Gateway

The National Monuments Service's description

The town was completely defended by a town wall which had bastions at the four corners and two demi-bastions at the centre of the long E and W walls, as recorded on a map of 1730 by Thomas Moland. The North Gate of Jamestown was destroyed by Patrick Sarsfield in 1689 when he retook the town from Col. Lloyd, but it was rebuilt c. 1780 by Hugh O'Beirne. Its arch was taken down after it was damaged in 1973. Two in-turned piers survive, creating a passageway (Wth 4.3-5.3m; L 2.8m), together with adjacent parts of the town wall. Archaeological monitoring (20E0504) by L. Cagney (2021) of groundworks associated with a water pipe through Jamestown in 2020 identified a metalled surface and kerbstones from a footpath just outside the N gateway, which are more likely to be associated with the rebuilding of the gate in 1780 than its original construction. The kerbstones were preserved in situ.

See the attached archival view taken from the S prior to the removal of the arch in 1973.

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Leitrim' compiled by Michael J. Moore (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2003). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of revised upload: 17 October 2019
Amended: 3 August 2021

References

Cagney, L. 2021 Report on Archaeological Monitoring of Groundworks undertaken for Irish Water’s N4 to Jamestown Bridge Water Mains Scheme, County Leitrim. Part 1. Archaeological Information. Licence: E005243, 20E0504. Unpublished report, Archaeological Management Solutions