{"id":2961,"date":"2019-05-14T14:04:55","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T14:04:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kilkennyheritage.ie\/?p=2961"},"modified":"2020-05-20T11:06:54","modified_gmt":"2020-05-20T11:06:54","slug":"kilkenny-citys-medieval-walls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kilkennyheritage.ie\/2019\/05\/kilkenny-citys-medieval-walls\/","title":{"rendered":"Kilkenny City’s Medieval Walls"},"content":{"rendered":"

County Kilkenny has a rich medieval heritage which includes a number of walled towns and villages, of which Kilkenny City is the best known.\u00a0 The others are Callan, Gowran, Inistioge and Thomastown.\u00a0 The National Policy on Town Defences\u00a0<\/em><\/a>sets out national policy for the protection, preservation and conservation of walled towns and cities.<\/p>\n

Kilkenny\u2019s city walls were built by the Anglo Normans in the 13th century.\u00a0 They gave protection for the colonists living inside, and were a symbol of authority over the native Irish.\u00a0 The construction of the city walls in the 13th century was the largest civic project ever undertaken in Kilkenny, and measuring over two miles in length, the walls were the longest in Ireland at that time. 25% of the city walls still stand above ground today, the rest remain as archaeology hidden beneath our feet.<\/p>\n

\"City<\/a>

City Walls (illustration by Philip Armstrong)<\/p><\/div>\n

For more information about the city walls see the Kilkenny City Walls Conservation Plan<\/a> produced by Kilkenny Borough Council, in partnership with the Heritage Council\u00a0 and the\u00a0 Medieval Walls of Kilkenny City brochure<\/a> produced by the Heritage Council.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Talbot\u2019s Tower<\/strong>
\nTalbot\u2019s Tower was built around 1270, and then renamed after the 15th century Mayor of Kilkenny, Robert Talbot.\u00a0 It was one of nine such watch-towers on the city walls.<\/p>\n

The original 13th century tower was approximately three-quarters of its current size and had a timber roof.\u00a0 In the 1400s its height was raised by placing a stone-vaulted roof over the old battlements.<\/p>\n

During the 500 years of the turbulent middle-ages soldiers were stationed at Talbots Tower to defend the city.\u00a0 Oliver Cromwell successfully breached the walls, after a brief siege, in 1650.<\/p>\n

\"Kilkenny<\/a>

The attack on Talbots Tower by Oliver Cromwell in 1650 (illustration by Ale Mercado)<\/p><\/div>\n

From 1700\u2019s onward Kilkenny enjoyed a sustained period of relative peace and the walls were no longer needed and fell into disrepair.\u00a0 In the 19th century a pleasure garden was created at the top of the tower.\u00a0 By the 20th century the tower and adjacent walls were in ruins.<\/p>\n

\"Watchtower<\/a>

The rooftop garden at Talbot’s Tower in 1850 (illustration, Philip Armstrong)<\/p><\/div>\n

In 2005, Kilkenny Borough Council, in partnership with the Heritage Council, produced the Kilkenny City Walls Conservation Plan, in order to provide a strategy for the long term survival of the city\u2019s walls.
\nKilkenny County Council began the careful rebuilding and conservation of Talbots Tower in 2006, guided by the City Walls Steering Committee.\u00a0 It was a massive undertaking and\u00a0 involved commissioning many professionals including engineers, architects, archaeologists, building historians, stone masons, illustrators, landscape architects, gardeners and grounds staff. The project was managed by Kilkenny County Council, with support from the Heritage Council and Government departments. The project was funded by Kilkenny County Council, the Heritage Council and the Irish Walled Towns Network.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Report on the Escavations at Talbots Tower (Coilin O’Drisceoil)<\/p><\/div>\n

Talbots Tower Park was opened to the public in 2018. The Tower sits in a beautiful small landscaped park, with illustrated panels that tell its story. The park has been planted with pollinator friendly plants to help support our bees. The interpretive panels have been made into a booklet, see here<\/a>. \u00a0 If you would like a hard copy of the brochure email heritage@kilkennycoco.ie
\nOpening Hours<\/strong>
\nTalbots Tower Park is open 7 days a week from 8.00am until 8.00pm (Free)
\nEntrance to the tower and roof is by appointment only.
\nEmail kilkennyareaoffice@kilkennycoco.ie for appointments.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Talbots Tower and interpretive panels (photo courtesy of Dylan Vaughan)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Talbots<\/a>

Talbot Tower Flyer<\/p><\/div>\n

City Walls at James Street<\/strong>
\nSt. James\u2019s Gate, which ran across James Street at Tilbury Place, was one of seven gatehouses built in the city walls by the Anglo Normans in the 1300\u2019s. Outside the walls was a thriving suburb where the poorer Irish craftworkers lived and traded. It was also a meeting place for Irish pilgrims to gather before they set off to the shrine of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

St. James’s Gate in the 13th Century (illustration by Philip Armstrong)<\/p><\/div>\n

In the 1880\u2019s this area developed into a centre for education and religion with the construction of St. Mary\u2019s Cathedral, the CBS and the Presentation Convent.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

By the early 1800’s St James’s Gate was in ruins, and a new Catholic quarter was flourishing outside the wall (illustration Philip Armstrong)<\/p><\/div>\n

Two interpretive signs marking Kilkenny\u2019s City Walls, and telling about the history of St. James\u2019s Gate<\/a> and the Catholic Quarter<\/a>; one sign is located at the corner of James Street and Tilbury Place, and the other is on the grassy area in front of the City Wall on Chapel Lane. The signs were co-funded by Kilkenny County Council, the Irish Walled Towns Network and Kilkenny CBS Secondary School. They are part of a series of City Walls signs developed by Kilkenny County Council to highlight the fascinating history and stories of Kilkenny\u2019s medieval City walls. Design and artwork was by Ale Mercado; archaeological illustration by Philip Armstrong; and archaeological and historical research by Coil\u00edn O\u2019Drisc\u00e9oil, Kilkenny Archaeology.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

County Kilkenny has a rich medieval heritage which includes a number of walled towns and villages, of which Kilkenny City is the best known.\u00a0 The others are Callan, Gowran, Inistioge and Thomastown.\u00a0 The National Policy on Town Defences\u00a0sets out national policy for the protection, preservation and conservation of walled towns and cities. Kilkenny\u2019s city walls […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":2435,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[141,1],"tags":[439,489,440],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kilkennyheritage.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2961"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kilkennyheritage.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kilkennyheritage.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kilkennyheritage.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kilkennyheritage.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2961"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kilkennyheritage.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2961\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kilkennyheritage.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kilkennyheritage.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kilkennyheritage.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kilkennyheritage.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}