Maudlin Castle

Last updated

Magdalan Castle
Native name
Irish: Caisleán Mhaidilín
Magdalen Castle
Magdalan Castle.jpg
Type tower house
LocationMaudlin Street, Kilkenny,
County Kilkenny, Ireland
Coordinates 52°39′10″N7°14′41″W / 52.652646°N 7.244695°W / 52.652646; -7.244695
Area Nore Valley
Height25 m (82 ft)
Built16th century
Official nameMagdalan Castle
Reference no.522
Ireland adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Magdalan Castle in Ireland

Maudlin Castle is a tower house which formed part of a medieval hospital and National Monument located in Kilkenny, Ireland. [1]

Contents

Location

Maudlin Castle is located on Maudlin Street, Kilkenny City, just north of the Nore and to the east of Kilkenny College.

History

Leprosy arrived in Ireland in the 10th or 11th century. Many leper houses were dedicated to Mary Magdalene because of the association between her and sexual excess and prostitution, which were incorrectly associated with leprosy.[ citation needed ]

The Hospital of St. Mary Magdalene in Kilkenny was opened sometime before 1327 (perhaps by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke in the early 13th century) and it quickly became one of the main leper houses in medieval Ireland. It was on the edge of the city and surrounded by high walls. The entrance was controlled through a gatehouse. It also had a chapel, graveyard and 50 acres of farmland. This hospital had a long association with St. John's Priory, Kilkenny.[ citation needed ]

The surviving tower house was built in the early 16th century. The hospital was dissolved in the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Maudlin Castle was described as ‘a small castle roofed with tiles, which was built for the defence of the lepers and dwellers in the suburbs, this is now empty and worth nothing’. [2] [3] [4] There is a reference in 1628 to a ‘town ditch’ near St. Mary's Church, so there may have been a moat beyond the gate. The hospital was gifted to Kilkenny Corporation by Charles I. [5]

The hospital also served as a "retirement home" for rich families like the Rothes, Langtons and Shees. Archaeological digs on the street indicate a diet of beef, mutton, bacon and wildfowl.[ citation needed ]

Building

Garderobe and arrowslit Tower at Magdalena Court in Kilkenny 3.jpg
Garderobe and arrowslit
Arched doorway Tower at Magdalena Court in Kilkenny 5.jpg
Arched doorway

The tower is 25 m (82 ft) and four storeys high, with a stair turret continuing up to the battlements. The base has a pronounced batter. [6]

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References

  1. Society, Kilkenny Archaeological (1 January 1853). "Transactions of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society". The Society via Google Books.
  2. "Magdelane Castle - The first Betty Ford clinic".
  3. "Photo Essay: A brief history of Medieval Kilkenny in Pictures - Irish history podcast".
  4. "Ireland and Peg's Cottage - Timeline - Facebook".
  5. "Conservation Plan" (PDF). Irish Walled Towns Network.
  6. "The Maudlin Castle".