Town defences

The National Monuments Service's description

The Anglo-Norman settlement at Athy appears to date from at least the mid 13th-century when two priories (Dominican: KD035-022004- and Fratres Cruciferi: KD035-022006-) and a church (St. Michael’s: KD035-022014-) are known to have been in existence. The Michael family, lords of the barony of Reban since the conquest, were also the Lords of Athy. An early castle (KD035-022001-) was also likely to have existed – the sergeant of the ‘ward of Athy’ is mentioned in 1297 – although its precise location is not recorded. While the town is likely to have been enclosed earlier, the first reference to town defences does not occur until 1515, when Athy belonged to the earl of Kildare. Athy and Kildare were granted charters by Henry VIII giving inhabitants the right to elect a provost and hold a weekly market, and authorising them to fortify the town with ditches and walls of stone and lime. Customs and other income were granted to pay for the construction and upkeep of the defences (Bradley et al. 1986a, vol. 1, 37). No structural evidence of town walls survives, but a 19th-century manuscript account (NLI Ms. 16172) indicates some of their former course. A D-shaped area (est. c. 290m N-S; c. 200m E-W) on the E bank of River Barrow was enclosed and had three gates: Tubber Muilland Gate to the N on Stanhope St., St. Michael's Gate to the E on Leinster St. and Preston's (or Postern) Gate) to the S on Offaly St. This latter gate was probably named after the family which occupied it. A Du Noyer drawing (c. 1840) shows it as a rectangular gatehouse of 15th or 16th-century type, with a segmental arch. It was levelled in 1860. The Black Castle, to the E of Tubber Muilland Gate, appears to have been a mural tower, while the White Castle (KD025-022010-), within the town, defended the bridge (KD035-022008-). The area enclosed on the W bank of the Barrow is more conjecture. It appears to have been roughly square (est. c. 200m; N-S; c. 200m E-W) with one gate: Miss Helen's Gate at the W end of Duke St., possibly near the junction with St John’s Lane. No visible surface trace of any of the town’s mural defences survives (op. cit. 48).

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 11 December 2013

References

Bradley, J., Halpin, A., and King, H.A. 1986 Urban Archaeological Survey - County Kildare (4 vols.). Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.