Water mill — unclassified in Unknown Townland

The precise location of the medieval watermill known as 'Mullinahack Mill' located to the W of John Street which was one of 3 watermills (DU018-020226-/0096-/230-) in the possession of St John the Baptist's Hospital (DU018-020062-) has not been identified. Saint John's House was in possession of the watercourse (DU018-020374-/0739-) which powered 3 watermills known as St John's Mills (Clarke 2002, 26) located to the W and N of the religious house and is depicted on Speed's 1610 map of Dublin City. Archaeological assessment in 1997 of a development site at the junction of Oliver Bond Street and Augustine Street, outside the town walls of Dublin, on the north-west corner of the town's medieval defence revealed a 15th-century watercourse. Known as the Glib Water, this was an overflow from the city water supply which flows through the development site. Watercourses associated with the medieval Mullinahack mills flow northwards to feed into the Liffey in the vicinity of the site. A red-bricked culvert may be the latest build of this watercourse. Some slight timbers which project from beneath one of the culvert walls may be the remnants of timber revetments along the water channel (Walsh 1998, 31-2). A section of this watercourse (DU018-020739-) was excavated by Linzi Simpson underneath the NE corner of the National College of Art and Design on the S side of Oliver Bond Street and to the W of John Street (Simpson 1997). In 1457 the Dublin Assembly Roll recorded the granting to Saint John's House 'the cowrs [course] of the watyr, lyke as they had of old tyme, beryng therfor yerly xl.s.; and they to bryn har dede by the post semble. And yf thay wold noght pay the sayden xl.s., that then John [Staines plummer] shall have the sayd water for the terme of xl. wyntyr' (CARD Vol. 1, 295-6). A year later in 1458 the Dublin White Book recorded a leasing agreement between the Mayor of Dublin and and the Prior and brethren of the house of the Hospital of Saint John the Baptist which related to the watercourse and watermills (DU018-020226-/0096-/982-) of St. John's. The conditions of the 40 yeare lease recorded the following conditions that; 'the Prior and his brethren the running water and its course from the small house called le watyrhouse, near Crokkers Barres [Gate], passing through the King's street called Saint Thomas strete and by the house of St. John the Baptist so far as the water-mill [DU018-020226-/0096-/230-] of that Hospital. The Prior and brethren may construct a fosse, from their mill [Mullinahack?] near their cemetery of the Hospital so far as the city ditch, on the south side of the bridge of Gormones [Ormonds] gate [DU018-020029-], and the water is to have free course to the Aniliffy [Liffey]. The Mayor and commonalty are, as of old, to be supervisors and of the water, to have right to easements such as washing and wringing, and to ensure that nothing noxious nor obstructive shall be cast into it. The Mayor and commonalty may also, in time of need, divert the water to fill the city ditch. Annual rent, forty shillings of silver' (CARD, Vol. 1, 171). In 1540 after the Dissolution of the Monasteries the Hospital of St. John Baptist outside the New Gate, Dublin was described as follows; 'The church and site. After the dissolution, the church was thrown down, and the stones, tiles, timber, glass, and iron were sold by William Brabazon under-treasurer of Ireland to divers persons of the city of Dublin, whose names, and the sums paid by them, are not known. Within the precincts, 3 watermills [DU018-020226-/0096-/982-] operating on a stream [DU018-020374-/0739-] drawn from the Odder; Nicholas Benet, per ind. p.t.a.; rent, 220 pecks of good wheat and malt, value (measure of 12 gallons, 12.d.), II.li. The lessee is exonerated from the twentieth due to the king and from the rent for water due to the city and from all other charges. Total, 13.li. 3.s. 4.d. Memorandum. The king by 1.p. 16 Sept. 1539 granted to farm to Edmund Redman the whole site etc., church, belfry and cemetery and the rest of all the premises, excepting the watermills, for 43.s. 4.d., the lessee to bear all charges' (White 1943, 55-6). Mullinahack Mill was described in the Urban Survey of Dublin City as follows; 'The name is derived from Muilenn an cháca, the mill of the shit, and it may be the mill "near the bridge" granted by Gillamurra to Christ Church Cathedral before the coming of the Normans (Gilbert 1854-9, i, 351; McNeill 1950, 29)' (Bradley and King 1987, Vol. 1, 40). John Speed's map of Dublin City from 1610, shows a watercourse or stream running E-W along St Thomas Street, at the E end of the watercourse there is a bridge (DU018-020228-) land immediately after the bridge the watercourse turns N possibly along the line of present day John's Lane West where it powers several watermills (DU018-020226-/0096-/982-) depicted on Speed's 1610 map where they are referred to as 'The mills' and shown standing opposite 'John's House' (DU018-020062-) labelled No. 54 on present day John Street. These watermills were located outside the city walls to the SW of Ormonds Gate (DU018-020029-) labelled 29 on Speed's 1610 Map. The watercourse possibly runs N along Mullinahack Lane enters the River Liffey to the N of the medieval mills in the vicinity of the modern Watergate House on Usher's Quay. On the 1610 this watercourse running along St Thomas Street labelled no. 51 on Speed's Map runs past the northern side of St. Catherine's Parish Church (DU018-020074-) labelled 57 on the map and then turns S running down past the W end of the church towards Thomas Court labelled 58 on Speed's map of the city. See attached section of Speed's 1610 Map of Dublin City showing the watercourse running along St. Thomas Street between St. Catherine's Church and John's Lane West and 'The mill's' indicated with an X. The northernmost watermill is shown standing to the S of a bridge to the W of Ormonds Gate which may have the watermill known as Mullinahack. The location of this watermill matches the location of Mullinahack Lane depicted on Rocque's 1756 map of Dublin. See attached section of Rocque's 1756 Map of Dublin showing John's Castle and and John's Church identified with a cross to the W of John's Castle with Mullinahack Lane to the N of John's House (DU018-020062-). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 27 June 2023