Mill — unclassified in Limerick City,priorsland (saint Michael's Par.)

The Prior's or Common Mill, located nearly opposite Nicholas Arthur's Mill (LI005-017069-) on the Abbey River (Leask 1941, 107). These two mills are depicted standing on opposite sides of the Abbey River on a late 16th century map of Limerick City (TCD, MS 1209/57). Excavations carried out in the Abbey River under licence No. 98E0581 ext. by Ed O'Donovan on behalf of Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd were summarised as following; 'Over the past year and a half, excavations in advance of construction work associated with the Limerick Main Drainage Scheme have been carried out. The report on the first phase of these excavations (Excavations 1999, 169–71) included brief reports on excavations along George’s Quay and at Broad Street. The Phase I excavations also included an account of the various artefacts recovered from the bed of the Abbey River between Matthew Bridge and Baal’s Bridge. This year the excavations in the riverbed extended from Matthew Bridge to the mouth of the Abbey River, with its junction with the Shannon at Curragour Point, and from Curragour Point in the Shannon to Sarsfield Lock, and also included a short programme of excavation on George’s Quay. Town wall along George’s Quay Two further sections of the medieval town wall were uncovered along George’s Quay (at Manholes E and F). Deep excavation was not required as the construction work was relatively shallow; however, the laying of new pipes along the quay at the junction of Creagh Lane and George’s Quay did reveal a substantial wall running parallel to the quay. The preliminary interpretation of the structure suggested that it formed part of a bastion or building standing proud of the line of the town wall. Structures standing proud of the town wall along the Abbey River are illustrated on the early historic maps of the city (Pacata Hibernia map, Hardiman’s map and Speed’s map). Organic deposits of 16th-century date abutting the structure contained the grain weevil Sitophilus granarius. This insect is a pest of stored grain in particular and is entirely dependent on humans for its dispersal (Eileen Reilly, pers. comm.). These deposits are possibly related to grain stored around Nicholas Arthur’s Mill, depicted on Hardiman’s map (c. 1590) (www.excavations.ie). 16th/17th-century weir in the Abbey River The foundations of an early weir (LI005-017186-) were identified in the Abbey River. The structure pre-dates Charlotte’s Quay and Bank Place and is thought to form a head-race for two mills on either side of the river, one under Bank Place (LI005-017098-) and the other (LI005-017069-) at the junction of Creagh Lane and George’s Quay. This again may relate to Nicholas Arthur’s Mill depicted on Hardiman’s map, c. 1590. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 19 November 2019