Water mill — horizontal-wheeled in Ballythomas East

Mill undercroft (3.8m E-W x 1.89m N-S) cut through sandstone bedrock to a depth of 1.4 m, mill structure built within it. Mill structure formed of upright posts set in sockets cut into the bedrock floor of the undercroft rather than mortised into base plates as is more common. Sides of the structure appear to have been made of planks set against the upright posts, and the space between the timber structure and the rock sides of the undercroft backfilled with stone and clay. Base of one rectangular post survived in situ, bearing both saw- and axe marks. Part of flume survived, badly degraded, as did the support beam on which it rested were, along with two substantial timbers along the north and south sides of the undercroft. Numerous pieces of worked and unworked timbers found lying randomly on the floor of the undercroft. Of sixty-nine timbers examined by a specialist, sixty-three were identified as oak, the remaining six as ash, hazel and willow. Two artefacts were recovered – a fragment of a large millstone, and a copper alloy stick pin. The stick pin was similar to others found in 13th and 14 century contexts in Cork city excavations. Flume support beam dated by dendrochronology to AD 1150 ±9. This puts the mill among the latest known horizontal mills in Ireland. Compiled by: Eamonn Cotter Date of upload: 22 October 2018