The town walls of Cashel were built between 1319 and 1324 under a Charter of Murage by king Edward II, during the episcopate of Archbishop FitzJohn, Chancellor of Ireland.
The town walls enclosed about 28 acres when completed, with a total perimeter of just over one mile.
The town walls had five gates, John's Gate to south, Lower Gate to west, Moor Gate to north, Canopy Gate to northeast and Friary Gate to southeast.
This section of walls stands between John's Gate and Friary Gate.
Set into a segment of the town walls there four effigies of the Hackett family, actually they are grave slabs set vertically into niches in the walls.
The de Hacket family was of Norman origin, and one of its members, Pagamus de Hacket, arrived in Ireland at the end of the 12th century in the wake of the Norman invasion of Ireland. Pagamus was granted several lands and had two sons, William and Reginald.
The four effigies that we see here are of William, his wife and two of his sons, and date to about 1260.
Two slabs are set in the east corner of the wall, other two slabs are set further west in the southeast wall.
All the slab measure about 2 metres in height and about 70 centimetres in width.
In this page the slabs of William's sons are featured.
|