Lantern slide of fortified house in Raphoe, Co. Donegal
Dublin Core
Title
Lantern slide of fortified house in Raphoe, Co. Donegal
Subject
historic building
fortified house
Bishop's palace
Description
Lantern slide of a fortified house in Raphoe Demesne known as the Bishop's Palace. The lantern has originally been catalogued as number 26 beside a label reading 'Raphoe. Bishop's Palace'. Bishop's Palace: The Palace was built in 1636-7 by John Leslie, Bishop of Raphoe 1633-61. The foundation stone, a jambstone of the basement window in the E face of the NE tower, is inscribed IO LES--LAEVS EPS RAPOT IMVM POSVIT LAPIDEM 17 MAIII 1636 SVPREMVM 19 AVG 1637 TRANS-LAT SVAE 5°. His family bible contains a more extended record of its erection 'Hoc anna 1636 die Martis, 17 Maiii jacta sunt fundamenta castri Rapo-tensis; completum est aedificium 19 Augusti 1637—Translationis nostrae quinto, cum bono Deo, migravimus in novas aedes Jovis Die, 14 Decembris, 1637'. (Leslie 1885, 283 n.i). It cost some £3,500, but the expense was partly defrayed by leasing church lands in consideration of a grant towards the building of the Palace (Simmington 1937, 120, 121, 123). It was held by the Bishop during the Confederate wars but was taken by Cromwellian forces in 1650 (Leslie 1929, 13; Rowan 1979, 469). It was burned by the Jacobites in 1688 and was subsequently repaired by Bishop Cairncross and his successors (Harris 1739, 277, 281, 283; Beaufort 1787, fol. 15). Dr. William Bisset, shortly after his elevation to the see in 1822, improved the house by re-roofing and slating it and 'added parapet walls and gave it the appearance of a castle by adding minarets' (OS memoirs). The Palace was destroyed by fire in 1838 (Anonymous 1958, 54; Lecky 1905, 106).
The ruins of the Bishop's Palace comprise a central, sub-square, four-storey block with four salient-angled bastion-like towers at the corners. The fortified nature of the residence is implicit in Bishop Leslie's own description of it as 'Raphoe Castle' (above) and the defensive character of the building is further reinforced by its prominent siting; it is protected on the N, W and S sides by steep slopes. The remains testify to many building periods and alterations, though it is possible to identify much of the original 17th century structure. Bishop Leslie's work was built in roughly-coursed rubble laid in mortar; the overground basement of the NE and SE towers preserves the original rectangular cut-stone windows with sinkings for two vertical iron bars. The upper storeys of the Palace may have had similar larger windows but at some stage, probably in the 18th century, they were removed and larger timber -framed windows inserted in their place. The original fortified house was four storeys high including basement and gabled storey; the double outlines of the latter are visible in the N and S walls. The towers, whose salient-angled walls are set back at third-storey level to square form, may not have been much higher than the present string course. The gables were subsequently truncated, the intervening spaces built up and the E and W walls raised to accommodate semi-circular windows. These windows were later enlarged to their present rectangular shape by Bishop Bisset when he added the string course with its mock machicolation on the W wall and the crenellated parapet and corner turrets with dummy cross-shaped loops on the towers. The building was partly divided by a short cross-wall which houses the fireplaces. The large kitchen fireplace in the basement has an adjoin-ing oven. The surviving N stop-chamfered jambs in the E face of the upper three storeys of the cross-wall indicate that each floor had been fitted with a large fireplace in the 17th century; these were subsequently blocked up and smaller brick-lined fireplaces inserted. The short stretch of cross-wall on the N has been completely modified and altered on the upper storeys. The main entrance to the Palace was on the first floor in the centre of the E wall; it was protected by a gun-loop beside it on the N. The Gibbsian surround is a secondary 18th century insertion and the original 17th century doorway may well be that which has been rebuilt in the N wall of the basement. It has chamfered jambs and lintel — and only a central section of the hollow-chamfered hood-mould survives; the remainder has been purposefully broken probably to facilitate harling. The lintel is carved with an escutcheon bearing the Leslie arms and is surmounted by a mitre; these are undoubtedly the arms of Bishop John Leslie. There are a number of gun-loops (some blocked--up) in the basement entrances to the salient-angled towers, which together with others in the towers at basement and first-floor level, provided flanking fire along the main walls of the house; the NW and SW towers have opposing gun-loops at second-floor level. The basement of the SW tower is cross-vaulted in brick; the earlier windows and loops were accordingly blocked up. When the Palace was built, the towers were fitted with fireplaces on the upper three storeys; these have been modified and altered at a later period. The entrance passages to the NW and SE towers preserve the original lintels which were sup-ported on wooden beams (now missing). The entrance passages to the NE tower have brick arches and those to the SW tower are brick-vaulted; that at second-storey level of the latter has fallen. The W face of the NE tower has been dressed at third-floor level to accommodate roof flashing, and bond-holes in the NW corner of the tower, and in the N wall to the W of basement doorway, indicate the limit of a later addition; no other visible trace of this building survives. There was a secondary hallway or porch built about the Gibbsian door at first-floor level (see photo in Lecky 1905, 47). Little now remains to indicate its existence except a few bond-holes and the moulded fragments of the pointed front door which now block the basement entrance passage to the NW tower. There are three armoiral plaques (DG070-003009-/010-/011-) built into the E side of the Palace; one in the N wall of the SE tower, the second in the S wall of the NE tower and the third (the Leslie Coat of Arms) in the E face of the latter tower. Beaufort noted a fourth armorial plaque (DG070-003012-) when he visited the Palace in 1787 (1787, fol. 17); it is probably that which is now in the front garden of a house in William Street in Raphoe.
The above description was derived from the 'Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century.' Compiled by: Brian Lacey with Eamon Cody, Claire Cotter, Judy Cuppage, Noel Dunne, Vincent Hurley, Celie O'Rahilly, Paul Walsh and Seán Ó Nualláin (Lifford: Donegal County Council, 1983). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated.
Date of upload/revision: 15 December 2011
The ruins of the Bishop's Palace comprise a central, sub-square, four-storey block with four salient-angled bastion-like towers at the corners. The fortified nature of the residence is implicit in Bishop Leslie's own description of it as 'Raphoe Castle' (above) and the defensive character of the building is further reinforced by its prominent siting; it is protected on the N, W and S sides by steep slopes. The remains testify to many building periods and alterations, though it is possible to identify much of the original 17th century structure. Bishop Leslie's work was built in roughly-coursed rubble laid in mortar; the overground basement of the NE and SE towers preserves the original rectangular cut-stone windows with sinkings for two vertical iron bars. The upper storeys of the Palace may have had similar larger windows but at some stage, probably in the 18th century, they were removed and larger timber -framed windows inserted in their place. The original fortified house was four storeys high including basement and gabled storey; the double outlines of the latter are visible in the N and S walls. The towers, whose salient-angled walls are set back at third-storey level to square form, may not have been much higher than the present string course. The gables were subsequently truncated, the intervening spaces built up and the E and W walls raised to accommodate semi-circular windows. These windows were later enlarged to their present rectangular shape by Bishop Bisset when he added the string course with its mock machicolation on the W wall and the crenellated parapet and corner turrets with dummy cross-shaped loops on the towers. The building was partly divided by a short cross-wall which houses the fireplaces. The large kitchen fireplace in the basement has an adjoin-ing oven. The surviving N stop-chamfered jambs in the E face of the upper three storeys of the cross-wall indicate that each floor had been fitted with a large fireplace in the 17th century; these were subsequently blocked up and smaller brick-lined fireplaces inserted. The short stretch of cross-wall on the N has been completely modified and altered on the upper storeys. The main entrance to the Palace was on the first floor in the centre of the E wall; it was protected by a gun-loop beside it on the N. The Gibbsian surround is a secondary 18th century insertion and the original 17th century doorway may well be that which has been rebuilt in the N wall of the basement. It has chamfered jambs and lintel — and only a central section of the hollow-chamfered hood-mould survives; the remainder has been purposefully broken probably to facilitate harling. The lintel is carved with an escutcheon bearing the Leslie arms and is surmounted by a mitre; these are undoubtedly the arms of Bishop John Leslie. There are a number of gun-loops (some blocked--up) in the basement entrances to the salient-angled towers, which together with others in the towers at basement and first-floor level, provided flanking fire along the main walls of the house; the NW and SW towers have opposing gun-loops at second-floor level. The basement of the SW tower is cross-vaulted in brick; the earlier windows and loops were accordingly blocked up. When the Palace was built, the towers were fitted with fireplaces on the upper three storeys; these have been modified and altered at a later period. The entrance passages to the NW and SE towers preserve the original lintels which were sup-ported on wooden beams (now missing). The entrance passages to the NE tower have brick arches and those to the SW tower are brick-vaulted; that at second-storey level of the latter has fallen. The W face of the NE tower has been dressed at third-floor level to accommodate roof flashing, and bond-holes in the NW corner of the tower, and in the N wall to the W of basement doorway, indicate the limit of a later addition; no other visible trace of this building survives. There was a secondary hallway or porch built about the Gibbsian door at first-floor level (see photo in Lecky 1905, 47). Little now remains to indicate its existence except a few bond-holes and the moulded fragments of the pointed front door which now block the basement entrance passage to the NW tower. There are three armoiral plaques (DG070-003009-/010-/011-) built into the E side of the Palace; one in the N wall of the SE tower, the second in the S wall of the NE tower and the third (the Leslie Coat of Arms) in the E face of the latter tower. Beaufort noted a fourth armorial plaque (DG070-003012-) when he visited the Palace in 1787 (1787, fol. 17); it is probably that which is now in the front garden of a house in William Street in Raphoe.
The above description was derived from the 'Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century.' Compiled by: Brian Lacey with Eamon Cody, Claire Cotter, Judy Cuppage, Noel Dunne, Vincent Hurley, Celie O'Rahilly, Paul Walsh and Seán Ó Nualláin (Lifford: Donegal County Council, 1983). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated.
Date of upload/revision: 15 December 2011
Source
RSAI Lantern Slide Collection: Box 05
Publisher
The Discovery Programme
Contributor
The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (RSAI)
Format
image/tiff
Language
en
Type
image
Identifier
BOX5_040
Alternative Title
Bishop's Palace
Has Format
Scanned to 2400 dpi , 16 bit greyscale image with automatic exposure
Is Part Of
RSAI Lantern slide collection
Extent
7559 x 7559 pixels
Medium
Lantern slides
Spatial Coverage
Country: Ireland
Town/ townland: Raphoe
Logainm code: http://www.logainm.ie/16498.aspx
Area: County Donegal
Logainm code: http://www.logainm.ie/100013.aspx
Irish National Grid East: 25
Irish National Grid North: 3
Latitude: 54.872838
Longitude: -15.707391
Rights Holder
The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (RSAI)
Files
Citation
“Lantern slide of fortified house in Raphoe, Co. Donegal,” Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, accessed May 6, 2024, http://rsai.locloudhosting.net/items/show/28242.
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