Black Mills (Flour) — Gardens (kilkenny City By., St. Canice Par.)

On the River Breagagh, between Kenny's Well Street and Water Barrack Street, c. 160m NW of Black Abbey Dominican friary (KK019-026021-). A corn mill called the 'Black Mill' is mentioned in the Civil Survey (1654-6) as lying near the Dominican abbey on the River Breagagh (Simington ed. 1942, vol. 6, 549). On Rocque's map (1758) and on the 1st (1839-40) OS 6-inch map, mills at this location were called 'Black Mills', with a large mill pond immediately to the N. It is likely that these buildings incorporated, or were on the location of, a watermill dating back to at least the 17th century, with probably earlier origins as a medieval mill belonging the Black Abbey. Hogan (1883, 9), refers to a mid-13th-century charter granting St Canice's Well (KK019-024----) to the Dominican friars and allowing them to make a conduit to carry the well water to the abbey, though it states that the conduit had to be constructed in such a way, 'so that the water flowing to our mill be not impeded by them'. According to Hogan this mill refers to Black Mill and suggests that, at this time, the mill was under the control of the bishop and not of the Dominican friars (ibid. 9-10). The mill and pond area is currently occupied by the N end of Dominic St and the roundabout between it, Butt's Green, the R695 and Water Barrack. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 23 September 2020