Mural tower (Historic Town)

The National Monuments Service's description

Sarsfield's Tower at No.10 John Dillon Street. This mural tower on the Dublin City walls (DU018-020001-) was described in 1585 as follows; 'From Saint Nicholas gate [DU018-020022-] to the towre in sir William Sarsfelds possession is 312 foote [95m] distant, whereof there is 74 foote [22.5m], nexte adjoyninge unto Saint Nicholas gate, of the wall but 16 foote [4.9m] hie, and the firme grounde 9 foote [2.7m] hie within the said wall and the reste beinge 238 foote [72.5m] is fowre foote and a halfe [1.4m] thicke, 16 foote [4.9m] hie besydes the garettes and a rampier within of 15 foote [4.5m] thicke and nere as hie as the wall in the insyde, besydes the buttris which is from the botom of the diche [ditch] to the fundation of the wall 19 foott [5.8m] goode, by estimacion. The said towre in Sir William Sarsfeldes pocession, is a demy rounde towre fylled with earthe, and nether vawte [vault] nor lofte, with fowre lowps [loops], 11 foote [3.3m] sqware within the towre, and the wall fowre foote [1.2m] demy thicke and 16 foote [4.9m] hie evin with the wall befor. From the towre in Sir William Sarsfeldes pocession to the smale towre [DU018-0208009-] in the pocession of Mr. Christofer Sedgrave is 340 foote [103m] distant, and the wall and rampier with the buttris withowte the said wall, agreinge in licke height and thicknes as the other parte of the said wall, rampier, and buttris afor mencioned. savinge that there is no rampier within 80 foote [24m] next adjoyning to the said towre in Mr. Sedgraves pocession' (CARD Vol. 2, 552-3).

No.10 John Dillon Street: Known as the Round Tower or Sarsefield's Tower. The position of this tower is indicated on a deed map of 1780 which locates the site behind No. 10 John Dillon Street. It was a relatively low half round tower (H 4.5m) and was filled with earth. In 1585 it was held by Sir Willaim Sarsefield (Healy 1973, 19; Clarke 2002, 21).

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 23 November 2022

References

Clarke, H.B. 2002 Irish Historic Towns Atlas No. 11: Dublin, part I, to 1610. Royal Irish Academy. Dublin.

Calendar of Ancient Records of Dublin: In the Possession of the Municipal Corporation of that City.

Healy, P. 1973 The town walls of Dublin. In E. Gillespie (ed.), The Liberties of Dublin, 16-23. Dublin. O'Brien.

Clarke, H.B. 1978 Dublin c. 840 - c. 1540: the medieval town in the modern city. Dublin.