Town defences in Liberties OF Carlingford

The Carlingford town defences appear to have enclosed a roughly rectangular area of about 8 hectares, but the precise course of the wall is not known. According to Bradley (1984b, 35) there are no known early maps of topographical importance for Carlingford. The supposed line of the wall is based on remaining fragments and the position of the Tholsel Gate. A large section of the wall exists at the NW side of the town at Back Lane and to the SE of the Tholsel. The wall at Back Lane is built on a slope, is constructed of uncoursed rubble, stands to a height of c. 3m and is c. 1m thick. This section of wall contains four loops which indicate that it is late medieval in date. The section of wall to the SE of the Tholsel Gate is similar to the portion at Back Lane and also contains loops. (1) Bradley (1984B, 43) suggests that there may have been a town gate at the N end of Newry Street. (2) To the SE side of the town a gate usually referred to as the Tholsel, stands at and gave access to the main street, as it does today. It is a sub-rectangular gatehouse and has a flattened barrel-vaulted entranceway with segmental arch of small greywacke slabs and keystone. It is built of limestone blocks, boulders and greywacke, roughly coursed, and was originally three storeys high. The third storey has been truncated and a modern slate roof now covers it. In the NE angle at ground level there is a small rectangular chamber (c. 15m by 3m) with flat arched doorway and barrel vault over. The first-floor level is reached by modern steps through a doorway at the E end of the N wall, but the original access to this level must have been from a spiral stairwell, part of which is now discernible just above the entrance to the small rectangular chamber mentioned above. The upper portion of the NE angle has obviously been rebuilt and an early window head incorporated. The N wall has an opening with a two centred arch directly over the main entranceway. This opening is a later alteration and has no original cut stone remaining. The S wall also has an opening with a two-centred arch, but it has an original window jamb on its W side of hammer-dressed limestone with glazing bar holes and is chamfered. At the E end of the S wall there is a plain slit ope which gave light to the garderobe in the SE angle. The remains of the garderobe with a small rectangular chute are to be seen in the E angle. The W wall also has plain lintelled loops at first and second-floor level, a cubby-hole at first-floor level in the W angle, and a single-splayed ope at first-floor level in the N wall. The building has been much altered and repaired, as can be seen in the stonework of the S wall of the E angle, the N wall of the N angle, the windows of the first floor and the insertion of early medieval cut stone from some other building. (Bradley 1984b, 44) (3) Bradley (1984B, 39) suggests that 'there may have been a gate in the W wall at the point where River Street cuts the line of the town wall'. The above description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986, No. 1167) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Claire Breen Date of revision: 12 May 2010