Irish Town, Gibraltar

Irish Town is a street, not a town. It is one of the oldest, if not the oldest street in Gibraltar. It extends from Main Street, south of Casemates Square, and parallel to the fortified Line Wall. Not only is it, not a town, it is not Irish. When the British arrived in 1704, Irish Town was called Saint Anne's Street.

There was a convent on the street called Convent of Mercy (Convento de la Merced). The Meridian Order was dedicated to rescuing Christian prisoners of the Barbary Pirates. Columns of the cloister currently help support the north wall of Cork's Wine Bar. The convent was taken over by the British Navy to be used as a storehouse.

The question remains, where does the "Irish" come in? There are theories. A likely one is that an Irish regiment was barracked on the street in the 18th century. In those days, it was not uncommon for women to accompany regiments abroad. This regiment, therefore, being Irish, would have a goodly supply of Irish women. It's a theory.

In 1759, Es Hayim, the "Tree of Life" synagogue, was established in Irish Town. It is one of the four synagogues in Gibraltar. The outstanding building on the street is the red brick Victorian-era police station on the corner of Irish Town and Cloister Ramp. Other structures include The "Panorama" newspaper building and Barclays Bank.