Archersgrove Four Mills

Indicated on the Down Survey (1655-6) barony map of ‘The Liberties of the Citty of Kilkenny’ and on the Down Survey parish map of ‘St Patrick’s Parish’ as a water mill on the S bank of the River Nore, in the N portion of the 17th-century townland of 'Archersgrove and the broadfeilds'. The N portion of the 17th-century townland which equates well with the modern townland of Archersgrove (Hibernia Regnum, courtesy of Trinity College Dublin). The terrier accompanying the parish map mentions that there is, 'in Archersgrove a Thatcht House [KK019-080001-] and two mills in repaire' and lists 'Thomas Archer Ir[ish] P[apist]' as the proprietor in 1640 (ibid.). The Civil Survey (1654-6) describes the mills belonging to Thomas Archer as, 'being 3 in num[ber] [ ] distinct building [ ] wherein stands a corne ye [ ] walls stone ye ruffe p[ar]t Slate and p[ar]t Thatch. A Building joyning thereunto wherin stands a ruinous Tuck Mill) ye walls stone and ye ruffe Thatch. Another building (wherein stands a Corne mill) ye walls stone and ye ruffe thatch' (Simington (ed.) 1942, vol. 6, 549). There is a millrace running along the S side of the mill complex. According to Doyle (1985, 153), 'There is here much evidence of mills in pre-Cromwellian times; the Archers owned all the lands around this area, and their coat of arms is on the wall of the mill, one of the many mills they owned at different periods'. Doyle also notes another Archer coat of arms at Lacken mill (KK019-028----) c. 1.2km to the NW (ibid. 152). The mill complex is currently abandoned and in a ruinous condition. See attached: KK019-050----_01 extract from Down Survey (1655-6) barony map of ‘The Liberties of the Citty of Kilkenny’ (Hib. Reg., courtesy of Trinity College Dublin) Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 14 October 2020