Town Wall — Burgagery-Lands West

The earliest recorded murage grant for Clonmel was bestowed by Edward I in 1298 for a ten year period. Subsequent grants were made in 1316, 1319, 1356, 1364 and in 1409 Henry IV authorised a thirty year grant (Bradley 1985, 47). Testimony to the importance of the wall to the town was the fact that tolls were actually levied on the people for the maintenance of the South Gate and the repair of the walls in 1463 (Calendar of Patent Rolls, Ireland, Henry VIII-Eliz, vol. 2, 210-11). It appears that the walls were also well-maintained throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. William Camden, in his 1587 travelogue 'Britannia', described Clonmel as being 'well fortified' (Thomas, 1992, vol. 2, 51). In 1608, with the inauguration of the Corporation of the town by James I, it was remarked that '...great and frequent costs are expended' on the amendment and repair of the walls (Shee & Watson 1975, 20). The Down Survey map illustrates the medieval curtain walls and towers surrounding the town, with an inner wall built diagonally across the SE corner. Cromwell's seige of Clonmel in 1650 initiated the decline of the walls. A large breach was made during the bombardment of the town which apparently caused considerable damage (ibid.). In the late 17th century the walls were reinforced by the addition of artillery defence works, outside gates and corner towers all of which were constructed by the Williamite forces and indicated on J. Goubet's 1690/91 map of the town (Kerrigan 1980, 149). The town wall of Clonmel enclosed a roughly rectangular area of 14 hectares, with a projection at the NW corner demarcating the boundary of St. Mary's medieval church and graveyard. The Civil Survey of the 1650s described the town as being 'walled about with a stone wall of lyme and stone, with severall Turretts' (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 385-88). According to Goubet's map of 1690/91 there were at least six mural towers, while documentary sources indicate that there were a total of six gates. Though none of the gates survive the 'West Gate' was remodelled in the 19th century on the site of the medieval gate. It was the primary gate into the town providing access from Irishtown into the main street of the town, namely O'Connell St. According to Goubet's map one of the 17th-century bastions was positioned in front of this gate. The wall continued in a northerly direction for c. 150m, no upstanding remains visible for c. 110m from the West Gate, the wall is then well preserved for c. 40m up to a mural tower. It is rectangular in plan with rounded corners with high quality sandstone masonry. The tower was reused as a gazebo/garden feature in the 19th century, at which time the entire ground floor was altered and a large, broad external staircase was created up against the N face of the tower to allow access to the first floor. The first floor is vaulted. The wall then kinks slightly to the NNW for c. 60m where it meets a mural tower at the NW angle. This tower is quite squat, rectangular in plan with good quality sandstone masonry, particularly at the quoins. Its SE corner is flanked by a buttress, while at the base of the E face there is a vaulted porch entrance. Another bastion is depicted at this angle tower (ibid.). A good stretch of wall then runs NNE for c. 50m to a mural tower. This tower is in good condition having been partially restored. Like its counterpart on the W wall it is slender, well-constructed and has rounded corners with angled quoins on the lower SW corner. It is a three-storey structure (int. dims. 2.54m x 2.43m) with a pointed vault over the ground floor. Fenestration comprises a number of loops, a single-light ogee, a caernarvon-arched window and a cross-loop. The wall continues NNE for a further c. 50m to the NE angle of St. Mary's graveyard. A bastion is depicted at this angle on Goubet's map (ibid.). Nothing survives above ground of the N section of town wall E of St. Mary's graveyard. It may have run along William St for c. 200m curving S down Upper Gladstone St for c. 50m to meet Kickham St and turn E for c. 70m towards the NE angle tower. This NE tower, the eastern half of which was uncovered in 1991 (Channing 1992, 42; Excavation Licence no. 92E0021), is circular in plan (int. diam. 3.6m; wall T 1.94m) and 5m in height over present ground level. It is composed of sandstone rubble and retains a rough rectangular loop looking to the NE. The town wall may have run along or roughly parallel with Morton St. for c. 260m following a fairly straight line to the NE angle tower. Both possibilities would have incorporated a town gate, Mary's Gate or postern, possibly at the junction of Mary St and Morton St and another at the N end of Gladstone St., namely the North Gate variously called Lough Gate and Breech Gate. A bastion is depicted at the Gladstone St. gate (ibid.). Excavation has revealed c. 40m of the town wall running SSE from the NE angle, though the wall does not survive above ground beyond this it can be presumed that it continued along the existing property boundary for c. 100m before a slight change of direction, running more southerly to the E end of Mitchell St. where there was formerly a town gate, the East Gate also called Kilsheelan Gate. A bastion is depicted on Goubet's map at the E end of Market St. and at the Mitchell St. town gate (ibid.). The wall continued on this line for c. 40m before kinking out once again to run SSE along Dowd's lane, c. 90m of this length has been revealed in excavations as has an external fosse running parallel with the town wall. Excavation also uncovered a semi-circular angle mural tower (diam. in excess of 7m) at the S end of Dowd's land (Scully 1994, 74; 1996, 175-8; Excavation Licence no. 92E132). Most of the S wall of the town defences does not appear to survive above ground level, though a length of town wall (L c. 14m; H 1.8m; Wth 1.3m) along the riverfront, composed of sandstone rubble bonded with fine estuarine sand mortar, was noted during an excavation at Grubb’s Quay (Henry 1996, 80; Excavation Licence no. 95E0211). The remains of a curved structure, possibly an intermural fortification, were incorporated in part of the internal face of this length of town wall (ibid.). The S stretch ran for c. 130m from the SE angle tower in a westerly direction to meet the town gate, the Water Gate at the S end of Sarsfield St. Goubet's map and Lyons (1936, 289) suggest there was a bastion at the S end of Sarsfield St. An excavation at the eastern side of the S end of Sarsfield St. confirmed that the town wall had been demolished in this area and no traces of a bastion were found (Henry 1994, 75; Excavation Licence no.: 93E0094). The wall then continued W for c. 180m, along the front of the Quay St. property boundaries, to the town gate known as the South Gate or Bridge Gate at Old Bridge. It continued W for a further 100m, presumably to an angle tower before turning N for c. 50m, running parallel to Grubb's lane up to the West Gate. Excavations in 1996 at to rear of 35-36 O'Connell St. confirmed the presence of the medieval town wall, which extended along the former riverfront (Henry 1997, 101; Excavation Licence no.: 96E0112). The wall (Wth 0.9-0.95m; H 1.2m) ran in an approximate E-W direction and was uncovered c. 2m below modern ground level (ibid.). It was built of uncut blocks of sandstone, randomly coursed, with a solid core of rubble and mortar and was well faced with a slight batter along both faces (ibid.). The wall had been built on a foundation plinth on compact estuarine gravels (ibid.). There was no evidence of an external town fosse, the River Suir no doubt performed this function adequately (ibid.). A narrow sally-port (Wth 0.87m; surviving H 1.8m) was found in the town wall (ibid.). Only two dressed sandstone piers, a flat smooth step at the base of the piers, two iron hinges, a circular bolt-receiver and a square opening, for a possible draw-bar survived (ibid.). The gateway provided minor access throu