Grace's Old Castle

Grace's Old Castle is a historic castle building in the centre of Kilkenny which has been extended to create the city’s modern courthouse structure. It houses one of the oldest courthouses in the country.[1][2]

Grace's Old Castle
General information
LocationGraces Old Castle, Parliament St, Kilkenny,
Ireland
Coordinates52°39′15″N 7°15′13″W

History

Castle

The current site of the courthouse in Kilkenny is on the older site of the castle known as Grace's Old Castle. This castle was originally built by William le Gras some time before 1210. le Gras was appointed constable and Seneschal of Leinster for life and Governor of Kilkenny.[3] Much of that original building was replaced over time though the family continued to use it as a private town residence until the building was leased to state the by the Constable of Kilkenny and owner James Grace. From that point in 1566 it began to be used as a gaol. By 1691 the building was in use as the County Gaol.[4][5]

Court

The building first became a courthouse in 1792 when it was also used to hold sessions and assizes for the county. The Parliament Street Courthouse dates from 1786 so that from the 1790s the building housed the County Courthouse, County Gaol and City Gaol though the building was also used intermittently for theatre performances and public meetings like elections.[6][7]

Sir Jerome Fitzpatrick M.D.

While it's believed that much of earlier remodeling work to transform the building was done by Sir Jerome Fitzpatrick, the current facade was constructed by architect William Robertson in 1824.[8][9][3][10][11] As a courthouse the building still had seven cells for prisoners but was not considered to be well arranged as a modern gaol though it operated as the city's detention facility or bridewell from 1871 until 1946.[12][13] In the 1920s a timber lined ceiling'd council chamber was added to the back of the building. There have been continuous upgrades and remodeling works to the building since, with the most recent in 2010. Today the Courthouse holds the Circuit and District Courts.[14]

Excavations

The area was the subject of an archaeological excavation in 2008 by Maedbh Saunderson which uncovered domestic medieval evidence and burgage plots, evidence of post medieval structural development, a prison burial plot and land drainage.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Rare post box on the block in garden sale". The Irish Times. 10 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  2. Brewer, J.N. (1829). History of Leinster: Embracing the Beauties of Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford, Kilkenny, &c. &c. J.S. Taylor & Company. p. 444. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  3. "Kilkenny - Ireland". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  4. Hanks, P.; Coates, R.; McClure, P. (2016). The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland. OUP Oxford. p. 1108. ISBN 978-0-19-252747-9. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  5. COURTNEY DEERY HERITAGE CONSULTANCY LTD. "Archaeological Strategy: ABBEY QUARTER MASTERPLAN AREA ARCHAEOLOGICAL STRATEGY- Appendix C" (PDF). KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  6. Ledwich, E. (1804). The Antiquities of Ireland. J. Jones. p. 436. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  7. "1792 – Courthouse, Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny". Archiseek - Irish Architecture. 19 January 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  8. "Kilkenny Courthouse". Dochara. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  9. Kilkenny county (1826). The presentments of the grand jury. [Continued as] At a general assizes ... the following presentments were made. Aug. 1824, Mar. 1826-July 1843. The presentments of the grand jury. [Continued as] At a general assizes ... the following presentments were made. Aug. 1824, Mar. 1826-July 1843. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  10. "Kilkenny.ie - The Court House". kilkenny.ie. 10 July 2006. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  11. Lewis, S. (1837). A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Comprising the Several Counties, Cities,...with Historical and Statistical Descriptions: Embellished with Engravings of the Arms of the Cities,...and of the Seals,... S. Lewis and Company. p. 111. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  12. "Library - Kilkenny Grand Jury Presentments, 1832". Irish Family History Centre. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  13. "15/10/2010 : Kilkenny Courthouse opens : NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS : Courts Service of Ireland". Launchpage. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
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