Ardagh — Ardagh,minister's-Land,reerasta North

The Urban Survey of Limerick recorded the following about the medieval borough of Ardagh which contained the following monuments, a medieval mill (LI028-103005-), a possible castle (LI028-164----), a parish church (LI028-103002-) dedicated to St. Molua, a graveyard (LI028-103003-) and holy well (LI028-103004-) dedicated to St. Molua. 'Ardagh is situated in west Limerick off the Limerick to Tralee road to the north west of Newcastle West. Archaeologically the village is best known as the findplace of the magnificent Early Christian chalice to which it has given its name. The chalice formed part of a hoard which included four brooches one of which was of tenth century date and indicates that the chalice was already an antique at the time it was buried. The hoard was found within the ringfort beside the village and this suggests that there was pre-Norman activity at Ardagh. The dedication of the parish church to St. Molua may also indicate that there was a pre-Norman church site here. It is difficult to explain why the Anglo-Normans should have picked this location for development as a borough unless it was a pre-existing settlement site. The history of the Anglo-Norman settlement is itself obscure but it seems clear that a borough was established here in the thirteenth century. Revenues from its hundred court amounted to 6s 8d in 1298-9 (Sweetman 1875-86, iv, 257) and it was one of a number of boroughs which paid a subsidy of 40s to the crown in 1300 (Mills 1905, 304). It is likely that the Anglo-Norman settlement was never substantial and it was probably never anything more than a village or hamlet. The medieval borough was probably sited on the present village which has a linear, T-shaped, pattern with burgage plots fronting onto the street. None of the houses are pre-1700 in date' (Bradley et. al. 1989, vol. 1, 47-8). In 1452 the Rental of Connello recorded the following rental return from the burgage of Ardagh; the town of Ardagh (D'Villata de Ardagh) was valued at 24s.; D'Ballyduffgyn valued at 8s, the bake house and sergeancy there (D'Ffurno and S'iandria ibidem.) 3s 4d., the tenement of Robert Lowell 1s. The total rent of Ardagh is 36s. 4d., of which 26s 8d. is paid in rent to the Bishop and there remains for the lord 9s 8d. (Begley 1906, 328). The above description of this monument is taken from 'The Urban Archaeological Survey of County Limerick' compiled by John Bradley, Andrew Halpin and Heather A. King (Office of Public Works, 1985). Compiled by: Denis Power Date of upload: 26 August 2011