Mural tower (Historic Town)

The National Monuments Service's description

Bise's\Bysse's Tower - A medieval semi-circular shaped mural tower on the side of Bise's House on Parliament Street that was on the city walls between Buttevant's mural tower (DU018-020018-) 50m to the N and Dames' City Gate (DU018-020028-) 30m to the S. In 1574 the Dublin Assembly Roll recorded that; 'Robert Byce, gentleman, shall have a lease for terme of lx. and one yeares upon the towre over the Dammes gate [DU018-020028-], Buttevantes towre [DU018-020018-), and the bulwark betwixt bothe the said towres, paing yearely to this citie the som of vi.s. viii.d. Irishe, and that he shall performe all such covenauntes, condicions and clauses as shalbe comprised in the said lease for houylding and reparacion of the said towres' (CARD Vol. 2, 93).
Described in 1585 as follows; 'From Buttevantes towre [DU018-020018-] to the rounde halfe towre adjoyninge to Mr. Robert Bise [h]is howse is 188 foote [57m] distant, the wall and grounde within agreing in height and thicknis as the other parte of the wall befor. The said towre joyning to Mr. Bise [h]is howse is a demy-towre with three storie heightes, no vawt [vault] but towe loftes, with 3 lowps [loops] in the loer rowmes, and 2 lowps in the second rowme, the wall 4 foote [1.2m] thicke, 26 foote [8m] hie, and 16 foote [5m] sqware within the walles. From Mr. Bise [h]is towre to the easte gatte called Dames gate [DU018-020028-] is 108 foote [33m] distant, the wall 17 foote [5.2m] hie and 5 foote [1.5m] thicke, and the grounde firme within, agreing in height with the reste befor' (CARD Vol. 2, 556-7). In 1609 the Dublin Assembly Roll recorded an agreement that; 'Christofer Byse, gentleman, shall, in consyderacion of the some of fortye poundes, sterling, current monny in England, have all that the cittyes righte which it hath or oughte to have unto the inns called Powers Inns, nowe in the said Christofer his possession, and alsoe shall have a lease for tearme of fower score and nyneten yeares, uppon the tower over Dams gate [DU018-020028-], with the way or staiers uppe therunto, the tower called Buttevantes tower [DU018-020018-], and one other tower or flancard uppon the citty wall, scituated betwixte the tower over the Dams gate and Buttevantes tower, at the yearly rente of sixe shillinges and eight pence, lawful monny of Ireland; with other covenantes to be incerted in his lease; and the said forty powndes to be paid within the sixe monneth, nexte herafter. Provided this graunt be not prejudicial to this citty for the five shillinges penny halfe penny, Iryshe, allowed this citty by thexchequer for the said Powers' (CARD Vol. 2, 514).
Bise's Tower was described in the Urban Survey of Dublin City as follows; 'This was a three storied half-round tower, 63 yards from Buttevant tower, and was so named from the fact that it adjoined Mr. Bise's house and was granted to him in 1574 (Healy 1973, 21). It lay in the middle of Parliament Street about two-thirds of the way up, and was demolished in 1763 when Parliament Street was laid out' (Bradley and King 1987, 53). This semi-circular shaped mural tower standing on the E side of the Dublin City walls to the N of Dames' Gate (No. 7) is depicted on De Gomme's 1673 Map of Dublin City.

Parliament Street: Known as Bysse's Tower. In 1585 this was a three storied half round tower (int. dims. Wth 5m, H 8.12m, Wall T 1.25m) (De Courcy 1996, 36). No surface remains visible (Clarke 2002, 21). Marker plaque 2002.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 10 July 2023

References

De Courcy, J. 1996 The Liffey in Dublin. Dublin. Gill and Macmillan.

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

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

Bradley, J. & King, H. (1988) Urban Archaeological Survey, Dublin, Volume 4. A report commissioned by the Office of Public works (Unpublished).

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

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