The Mint, Carlingford
| The Mint Irish: An Mionta | |
|
County Louth | |
|---|---|
 The Mint | |
| Type: | Pele tower |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | J18851161 |
| Location: | 54°2’25"N, 6°11’11"W |
| Town: | Carlingford |
| History | |
| Built 15th/16th century | |
| Information | |
| Owned by: | Heritage Ireland |
The Mint is a fortified house or pele tower in the town of in Carlingford in County Louth. It is denoted as a 'National Monument'.[1][2]
In an earlier age the building served as the town's mint, producing coinagem hence the name by which it is known today.[3]
The Mint stands in the southern part of Carlingford, 130 yards southwest of Carlingford Lough.
History
This castle, variously called a fortified house or tower house, derived its name from the licence to mint coins granted to the Borough of Carlingford in 1467 by King Edward IV. However, the present tower comes from later, either the 15th or 16th century.
The building is believed to have housed one of Carlingford's wealthy merchant families (perhaps the Marmions); however, the lack of a fireplace and the strength of the defences suggest that it may indeed have served as a mint. Against this is the fact that no coin minted at Carlingford has ever been found.
Building
The Mint is three storeys high and made mainly of limestone. There is a battlemented chemin de ronde on the roof, with loopholes for muskets. A doorway is protected by machicolation.
The ground and first storey ogee windows (five in total) face onto the street, with carvings of a horse, a bust of a man, a bird, a snake and Celtic interlace ornament which reflects a revival of interest in ancient Irish art in the 15th–16th centuries. They also have hood mouldings and mullions.[4]
References
- ↑ The Mint, Carlingford, Co. Louth - Architecture of Louth on 'Irish Architecture'
- ↑ Louth Heritage: Town Walls Plan
- ↑ Ruding, The Rev. Rogers: 'Annals of the coinage of Great Britain and its dependencies: from the earliest period of authentic history to the reign of Victoria' (Hearne, 1840} via Google Books
- ↑ The Mint - Carlingford & Cooley Peninsula: Carlingford.ie
- Gerrard, David: 'The Hidden Places of Ireland' (Travel Publishing Ltd) via Google Books
- Marmion, William F. K.: 'Irish knighthoods and related subjects: an anthology of published works' (Irish Roots Café) via Google Books
- History of Carlingford Heritage Centre' by Ian Fraser
- The Mint, Carlingford on Megalithic Ireland
- Mediæval Carlingford – Irelands' Eden