Gateway — Fore

During the later Middle Ages Fore was a frontier town and although documentary references are slight it is clear that it was fortified in the fifteenth century. In 1462-3 Edward IV confirmed an earlier grant of murage by Henry VI, King between 1422 and 1461 (Berry 1914, 25). The north gateway appears to from part of the fifteenth century fortification of the town. The present remains of the North gate consists of a rectangular structure with rounded corners on the north-west and south-east angles. It is built of fairly evenly coursed limestone and is entered through a round arched gate, 2.6m wide, which is blocked by a modern cross wall. The passage is flat-arched and short. Only the ground floor survives and there are no indications of internal chambers. A murder hole above the gate indicates that there was an upper level but all trace of it has been removed and is now replaced by modern repairs. There is a slight batter and a string course on the external west face. There are two large internal recesses in the east and west walls at arch level and these may have held eyes on which the gate was suspended (Bradley et. al. 1985, 76-7). See attached drawing of Fore North Gate taken from Urban Survey of Co. Westmeath. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 22 November 2013