Inn

The National Monuments Service's description

On the S side of St. Canice's Place (formerly Bull Alley) This was a three- storey gable-fronted building (dims. c. 17m N-S; c. 6.5m E-W), the apex of which was surmounted by a stone chimney. An illustration by Graves, drawn in 1841, shows a blocked up central opening with a flat-headed three-light window to the E surmounted by a hood-moulding (Prim 1862-3, 152-80). There is a similar hood-moulding to the W of the blocked up opening which suggests there was another three-light window W of the doorway. This window appears to have been broken out and a later doorway inserted with a single light immediately to the W, probably the westernmost light of the original window. Prim also states that there was an original central doorway, later blocked up (ibid., 177). At first-floor level there were two two-light flat-headed windows to the E and W with two plaques between them. One plaque bore the date 1602 with the inscription ‘Insingnia Roberti Jose’, while the other bore the inscription ‘Bulles Inne: Nomen huius faedi dicitur’ which Prim suggests translates as ‘Bull Inn - the name of the house is called' (ibid., 177-8). There are two single-light windows at attic level. All the windows have hood-mouldings. By the end of the 17th century the inn had fallen into a ruinous state (ibid., 180). When Bull Alley was being widened in 1862 the inn was taken down to second-storey level, as it was considered to be in a dangerous condition (ibid.). At present the E wall (H c. 4.5m; L c. 15m) survives up to first-floor level and some of the W wall (H c. 2.5m; L c. 15m) with a small portion of the rear return (T 0.8-0.9m) on both the E and W walls (pers. comm. Gill McLoughlin 4 November 2015). The E wall has a cut-stone, square, chamfered window at ground-floor level. There is an internal rebate (H c. 1.7m) on both the E and W wall (pers. comm. Gill McLoughlin 4 November 2015). Both the NE and SE angle have cut limestone quoins. (Farrelly, O’Reilly and Loughran 1993, vol. 1, 90).

See attached illustrations:
KK019-026107-_01 Prim 1841 drawing of the NW gable
KK019-026107-_02 Prim 1841 drawing of wall plaques on NW gable

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 14 November 2015

References

Prim, J. G. A. 1862-3 Notes on Kilkenny inns and taverns. Journal of the Kilkenny and South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society 4 (1), 152-180.

Farrelly, J., O'Reilly, B., and Loughran, A. 1993 Urban archaeological survey - county Kilkenny (2 vols.). Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.