to build as much of the stone-work of the towers as may be requisite, and to provide for them any further security which may be desired by Roger de Assebourne' (ibid.). In 1578 the Dublin Assembly Rolls recorded that; 'the Newgat[e], which is the place appoynted both for the punishment of offendors, and also a geayle [gaol] for such as are therin put upon esecucion, is without a geayler and keaper that is chargeable with escapes and other defectes tending greatlie to the perill of this cittie, and withall the said Newgat is suffered to fall into ruyn and decay, and the building therof laied to the chardge of the cittie, others takinge the great benifyt of the said geayle, which by this assemblie is to be considered and provided for: in consideracion wherof it is agreed and established by thauctoritie of this assemblie that the said Newgat shalbe presentlie repaired upon the citties chardges; and that the Sheryves that nowe are and hearafter shalbe shall have the chardge and keapinge of the said geayle [gaol]' (CARD Vol. 2, 133). In 1600 the Dublin Assembly Rolls recorded that; 'the Newgat is growen to great decay, to the no small danger of the escapes by prisoners, as also for drivinge the cittie to farther and great chardges: for remedy wherof, it is agreed, by the aucthority aforsajd, that Mr. Terrell and Mr. Pales, calinge unto them the master of carpynders and others of that company, and presently to vewe the defectes of Newgate, and before the next post assembly to certefy what the defectes are, and what will defray the chardge, to thend some spedy couse be taken by Mr. Mayor for the present repayring therof, by vertue wherof the said Mr. Tirell and Mr. Palles tooke vewe of the defectes of Newgate, and have made a retorne therof under their handes, wherby it appiereth that the chardge therof in thei oppinions will amount to fiftie towe poundes and tenn shillinges, sterling, over and besides severall defectes aboute sondry doores, staiers, and such other places there which are neadfull to be repaiered' (CARD Vol. 2, 160). These repairs do not appear to have been carried out for in 1607 Edward Horton, gaoler of Newgate, sent in a petition making known; 'in this assemblye great defectes to be in the percullies [portcullis] of the said gate, nowe reddy to fall yf some speedie care be nott had of them' (CARD Vol. 2, 487). Annotated 'New Gate (Site of)' on the 1863 ed. OSi 25-inch map. The Urban Survey of Dublin City recorded the following details about this gateway; 'The distance between the Watch Tower and Newgate was 40 yards and portion of the wall still survives here. Newgate had a circular tower at each corner, with a gate and portcullis in between. This gate was in existence by 1177 (CARD, i, 166). In 1285 the city gaol was established here (Healy 1973, 19). In 1620 gaoler Edward Horton reported that a good part of Newgate had already fallen and that more was likely to fall. Repairs and alterations were carried out throughout the seventeenth century. In 1705 it was ordered that the gate should be taken down and disposed of so that the passage could be widened. It continued to be used as a prison, however, until 1780 and was only demolished c. 1788 (Healy 1973, 20). Half of one tower survived, incorporated into a shop, and was exposed in 1915. It was preserved by the corporation until 1932 (Bradley and King 1987, vol. 1, 49-50). McNeil, C. 1921 New Gate, Dublin. In Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 152-65. See attached floor plan of Newgate Prison showing the medieval gateway, Speed's 1610 Map of Dublin where the new gate labelled No. 50 is depicted standing at the junction between High Street (No. 48) and St Francis Street (No. 61), and Brooking's 1728 Map of Dublin City. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 28 April 2023