Town Wall — Englishtown,king's Island,limerick City,irishtown

The medieval town defences of Limerick city were described in the Urban Survey (Bradley et. al. 1989, 266-87) as following; 'The documentary references detailed in the historical introduction, above, clearly show that Viking Limerick was defended by walls with towers and gates. The exact course of these walls, however, is unknown and it is not clear if they coincide at some points or not with the late medieval defences of the town whose course can be accurately traced from a number of maps, including the "Hardiman" map of c.1590 (Hardiman Ms. TCD Ms 1209/57, partly reproduced in nineteenth century re-drawing in fig. 56, for the remaining part see Lynch 1984, pl. I), the Pacata Hibernia map of c.1600 (see cover), John Speed’s map of 1610 (fig. 57), Thomas Phillips" view and map of c.1685 (NLI), and the "French" map of 1691 (reproduced in Lenihan 1866, opp. 258). The defences have been the subject of a detailed study by Leask (1941) while the excavations by Lynch (1984) Charlotte’s Quay have shed much new light on the nature and construction of the wall of Irishtown. In terms of documentary references it is clear that works were being carried out on the defences from the thirteenth right through until the seventeenth century. Murage grants are attested from 1237 (Sweetman 1875-86, i, no. 2405) and further grants were made in 1310-11, "to enclose the suburbs" (Tresham 1828, p. 18: no. 134), 1375 (ibid., p. 95: no. 176) and 1400 (ibid., p. 163: no. 118). Work continued on the walls in the fifteenth century and "Cogan’s Tower" on the east side of Irishtown was completed c.1430, information which is derived from a locally kept account, the Arthur Mss (Leask 1941, 103; see edition by MacLysaght in NMAJ 1950-3). From the surviving remains of the citadel, around St John’s Gate and both Phillips" and the French map, it is clear that there was substantial rebuilding of the walls in the seventeenth century also. The English Town The defences of the English Town have their origin in the Viking period but it is clear that these defences developed and changed their outline over time. The precinct of the Dominican Friary, for instance, was evidently outside the walls originally and was incorporated, perhaps in the late thirteenth century. Phillips" map and the Hardiman map of c.1590 show an infra-mural wall running down along Dominic Street and Bishop Street. This may well mark the site of the original Viking defences. There is also the possibility that there was a cross wall stretching from the Shannon on the west, along Newgate Lane to the town wall, on the east, bisecting the English Town. This is shown on Phillip’s map and the Newgate itself is depicted on the Hardiman map (c.1590) and on Speed’s map (1610). The origin and purpose this wall and gate is unclear. At first sight it is tempting to interpret it with the wall that ran along Dominic St and Bishop St as part of the Viking defences, but this would omit St Mary’s Cathedral from the Viking town. Alternately, if one suggests that this cross-wall was the northern limit of the Viking town, then the churches of St. Munchin and St. Nicholas, as well as the probable site of the Viking royal fortress (the castle), would be placed outside the town. Since neither of these explanations is satisfactory all that can be said about the Newgate and cross-wall is that its purpose remains a puzzle. Apart from the gates described below one other, Bow Lane Gate, is mentioned by Leask and he has located it on the north side of Augustine Place. Description The following description takes the castle [LI005-017014-] as its starting point and works its way clockwise around the English town. The position of the wall, towers and gates is marked on fig. 62. From the north west tower of King John’s Castle the wall ran northward to Thomond Gate. No fragment of this short section survives. Thomond and Bridge Gates Philip’s view shows a square tower while the Pacata Hibernia view and Speed’s map (1610) show rectangular towers at either end of the bridge. The Bridge Gate, indicated on the O.S. map as "Thomond Gate" appears to have stood on the west bank of the Shannon, while Thomond Gate itself stood on the east side (Leask 1941). The wall immediately north Castle St is missing but the section along the graveyard is intact and consists of medium sized blocks of very roughly dressed limestone roughly coursed. The wall probably also survives in the houses numbered 1-4 Verdant Place as their west walls display a definite, though slight, external batter. Five metres north of these buildings the wall is stepped back and the angle thus formed has dressed limestone quoins. About 15m north of this is a semi-circular mural tower. The wall between Castle St. and this tower is c.5.1m high externally and at least 1.05m thick; internally, however, the ground is almost level with the top of the wall. Tower 1 This has an external diameter of 6.3m (N-S). The walls are 3.8m high externally but internally the ground level is built up leaving only a wall 1m high and 55cm thick which is probably modern above ground. No internal or external features are visible. North of this tower there is a wall c.2.5m high above external ground level which retains the gardens of the Villiers Alms Houses. This wall seems to be modern but almost certainly follows the line of, and may well incorporate parts of, the original town wall. Some 45m north of the first tower is another mural tower forming the north-west angle of the town defences. Tower 2 This was probably semi-circular but the north end is missing. It has an external diameter of 6.5m. The walls are 4.8m high externally and 2.1m internally. A ledge (?wall-walk) 90cm wide occurs c.1m above ground level internally and may be original. A long arrow loop (now blocked) facing north-west is visible externally; others may be obscured by ivy. The wall running north-east from this tower towards Dominick St is modern. Island Gate This gate stood where Dominick St met the city wall. It was a rectangular structure with a small turret (Leask 1941, 98). It is shown on the maps of 1590 (TCD), 1690-91 (French) 1691 (French B.M.) as a square or rectangular tower. The 1590 map seems to show a projecting turret. The next section of wall which ran parallel to Island Road from Island Gate is missing. A fosse appears to be indicated on the 1590 map between Island Gate and Peter’s Cell. The present Island Road presumably runs just outside the line of this fosse. Tower 3 A mural tower is indicated on the north-east angle of the wall. It may have been the tower/gate which stood at the bend at the north end of Love Lane. The 1590 map almost seems to show the wall turning north for a short stretch to meet this gate but French maps of 1690-91 show it as a rectangular tower with projecting turret on the wall. Colles" map of 1769 shows it a short distance south east of Love Lane. A length of wall, c.7m high externally and 4m internally immediately south of this tower, survives in the gardens of St Mary’s Convent. It is 1.4m thick and has an external base batter 1.3m high. The masonry is of large dressed blocks of limestone, roughly coursed externally, while the internal face is missing but reveals a rubble core. Running south-west from the north end of the wall is another wall c.9.5m long and containing two unsplayed pointed arched doorways with dressed limestone jambs, one with bar hole and pointed rear arch: the other, which is blocked, has a pointed rear arch of brick. This wall clearly post-dates the break in the town wall against which it is built. The condition of the wall deteriorates towards its southern end, decreasing in height (to c.2.2m) and in thickness because the internal wall facing is missing. There is a splayed rectangular loop of uncertain date; between 21m and 25m from the north there are two rectangular windows splayed internally and externally with pointed rear arches. The jambs are of sandstone and are chamf