Market Yard Gates
Built in the 1860s, the gates stood for 100 years until the 1960s when they were removed
The Finest Gates Ever Made In Kilkenny
A magnificent entryway with possibly the finest gates ever made in Kilkenny, the entrance to the Market Yard was a site to behold. The gates were made by the Downes Brothers from Colliers Lane who were truly skilled in their professions.
Many people may not realise this, but much of the entrance still survives. Today, pillars can be seen at either side of the road. These are original pillars that formed part of the entrance. The one next to the bank was the central pillar from the photographs above and has a plaque on it. The plaque is dedicated to the Confederation Hall which once stood on that spot when Kilkenny was considered the capital of Ireland. The inscription on it reads as follows:
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Confederation Hall
On this spot stood the confederation hall, where on the 24th of October 1642, the Confederate Parliament, or General Assembly, consisting of eleven spiritual peers, fourteen temporal peers, and two hundred and twenty six representative commoners, met to legislate for the Irish nation and to conduct the confederate wars which were waged to maintain the religious and political liberties of the Irish people.
P.M. Egan,
Mayor, 1887. 1888.
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The magnificent gates also survive. One is at the Deanery on the Coach Rd (Hill up to St. Canice's Cathedral), and the other is at an entrance to the Castle Park. Currently, the road spans three lanes. If High Street is ever pedestrianised, there will be only two, and this would leave more than enough room for the entrance to be put back in place. We feel that this should happen in the future and it is one of the rare occasions where it can be done, as so much of it's fabric survives.