Manor of St. Sepulchre
One of several manors, or liberties, that existed in Dublin, Ireland
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The Manor of St. Sepulchre (also known as the Archbishop's Liberty) is one of several manors, or liberties, that existed in Dublin, Ireland since the arrival of the Anglo-Normans in the 12th century. They were townlands united to the city, but still preserving their own jurisdiction. St. Sepulchre's was under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Dublin, although from time to time the Dublin city government claimed ownership of it.[1] Parts of the manor are still preserved to this day, and are one of the oldest surviving buildings in Dublin's City Center.[2] It is now used by one unit of Garda Síochána and is not accessible to the public.[3]
History
Medieval period
The district was originally known as the Manor of Colonia (or the lordship of Colonia).[4] The transition to the name Saint Sepulchre occurred during the late 13th century; by 1301, manorial receipts were formally recorded under the name Manor of St. Sepulchre with Cullen.[4] The nomenclature is attributed to the influence of the Crusades; in 1184, Heraclitus, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, visited England and Ireland to seek military aid for the recovery of the], an event that likely prompted Archbishop John Comyn to name his new palatial seat in its honor.[5]
Archaeological evidence indicates that before the formal enclosure of the palace precinct, the area was settled in the late 12th century as a rural landscape of property plots. Excavations conducted by Linzi Simpson between 2004 and 2008 discovered a ritual deposit from this early phase containing a male human skull with violent sword trauma buried alongside a fully fleshed dog skeleton.[6] Following this period, the palace was enclosed by a substantial defensive ditch along the alignment of modern Kevin Street and Bride Street.[6]
In 1326, an inquisition following structural damage sustained between 1315–1318 described the palace as having a "stone hall, badly roofed with shingles and weak," alongside a chapel and kitchen in poor repair, and a manor prison that had been "broken and thrown to the ground."[5]
Tudor and early modern transition
During the 16th century, the Archbishops of Dublin were frequently displaced from the palace due to administrative shifts. Under Edward VI, the palace was assigned as the residence for the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (the "Deputy of our Realm"), forcing the Archbishop to move to the Deanery.[7] Although the Archbishop was briefly reinstated under Mary I, the palace was used again by the Archbishop in the early Elizabethan period.[7] By the late 16th century, Archbishop Adam Loftus restored the complex, which was then described as a "semi-regal abode."[7]
By the late 17th century, the palace outbuildings were replaced by brick houses along the street frontage, built by Dutch immigrants escaping religious persecution.[6]
Police conversion and modern status
By the early 19th century, the palace was no longer used as an archiepiscopal residence and was described by contemporaries as being in a state of "mud, rags and wretchedness."[7] Under the Archbishop's Palace, Dublin Act 1804 (44 Geo. 3. c. 63), the property was vested in the Crown for public use.[8] In 1806, it was formally converted into a barracks for the Mounted Division of the DMP.[5]
The associated judicial jurisdiction was formally abolished by the Manor Court of St. Sepulchre Abolition Act 1856 (19 & 20 Vict. c. 57).[9] In 1925, the DMP merged with the OPW (Office of Public Works), which maintained the station as its divisional hedquarters.
In 2019, the OPW completed a new contemporary Divisional Headquarters on the site.[10] This was followed by the opening of the Walter Scott House facility in November 2022, which allowed for the relocation of several specialised units.[11] The OPW has stated its intention to identify a "suitable heritage purpose" for the medieval palace fabric once its temporary use by police concludes.[10]
Location
The importance of the Manor of St. Sepulchre was enhanced in that it consisted of a number of manors, many of which lay outside the city or even the county of Dublin.[clarification needed] The manor of St. Sepulchre in the city was the principal manor. The city manor boundaries stretched from Bishop Street to St. Stephen's Green, along Harcourt Street to Donnybrook, across Rathgar to Harold's Cross and back along Clanbrassil Street.[1] In 1523-4 Archbishop Hugh Inge was engaged in a legal dispute with the Mayor and Corporation of Dublin, who had apparently taken possession of the manor.
An Act of the Parliament of Ireland of 2 June 1774 (13 & 14 Geo. 3 c. 34 (Ir)) formed a barony, the Barony of St. Sepulchre, from that part of the manor lying north of the South Circular Road. This had previously been part of the barony of Uppercross. Within it were the civil parishes of St. Kevin, St. Nicholas Without and part of St. Peter's. The barony was abolished by the Dublin Baronies Act 1842 (5 & 6 Vict. c. 96), when the area was transferred from the county to the city.
Outside the city, there were manors belonging to St. Sepulchre's in Swords, Lusk, Shankhill, Tallaght, Finglas and other places[which?]. Each of these manors was governed by a portreeve, who was sworn in each Easter by the seneschal of St. Sepulchre.[1][additional citation(s) needed]
Privileges
In return for the support of the Archbishop, or to alleviate certain hardships suffered by Englishmen or the church in Ireland, privileges were granted to the manor (that is, to the archbishop and his successors) at various times and by various kings of England. These allowed the city manor (and its constituent manors outside the city) to have their own courts of justice (Courts Leet, Courts Baron and a Court of Record, where they were allowed to try all crimes except "forestalling, rape, treasure-trove and arson"), free customs, freedom from certain taxes and services, impose their own fines, have their own coroners, rights of salvage, maintain their own fairs and markets, regulate weights and measures, etc. For those condemned to death, the archbishop had his own gallows at Harold's Cross.[1]
| Manor Court of St. Sepulchre Abolition Act 1856 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
.svg) | |
| Long title | An Act to abolish the Jurisdiction of the Court of the Liberties and Manor of Saint Sepulchre in and near Dublin, and for the future Regulation of certain Markets of the said Manor. |
| Citation | 19 & 20 Vict. c. 57 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 21 July 1856 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
These rights and privileges were ended by the Manor Court of Saint Sepulchre Abolition Act 1856 (19 & 20 Vict. c. 57),[12] the last such jurisdiction remaining in Ireland.
Archbishop's palace
| Archbishop of St. Sepulchre's Palace | |
|---|---|
.png) Archbishop's Palace, Dublin from an illustration by Gabriel Beranger in 1765. | |
 Interactive map of the Archbishop of St. Sepulchre's Palace area | |
| Alternative names | St. Sepulchre's Palace |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Various |
| Location | Kevin Street and Bride Street |
| Coordinates | 53.3388°N 6.2701°W |
| Construction started | c. 1,170 |
| Owner | Dublin City Council |
| Archbishop's Palace, Dublin Act 1804 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
.svg) | |
| Long title | An Act for vesting the capital Messuage, with the Appurtenances, situate in Kevin Street, in the City of Dublin, called The Palace of the Archbishop of Dublin at Saint Sepulchre's, in his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors; and for applying the Purchase Money, together with another Sum therein mentioned, in Manner and for the Purposes therein mentioned. |
| Citation | 44 Geo. 3. c. 63 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 29 June 1804 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The headquarters of the city manor and consequently, of all St. Sepulchre manors, was the Archbishop's Palace which is located at the corner of Bride Street and Kevin Street adjacent to Marsh's Library.
It was built by Archbishop John Comyn, the first Anglo-Norman Archbishop of Dublin, appointed in 1180.
The name was suggested by the campaigns being waged by the Crusaders for the recovery of the Holy Sepulchre from the Muslims. Comyn was shortly after granted land by the monarchy for the See of Dublin, which provided the basis for the manor. This palace remained the seat of the Archbishops of Dublin until 1806.[1][13] In then became a police station.
In 1825, later the builder Patrick Byrne was employed to construct gate piers and erect railings around the compound which form the border as of 2024.[14]
Courthouse and jail
A courthouse and gaol for the use of the manor were built in the early 19th century near the palace at the corner of Long Lane and Bride Street. Most of the prisoners were insolvent debtors. Much of the business of the court related to trading, fairs, weights and measures matters. Attending court was difficult for those manor residents living outside the city, in Swords, Lusk or elsewhere, most of whom were quite poor. The same difficulty applied to jurors, who were fined for not attending court when summoned. All income from court activity went to the Archbishop.[1]
Demographics
In 1813 the population of this manor was 3,728 males and 5,273 females.[15]
External links
