Saint Laurence Gate Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Saint Laurence's Gate
Geata Labhráis

Former names	Great East Gate
General information
Type	Barbican
Address	St. Laurence Street
Town or city	Drogheda
Country	Ireland
Coordinates	53°42′57″N 6°20′49″W / 53.7159°N 6.3470°W / 53.7159; -6.3470
Completed	c1280
Owner	Office of Public Works

Saint Laurence's Gate is an amazing old building in Drogheda, Ireland. It was built around the year 1280. This gate was once part of the strong walls that protected the town during the medieval period. It's a special type of gate called a barbican. A barbican is like a mini-fortress built in front of a main gate to protect it even more.

Saint Laurence's Gate is considered one of the best examples of its kind. It is now a national monument, which means it's a very important historical site. The gate and the street it's on were originally called Great East Gate and Great East Street. Later, in the 1300s, they were renamed after a hospital nearby called Saint Laurence's Hospital.

What Does Saint Laurence's Gate Look Like?
- Why Was the Gate Built So Tall?
- What's Left of the Old Town Walls?
Events at the Gate
Images for kids
See also

What Does Saint Laurence's Gate Look Like?

The gate has two tall towers, each with four floors. A bridge connects the tops of the towers. At street level, there's a big archway for people to pass through. To get inside the gate, you use a flight of stairs in the south tower.

Right under the main arch, you can see a slot. This is where a heavy wooden or metal gate, called a portcullis, used to be. It could be quickly lowered to block the entrance and keep enemies out.

Why Was the Gate Built So Tall?

Historians have often wondered why such a large barbican was built on the east side of Drogheda. The main road through the town has always run north to south. For example, a similar barbican in Canterbury, England, is much smaller.

However, from the very top of Saint Laurence's Gate, you can see far out to the Boyne River estuary. You can also see about four miles of the river leading up to Drogheda. This means the gate was the only place in town with a clear view of the sea. This view was super important for spotting any ships trying to invade from the water. Old pictures even show there was a special lookout platform on top of the south tower for an even better view!

What's Left of the Old Town Walls?

Some parts of the old town wall still stand next to Saint Laurence's Gate, especially to the south. North of the gate, the wall used to run along where the footpath is today on Palace Street and King Street. The deep basements of houses on King Street suggest there was once a deep trench outside the wall.

Over many years, as the walls and gates slowly fell apart, their stones were reused to build other things. For example, stones from the old walls can be found in houses and walls on Laurence Street, Palace Street, and Francis Street. Pictures from the early 1800s show that a small building for collecting tolls and a gate house were still there. The shop next to the gate was a bicycle shop in the early 1900s, and the green letter box shows where a post office used to be.

Events at the Gate

During the warmer months, a fun event called "Music at the Gate" takes place. Local groups organize different musical performances right at the gate. It's a great way to enjoy music in a historic setting!