Irish Town, Gibraltar

Irish Town is a pedestrianised street in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It is one of Main Street's sub-districts running parallel to it, from Cooperage Lane in the north to John Mackintosh Square in the south.HistoryTito Benady calls Irish Town the second most important street in Gibraltar's city centre after Main Street. It was originally named Calle de Santa Ana (St. Anne's Street) after a hermitage which carried this name at the corner with Market Lane. The Mercedarian Fathers established themselves in Gibraltar in 1581 and built their monastery around the little chapel, however, the street retained its name. The monastery later become known as the White Cloisters and formed part of an order established in Barcelona in 1380 for ransoming Christian captives in Muslim hands. The site of the old monastery is now occupied by Cloister Building which houses the offices of Blands and MH Bland. The building may have been used as barracks for some time, but was handed over to the Royal Navy by Lord Portmore in 1720 becoming the naval storehouse with apartments for the victualling clerks. The original building however, was destroyed during the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779-1783). Four of the old columns of the old monastery's cloister were removed and now flank the entrance to Trafalgar House at Trafalgar Road.