The Tholsel, Kilkenny
Encyclopedia
The Tholsel, High Street, Kilkenny
, Ireland was built in 1761 by Alderman
William Colles (b.1702). It was built as place for collecting tolls
, but has also been used as customs
house, a courthouse
and a guild
hall. It is used today as the town hall, and that’s the name that many local people would know the building by.
A key feature of the building is the open arcade
on the ground floor which straddles the pavement
. Another feature is the octagonal copper clad tower which projects from the hipped slate roof. There is clock and a viewing platform in the tower. On the southern façade there is a relief
sculpture of the City’s coat of arms. The Tholsel
commands a central position on High Street and contributes significantly to the street’s unique character.
The Tholsel’s arcade is an ideal place for carol singers or buskers to perform in and is a traditional meeting point. In many ways it acts as a kind of covered ‘piazza
’. It is also used as a temporary exhibition space during Kilkenny’s annual Arts Week and Christmas in Kilkenny wouldn’t be the same without the Crib
on display there.
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, Ireland was built in 1761 by Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
William Colles (b.1702). It was built as place for collecting tolls
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
, but has also been used as customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
house, a courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
and a guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
hall. It is used today as the town hall, and that’s the name that many local people would know the building by.
A key feature of the building is the open arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
on the ground floor which straddles the pavement
Sidewalk
A sidewalk, or pavement, footpath, footway, and sometimes platform, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb...
. Another feature is the octagonal copper clad tower which projects from the hipped slate roof. There is clock and a viewing platform in the tower. On the southern façade there is a relief
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
sculpture of the City’s coat of arms. The Tholsel
Tholsel
The term Tholsel refers to extant and former public buildings in Ireland's towns and cities.The actual meaning of the word is uncertain...
commands a central position on High Street and contributes significantly to the street’s unique character.
The Tholsel’s arcade is an ideal place for carol singers or buskers to perform in and is a traditional meeting point. In many ways it acts as a kind of covered ‘piazza
Piazza
A piazza is a city square in Italy, Malta, along the Dalmatian coast and in surrounding regions. The term is roughly equivalent to the Spanish plaza...
’. It is also used as a temporary exhibition space during Kilkenny’s annual Arts Week and Christmas in Kilkenny wouldn’t be the same without the Crib
Nativity scene
A nativity scene, manger scene, krippe, crèche, or crib, is a depiction of the birth of Jesus as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke...
on display there.