Town defences in Kildare

According to Bradley et al. (1986 vol. 3, 213), a charter of 1515 authorised the burgesses of Kildare to enclose the town with a stone wall and a fosse, for which a murage grant was provided. Thomas (1992, 125) suggests that that grant, ‘… made a few years after the death of the “great earl” of Kildare but during the lord deputy-ship of his son, may therefore have been to restore an existing but decayed wall, or else to upgrade a simple earthen enclosure.’ While the existence of a murage grant is not proof positive that defences were either constructed or repaired at that date, Kildare’s frontier location strongly suggests that town defences were a necessity, unless the strong Anglo Norman castle (KD022-029004-) was deemed sufficient to meet any threat. No visible physical evidence for the morphology of the town defences survives, and any description is based on, mainly later, historical sources, and any suggested town wall course is conjectural. The earliest reference to town gates only occurs in the later-17th century, when, in 1674, three gates are mentioned; Clare Gate, Ellis Gate and White Gate, and a Fire Castle, which may also have formed part of the defences. The Clare Gate was situated on Claregate Street on the W side of the town (PRONI D 30378/2/3/5), and is indicated on Roque's 1757 map. Bradley et al’s mapping (op. cit. 213, Fig. 85) suggests a location at c. ITM E 672649 N 712438. Ellis Gate was probably located on Station Road, on the highest point of the ridge at the NE side of the town. Bradley et al.’s mapping (op. cit 214, Fig. 85) suggest a location at c. ITM E 672912 N 712480. White Gate was located on the E side of the town on Dublin Street, possibly just SSE of the Anglo Norman castle (KD022-029004-). Bradley et al.’s mapping (op. cit. 214-5, Fig. 85) suggests a location at c. ITM E 672953 N 712333. The Fire Castle is shown on Rocque’s 1757 map, to the W of the Cathedral (KD022-029005-) and may have formed part of the town defences. Bradley et al.’s mapping (op. cit. 213-4, Fig. 85) suggests a location at c. ITM E 672673 N 712536. It’s likely there was a S gate, possibly near the S end of Bride Street. Bradley et al.’s mapping (op. cit. 213-4, Fig. 85) suggests a location at c. ITM E 672809 N 712232. Besides the town gates, Rocque’s map records ‘Black Ditch or Cleamore Street’ as the old name for Academy Street, which suggests the town’s SW defences ran along this line, between Clare Gate at W and a S gate. Thereafter, the defences would have followed a line possibly running E from a S gate before turning N to the White Gate and on to the NNW to Ellis Gate, then, skirting N of the Cathedral, back around to the Clare Gate, via Fire Castle. (Andrews and Simms 1986; Horner 1975-6, 480-84) Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 24 January 2012