Weir — fish in Athlone,athlone AND Bigmeadow

In the late 12th or early 13th century the fish weirs of Athlone were built by the monks of St Peter and Paul's Priory (WM029-042003-). These fish weirs were taken into the possession of the Crown in the early 13th century as part of the Anglo-Norman settlement of Athlone. In 1216 King John commanded Geoffrey de Mariscis, justiciar of Ireland ‘to cause an exchange to be made to the Prior of Athlone, for the 4 cantreds in the fee of Logseuethy [Lough Sewdy] assigned to the Prior by John Bishop of Norwich in compensation for the site of the K.’s castle of Athlone (WM029-042002-); the Prior was disseised of these 4 cantreds when the K. restored Walter de Lascy’s land of Meath. The K. further commands the justiciary to cause competent satisfaction to be given to the Prior touching an exchange for his meadow, his fisheries of 12 marks, and the tithes of the castle. Protection for the Prior’ (Cal. doc. Ire., 107). The precise location of these weirs have not been identified. The weirs may have been located along the west side of the River Shannon in close proximity to the Anglo-Norman castle (WM029-042002-) and close to St Peter and Paul's Priory (WM029-042003-) for in 1235 the crown recorded that ‘the monks of Adlon [Athlone] have been wont to receive at the Exchequer, Dublin, an annuity of 10 marks for the vill (WM029-042----), castle (WM029-042002-), mill (WM029-042056-) and fishery towards Connaught, which John [de Grey] Bishop of Norwich, when [justiciary], constructed in their land, the K. commands the justiciary to cause the monks to have this annuity’ (Cal. doc. Ire., 341). The construction of two watermills (WM029-042056-) at Athlone by the Anglo-Normans in the 13th century had a detrimental effect on the fisheries which previously belonged to the monks of St Peter and Paul's priory (WM029-042003-). In 1284 King Edward I, commanded the justiciary of Ireland ‘not to injure the Prior and convent of St. Peter of Athlone (WM029-042003-) regarding the pool which they were wont anciently to have. The justiciary had constructed 2 mills (WM029-042056-) upon the pool for the K.’s use, and the prior and convent had consequently taken nothing in the pool’ (Cal. doc. Ire., 564). The fisheries at Athlone were rented by the Prior of St Peter and Paul's Priory from the Crown who now controlled this important economic asset. In 1286 the Crown received payment of £15 6s. 8d. for the ‘rents of pools, and pontage of Athlone, by the prior thereof’ (Cal. doc. Ire. 3, 125). In 1290 the treasurer of Ireland paid ‘Gilbert, monk of Athlone (WM029-042003-), 40s. of silver for the losses which the monks had sustained for 3 years in their pools of Athlone by the construction of the K.’s mills (WM029-042056-) there’ (Cal. doc. Ire., 325). In 1292 the exchequer received payment of £12 5s. from ‘Peter Tuyt, of issues of pools of Athlone’ and 34s. 5½d. for the ‘farm of the burgh of Athlone’ and 100s. for the ‘prisage of beer of the burgh of Athlone’ and 1 mark ‘for the mills (WM029-042056-) of Athlone’ (Cal. doc. Ire., 504). The following year in 1293 the exchequer received payment of £7 from ‘Stephen Ailmer of issues of pools [gurgites] of Athlone’ , 17s 2¼d. rent of the burgh (WM029-042----) of Athlone, 10s. rent for the land of Clocheran, 20s. for the mills (WM029-042056-) of Athlone, and 4s. for rent of 8 acres of land of the demesne of the K. near the castle (WM029-042002-)’ (Cal. doc. Ire., 9). The economic importance of this fishery is illustrated in 1293 when the exchequer received £4 16s. from ‘Thomas de Pykering (keeper of Athlone Castle), out of 3,600 eels sold at Athlone’ (Cal. doc. Ire., 29). In 1570 the Crown granted a 30 year lease to Andrew Brereton which included the '‘site of the house of friars of Athlone, and land in Caltre by Athlone, two fishing weirs on the river Shrynninge [Shannon] (Nicholls 1994, 209-10). In the same year the Crown granted a 21 year lease to ‘Edmund O’Fallone, of Athlone, merchant; of a messuage in Athlone with gardens, two houses on the south side of the castle (WM029-042002-) there occupied by the present lessee, an eel weir on the river Shynnen in Connaght, of the possessions of the late monastery of S. Peter of Athlone (WM029-042003-)' (Nicholls 1994, 218-9). In 1578 a condition of a Crown lease to Edmund Fallon of Athlone, stated that the ‘president of Connaght having the house of Athlone in keeping shall have his grist ground toll free at the mill which the lessee hath builded upon the said weir, and shall two nights in each month have the use of the weir, O Fallon supplying nets, boats, poles and other necessaries’ (Nicholls 1994, 467). In 1584 a Crown lease to George Alexander, included the ‘site of the priory (WM029-042003-) of St. Benedict of Cistercian monks of Athlone, co. Roscommon, the demesne lands, a mill in the tenure of O’Fallon, lands in Clonnalve, 7 weirs in the river Shennen’ (Nicholls 1994, 611). In 1841-9 during the Shannon navigation works 19 eel weirs were removed from the River Shannon in Athlone (Murtagh 1994, 11). Compiled by: Rachel Barrett and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 04 November 2013