User:Mrchris/The Tholsel, Kilkenny

The Tholsel, (also known as, the Town Hall and Kilkenny City Hall), is an 18th-century elegant classical-style  Tholsel located inside the walled Hightown of Kilkenny, Ireland. The limestone market house is a designated protected structure and recorded monument of national significance in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Colloquially referred to as the "town hall", a "tholsel" has been located in Kilkenny since the late medieval period. The present structure is the "third Tholsel" on this site, built by William Colles in 1761, at a cost of £1315 (£ in 2024).

Key features of the building are the open arcade on the ground floor, and an octagonal tower with clock and viewing platform. Historically, the arcade was used as covered market place. On the southern façade is a relief sculpture of the town coat of arms. The upper floors and clock tower were destroyed by fire on 20 September 1985. It has been restored and extended several times over the last three centuries. The buildings central position on High Street contributes to the street’s character.

The Tholsel functions as the Mayoral Office of the Municipal District of Kilkenny and houses offices of Kilkenny County Council. Today it is an ideal place for carol singers or buskers to perform, and is a traditional meeting point. Also used as a temporary exhibition space during Kilkenny’s annual Arts Week and at Christmas time it traditionally houses the Christmas Crib. The Tholsel also has a role as a tourist destination, in 2019 Kilkenny County Council introduced plans to renovate and remodel the building, including public access to the basement and viewing platform, as a tourism attraction. It is a treasured landmark within Kilkenny Architectural Conservation Area.

Toponymy
The exact toponymy of Tholsel is uncertain. The University of Michigan's "Middle English Dictionary" states that the Middle English "tolsel" (also "tolseld", "tolsei") means "local courthouse or guildhall". Tholsel has similar form of Middle English tolsell, which is an alternative form of tolsey, meaning "a trading facility for merchants" or a "courtroom".

With a etymology from Middle English "tol", and "selle" or "sẹ̄lde". The Middle English "tol", an alternative form of toll, means "a toll, tax, or charge", and  -selde, meaning "a store, shop or booth", or "a seat, a throne; a headquarters or capital". The Vulgar Latin "toloneum" and Late Latin "'teloneum" comes from the Ancient Greek "τελώνιον" ("telṓnion", “toll-house”). Essentially a "customs house". .

The Middle English "toll" is derived from the Old English  "tol", meaning "tax, toll, fare", believed to be from from the Proto-Germanic  "*tullō" or "*tollą"  (“what is counted or told”), and Proto-Indo-European "*dol-" (“calculation, fraud”). The Ancient Greek "τέλος" ("télos") ment “tax”. Parallel forms represented by Old English "toln".

The Middle English "sẹ̄lde" ("store, shop or booth."),  from the Old English "seld" (“seat, store”) and "setl", a "seat, bench, throne". Derived from from Proto-Germanic "*setlą". Medieval Latin records "selda" or "silda", in Latin sella (“seat, chair”), from Proto-Italic "*sedlā", from Proto-Indo-European "*sed-". An alternative form may be Old English "sel" (alternative forms "sele" or "Sæl"), meaning "room, great hall, (large) house, castle". From Proto-Germanic *salą from Indo-European.

Location
The Tholsel is 310 m west of Kilkenny Castle and 590 m south-east of St Canice's Cathedral. At OS Grid Reference (52.651934°, 7.252926°), Kilkenny Town Hall  location made it a prime location beside the main market place of the medieval Hightown. The now lost Market Cross was 15 m from the current site. There would have been merchant housing on the street from at least the early 13th century.

This medieval parish church of St Mary's is situated to the east behind the Town Hall, separated by St Mary's Lane. To the west is High Street, the original market place was would have extended under what is now the arcade of the Tholsel.

The building to the west is Langton House, beside the "Butterslip". Langton House is a terraced two-bay four-storey house built around 1800. The building incorports fabric of earlier house which was built around 1575. The Butter Slip is a attractive renowned covered alley with locally sourced limestone steps, established by Nicholas Langton to link High Street with Saint Kieran's Street (then known as Low Lane). Adjacent to the east is a terraced two-bay three-storey house, c.1800.

Kilkenny Corporation purchased the site in the December 1578. The deed of transfer the Marshall property to the Corporation described as the site as; one Messuage, with its Appurtenances near the Market Cross, which Messuage lies in length from the Messuage of Robert Roth, in the south as far as the Highway leading from the said Cross to the Church of the Blessed Virgin Marie in the North, and in breadth it lies from the Cemetery of the said Church on the East, to the Highway [High-street] on the West.....''".  The deed confirming the transfer of ownership cites the grantees as Thomas Marshall, 'burgess', and William Marshall, 'merchant'.

History
From the later medieval period onwards towns were building market houses, colloquially referred to as tholsels. Tholsel were once an important public building in Ireland's towns and cities. Some historic tholsels still exist, notably in Clonmel, as well as New Ross and Carlingford. Similar buildings called tolseys or tolsey houses are found in some English towns and cities, including Burford, Gloucester and Wotton-under-Edge.

The earliest reference to a Tholsel in Kilkenny is from 1307, but probably existed since the charter of Kilkenny. This "Stallage house" or custom  house was where stallage was paid for the erection and use of a stall at the market.

The buildings has been used as town hall, a courthouse, town gate, prison,  market house,  council chamber,  customs house,  guildhall, and a place where tolls were collected. These market houses had other function rooms used as theaters, courtrooms, and schoolrooms.

By at least 1375 the corporation of Kilkenny had received a Letters Patent to collect tolls on commodities for sale within the walls of Villa Kilkenny, to repair the walls, bridges, and pavements.

Old Tholsel
The "Old Tholsel" was a 14th Century building located at the Parade — the junction of High street, Patrick street, Rose Inn Street, and Castle Street — the Allied Irish Bank, currently occupies this site. It was located near near Crokker's Cross.

An extract from the Liber Primus Kilkenniae, quoted by Graves and Prim: Item. the same year [1517] and in the manner aforesaid, was built the new stone gateway below, on the east side of the said Thosel, and in it was placed the iron gate (portcullis) taken by force from the castle of Bernard, the then Mac Giolla Phádraig, called Coolkill [now Cullahill] in Ossory, by the Sovereign and Commons of the town of Kilkenny, then in warlike array, aided by Sir Pier Butler, Knight, and afterwards Earl of Ormond. Also the new wall in the solar of the said Tholsel was reparied in the middle.

It was also the venue for the hundred court, first recorded in 1383, and the town council, as well as functioning as the town treasury in which important documents were stored. This building was later used as the City Gaol in by 1383 and 1398 A Town clock was recorded in 1448 which was probably on the tholsel.

The great chamber was built and stone gate added in 1517. This building was demolished in c. 1795.

New Tholsel
By the 16th centuray the "old Tholsel" was over 200 years old. In 1578 it was decided by Kilkenny Corporation to move the Tholsel from its then location (now the Parade) to its present site.

Work began in 1579 on the site of the current Tholsel which was described as the new courthouse and was the venue of hundred court. This was refered to as the "new tholsel or courthouse" by 1609. Images of the time include "Kilkenny with castle and grounds" c.1698 by Francis Place, and a map by Rocque in 1758.

Second Tholsel


But this "new Tholsel" was later rebuilt as the "second Tholsel" on the site in 1695. The "Second Tholsel" was built between 1695-1698 by Alderman John Pape. This was a substantial rebuild, if not complete replacing, of the late 16th century Tholsel. The general architectural layout and style accords well with other near-contemporary arcaded neo-Classical civic structures such as the Main Guard, Clonmel (1675), the Exchange, Limerick (1673) and the Exchange, Waterford (1717).

On the ground floor was commercial and entertainment units. There was a centrally passage through to St Mary's Lane. This formed the 'markett part' of the Tholsel, in which stalls and temporary marketing took place. Many, if not all, the shop units on the ground floor were assigned space in the cellar below. The upper levels, which extended over the market arcade, were occupied by the City Chambers, the Exchange and other administrative rooms, and topped off with a cupola.

The east half of the main building was a stone, three-storey structure, with its front (west) wall founded on the central spine wall of the basement. On the south side of the structure a 'penthouse' was elevated above a row of columns.

A clock was added in 1735. This building was demolished in 1760 and replaced by new tholsel in 1761.

Third Tholsel


Later the task of building the "third Tholsel" on the current site went to William Colles between 1759-1763. Alderman Colles was a building contractor and entrepreneur who owned a marble works at Millmount. He built and faced the current building with this Kilkenny marble, from his Archersgrove Quarry, also known as the Black Quarry, a fine-grained Lower Carboniferous limestone from the Butlersgrove Formation.

Three of the four existing Doric columns, facing the high street, originate from John Pape's 1695 construction. A new bell and clock were added in 1750   Assembly rooms were developed in 1786 Mr Talbot's school was recorded as located in tholsel assembly rooms in 1786. It was renovated in 1790, with the roof remodelled to accommodate a turret. The cupola taken down for rebuilding in 1790.

Alterations were undertaken in 1812 included the removal of the 'penthouse'. A relief sculpture of the city coat of arms was added to the southern façade  in 1820. Used as courthouse from 1816, and described as the New tholsel or courthouse. A new mayor's office was built in 1829. Assembly rooms 1838

The mayor's office was changed in 1841. A new clock was installed in 1875. In 1856 the current flagstones in the arcade were laid. The openings onto the High street from the basement may have been blocked with grills in the late 19th century.

Substantial renovation, part reconstruction and extension occurred between 1948 and 1952. This included the insertion of a new stairs into the former mayor's office and its raising by two storeys. There was replacement of two columns on the arcade along with rebuilding of the cupola and some internal reordering.

Fire
On 20 September 1985, the upper levels of the building was gutted by fire, which was started by a small electrical fault. Fireman Joe Stapleton was the Town Sergeant at the time. He discovered a fire, and rescued the city charters. Six fire engines and 35 firemen brought the fire under control.

Substantial refurbishment and extensive renovation followed the fire of 1985. Council Chamber was reconstructed. The fire rooflights were added After a major fire in 1985 the cupola, roof and upper levels were rebuilt.

Most of the repairs were carried out recognising the historic integrity and character of the building. It was re-opened on 19 February 1987

Architecture


It is a elegant classical-style tholsel with basement and terraced two-storey with attic and turret. Key features of the building are five-bay open arcade on the ground floor. It has cut-limestone steps to the pavement. With a T-shaped plan the hipped slate roof has a copper-clad octagonal clock tower and viewing platform. The construction is random rubble stone walls and high quality stone masonry. It is of artistic importance.

Arcade
The double height open arcade opens into High Street and was the location of the former market place. Made of high quality carved limestone, it is a series of nine round-headed arch openings. The arches are supported by a series of Roman doric columns. On top of these are capitals supporting ashlar voussoirs. Under the arcade are painted rendered walls.

basement
The basement was originally accessed by ramps from the street. (1841 OS Map) Interior with groin vaulting to basement over red brick construction. The archaeological investigations date the current basement to the late 17th century building phase. The three parallel north-south walls of the basement match the three wall-lines that are shown on Rocque's map. Its roughly built supporting piers which were constructed in 1753.

Upper floors
On the southern façade is a carved relief sculpture of the the coat-of-arms of Kilkenny City. There are wrought iron gates. Single-bay two-storey. The windows are square-headed with moulded cut-limestone sills and cut-limestone Gibbsian surrounds having triple keystones. Hipped slate roof with clay tiles.

Turret and clock
The bell turret is on an octagonal plan with octagonal clock. The original turret was built in 1790. Following the fire, the current turret was rebuilt, and possibly incorporated fabric of original turret. There is hipped slate octagonal swept roof which is copper-clad. The clock faces are cast-iron. On top is an wrought iron weathervane.

Heritage status and function


The building is a recorded monument and a treasured landmark within Kilkenny Architectural Conservation Area. The Tholsel is a Protected Structure (RPS Ref B43) included in the Record of Protected Structures for Kilkenny. It is indexed in the Archaeological Survey of Ireland under 'RMP KK019-026061', and is indexed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage of Ireland under the registration number 12000061. It is recorded in the "Urban Archaeological Survey of Kilkenny City". Test excavations were undertaken at the Tholsel in 2018. Archaeology in the area has resulted in significant finds, including intact human remains.

Originally built as "Stallage house" was where stallage was paid, and accommodated a courthouse as well as the market. Its previous use as a town hall, and today as the Mayoral Office of the Municipal District of Kilkenny, ensures the building fulfills a civic role in Kilkenny.

The City Development Plan stated that Fáilte Ireland provided funding to develop a new tourist office within the Tholsel. However, in 2019, Kilkenny County Council released plans to renovate and remodel the building as a tourism attraction to help tourism in the city. The plan is to convert the inner porch area to act as an entrance to the adjacent Medieval Mile Museum and exhibition space at second floor level. The existing stars will be removed, and a new stairs and lift will be added. The wrought iron gates will be removed. This plan will includ public access to the Cupola and basement. The upper floors will continue to house an office and meeting room for the Council.