MHBD's Blog: The moat

Friday, February 10, 2023

The moat

Have you ever left Dublin Castle through its gate on Little Ship Street? Well if you have, then, you have walked right beside Dublin's medieval wall, dating back to c. 1100/1260! Dublin's defense wall was built initially by the Vikings, then reinforced and extended by the Anglo-Normans. Some of it is in good shape, some not so much. Some has disappeared altogether. But I find it amazing that we're not celebrating these walls more! Thankfully, thanks to intrepid urban sketchers like Chris, we can all follow in the footsteps of those who defended Dublin against those that wanted to attack our fair city.

Of course you know me by now. I often sketch the other side. So I sat against the wall, with the wall behind me, and I looked back towards the gate to Dublin Castle. I hope I'm not misquoting here, but I think Chris mentioned that there used to be a drawbridge here. Because there was a moat all around, or maybe the Poddle? I'm vague on historical details, but I am fascinated by the sense of history when I sit and sketch in a spot like this.

You might notice at the bottom left of the small pedestrian gate something that looks like a public bin. It's actually a commemorative stone with a bronze plaque marking the location of the wall. A little further on, on Ross Road and Nicholas Street for instance, you will find these plaques, but nothing remains of the medieval defense wall, above ground anyway. Pat's brother worked on putting up these stones and plaques around the city. I forget how many there are in total. Until today, I had only been aware of one, near City Hall. But I discovered 4 today. I was so thrilled!

After a break to warm up, I went back to Ship Street Little, past Stanihurst's Tower, and sketched a bit of the wall itself. I chose a part which is not in perfect repair, but which instead shows the layers of history present in Dublin, as in many cities. You just have to look for them. Then it was time for lunch and a chat.