Town defences in Mullingar

The town defences of the historic town of Mullingar (WM019-089----) appear to have been first constructed in the late 16th century. In 1583 Queen Elizabeth granted that the 'portreeve, justices, and constables for the time being, should yearly appoint a special and sufficient person to collect the "commodities growing due", by reason of the fairs, to the use of the said town: and "thereof to make a just account immediately after either of said fairs", to the intent that the money from time to time be put into a treasury, to be employed yearly about the enclosing and fortifying of the town and things thereunto' (Anon. 1835, 1257). The Queen's letters also stated that the tolls of the markets of Mullingar, formerly granted, should be applied 'about the benefitte and strengthening of the town' (Ibid.). In 1609 an Inquisition into the estate of the deceased Thomas Hopp, Constable of Mullingar mentioned the existence of ‘the west gate in Mollingare' (Anon 1826, 3 Jac 1). It is not clear if the defences around the town were built of stone or whether they consisted of earthen banks flanked by external ditches or a combintaion of stone and earthen defences around the town. The 1641-53 Survey of Mullingar has several references to the existence of a town wall at Mullingar. This survey records that the dwelling house of Richard Nelan , a burgess in the town of Mullingar was 'lying and being from the walls of the said town on the north' (Andrews and Davies 1992, 14). This reference suggests that the town defences on the N side of Mullingar consisted of a town wall. The property of Robert Christell was recorded in 1641 as 'lying and being from the walls of the said town on the south' (ibid.). The presence of town gates are suggested by references in the 1641 Survey to the 'Motegate' or 'Motte Gate' located on the S side of the town, located in close proximity to the motte castle (WM019-089005-). However it is also possible that this 'motegate' is not a town gate but a gateway into the courtyard of the stone castle (WM019-089001-) of Mullingar which stood on top of the Anglo-Norman motte. The 1641 Survey recorded that Gerrott Pettyt possessed a dwelling house ‘lying and being from the blind street (Blackhall St.) on the north, the house wherein sometimes Richard Christell dwelt on the east, the Mount (WM019-089005-) of the said town on the south, and the lane leading to the Motegate on the west’ (Ibid.) The dwelling of Teige O Connolan was described in 1641 as ‘lying and being from the motte gate on the north, the Mount (WM019-089005-) of the said town on the east, the brook (River Brosna) on the south, and Adam Pettyts land on the south’ (Ibid.). The town walls may have been combination of earthen and stone defences for the 1641 Survey mentions the presence of the ‘rampier of the said town on the north’ (Ibid.). The town was fortified with a second outer ring of defences c. 1690-1 during the Williamite Wars (Andrews and Davies 1992, 3). In 1690 during the Williamite Wars earthwork fortifications were constructed around the historic town (WM019-089----) of Mullingar. These fortifications may have incorporated the earlier town defences (WM019-089035-) dating from the late 16th century (Ibid., 10). In 1691 new fortifications were constructed around the town which may have included the construction of a star-shaped fort around All Saints’ parish church (WM019-089016-) and graveyard (WM019-089017-) as shown on Richards map of Mullingar dating from 1691. The 1656 Down Survey map of Co. Westmeath (NLI Mss. 723-4) depicts Mullingar as an oval shaped fortified town standing on the banks of the River Brosna. The Down Survey parish map of Mullingar depicts the town as a cluster of buildings standing inside what appears to have been an oval-shaped enclosure which may represent the town defences. A road network system is shown on the Down Survey map as intersecting in the town of Mullingar. This network of roads corresponds with the roads depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. A road running N-S road intersects with a road running E-W forming a cross-roads located at the E end of the town. On the Down Survey map the N road is shown exiting through the enclosing feature. The road to the E passes through the enclosing feature where it crosses the River Brosna. On the S side of the town three exit points for three roads are depicted. A road running from E to SW through the town exits the town defences at SW and is depicted on the Down Survey parish map of Mullingar as ‘The highway to Mullingar’. The main road running E-W across the centre of the town was described by Sir Henry Piers in 1682 as ‘a great thorough fare or road from Dublin to Connaught’ (Vallancey 1786, 78). This road ran through the townlands Clonmore and Grange South heading SW towards the townland of Rathcolman. Based on the Down Survey cartographic evidence that there may have been six openings in the town defences located at the points where the roads exited the town of Mullingar. It is unclear whether there were any town gates at these exit points. The layout of the town plots on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map closely resembles the depiction of the town boundary on the 17th century Down Survey maps. The street running roughly NE-SW depicted on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map as ‘Back of the Town’ [now Bishop’s Gate Street/Church Street] probably follows the line of the town defences on the N side of Mullingar. The River Brosna running roughly N-S forms the boundary on the E side of the town. The route of the S boundary of the town defences are more difficult to identify but the line of the River Brosna on this side of the town may have formed part of the town defences. These town defences may have been constructed in the second half of the 16th century. The road running parallel canal follows the line of the ‘High Way’ into Mullingar and the town did not extend beyond this road. The W end of Linen Street [Dominick St.] marked the W end of the historic town of Mullingar. The Richards map of Mullingar dating from 1691 shows a double concentric line of fortifications around the town of Mullingar with four forts attached to the inner circuit of defences (Thomas 1992, 233). It is possible that the inner line of defences was constructed before 1641 and the second outer line of defences may have been built c. 1689 during the Williamite Wars in Ireland (Ibid.). On the 1691 map no gate houses are shown on either circuit of the town defences. On this map an opening in the town defences is depicted at E and W. There may have been town gates at these two locations. The inner defences of the town incorporated an area measuring c. 15 hectares while the outer defences enclosed an area c. 20-25 hectares (Thomas 1992, 234). The 1656 Down Survey map of ‘Mullingartowne’ (NLI Mss. 723-4) depicts a single line of town defences which on the N side appear to be crenellated which if accurate would suggest that the inner line of town defences consisted of a stone wall with battlements. The Down Survey map of Mullingar parish depicts the interior of the town divided into four quadrants by a network of intersecting roads. According to the Urban Survey of Westmeath (Bradley et. al. 1985, 117), 'there is no evidence that Mullingar was walled during the Middle Ages but it is unlikely that it could have survived as a settlement into the sixteenth century without defences of some kind. In 1584 the provost of the town and the constable of the gaol (WM019-089007-) were granted two annual fairs, the tolls of which were to be used 'in enclosing and fortifying the town' which was described as 'lying open to all attempts' (Morrin 1861, 48; 15 Rep Deputy Keeper Public Records Ireland, 38: No. 4354). The extent of the defences is difficult to gauge but it is likely that their boundary was formed by the River Brosna on the east, by the line of Bishop’s Gate Street and Friar’s Mill Road on the north and by