Trim Castle

NEAR TRIM CASTLE IN TRIM COUNTY MEATH

The Sheep Gate is the only surviving gate of five that once provided access to Trim. The town wall and its gates were built in the 13th or 14th century. Sheep Gate may have been so named as a toll was charged here for sheep being brought in to be sold at market: in 1290, the murage and pavage tax was one penny per ten sheep, reduced to a farthing in 1308. The name could also derive from the archaic meaning of cheap, meaning “market” (cf. Cheapside). This name is not recorded before the 19th century; it may have been known as the Porch Gate, possibly from French porte (“door”), which may also give its name to the Porch Fields lying outside the city walls. The gate was locked between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m.

I recently found these photographs on a old hard disk that had been stored since 2007. I used a Sigma 12-24mm lens which I still have and the camera was an original Canon 5D which I sold when I switched to Sony Mirrorless. Late last year I purchased an unused Canon 5DMkIII as it was on offer at a very good price.