Tholsel


The Tholsel was once an important public building in Ireland's towns and cities. Some historic tholsels still exist, notably in Kilkenny. Similar buildings called tolseys or tolsey houses are found in some English towns and cities, including Burford, Gloucester and Wotton-under-Edge.
In both cases the term is derived from the Middle English tolsell, from tol + -sell. However, buildings described as a Tholsel have been used as a town hall, a courthouse, a town gate, a prison, a market house, a council chamber, a customs house, a guildhall, and a place where tolls were collected.
The Tholsel building in Dublin was built in the late Middle Ages as a merchants' hall, at the corner of Nicholas Street and Christ Church place, next to the Church of St. Nicholas Within. In the late 15th century, it was the home of the first mechanical public clock in Ireland. In the late eighteenth century, the Dublin Tholsel was used as a courthouse, being notable as the location where many Irish people, convicted of crimes, were sentenced to be transported to exile in Australia. It was demolished in 1820. There was also a Tholsel at Galway from 1639–1822. The Tholsel in Limerick was located in Mary Street in the old Englishtown district of the city. It served as the headquarters of Limerick Corporation until that moved to the Exchange building on Nicholas Street. It was demolished in the early 20th century after it fell into dereliction.
Tholsels survive at the following locations throughout Ireland:
NameLocationConstruction yearImage
Tholsel, Town GateCarlingford1450
Main GuardClonmel1675
TholselDrogheda1770
TholselKilkenny1761
TholselNew Ross1806