Gateway

The National Monuments Service's description

Pole Gate / Pool Gate on Werburgh Street was located just inside the junction with Ship Street. It derived its name from its proximity to the pool in the River Poddle. Annotated 'Pole gate (site of)' on 1863 ed. OSi 25-inch map. This gateway was described in 1585 as follows; 'From Stanhurst [h]is towre [DU018-020006-] to the Pole gate is 168 foote [51m] distant, and the wall and rampier agreinge in like height and thicknis as the other parte of the said wall and rampier aforsaide. The towre on the said Pole gate is a sqware towre with twoe stories, the loer storie upon a vawte [vault] with three lowpes [loops], and the upper storie a timber lofte, and the wall 6 foote [1.8m] thicke and 14 foote [4.3m] sqware within, and the towre 46 foote [14m] hie, besydes the garettes, from the fundacion of the wall, with a perculles [portcullis] for the same gate. From the Pole gate to the towre caled Genevels towre [DU018-020007-], nowe in Mr. Parkins pocession, is 186 foote [57m] distant, and the wall and rampier agreinge in licke height and thicknis as the other parte of the said wall and rampier aforsaid' (CARD Vol. 2, 551-2). It was a square tower, the first storey was vaulted and contained a portcullis for the gate. Shown on Speeds map (1610) (Gillespie 1973, 33). No visible remains above ground (Bradley and King 1987, Vol. 1,47; Clarke, Dent and Johnson 2002, 32).

See attached Speed's 1610 Map of Dublin City showing the Pole Gate labelled No. 39.

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 28 April 2023

References

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

Gillespie, E. (ed.) 1973 The Liberties of Dublin. Dublin. O'Brien.

Clarke, H., Dent, S. and Johnson, R. (eds.) 2002 Dublinia: The Story of Medieval Dublin. O'Brien Press. Dublin.

Speed, J. 1611-12 The theatre of the empire of Great Britaine: presenting an exact geography of the kingdomes of England, Scotland, Ireland. Atlas.2.61.1, Cambridge University Library.

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.

Bradley, J. & King, H. (1987) Urban Archaeological Survey, Dublin. A report commissioned by the Office of Public works (Unpublished).