What is recorded here

Under the Market Cross Shopping Centre, a drystone well wider than eight metres waits in darkness. John Channing uncovered it in 1992 after centuries of burial beneath convent walls and busy streets. The water likely refreshed Hightown residents long before concrete sealed the chamber, yet nobody records the last hand that drank from it.

An archaeological excavation (92E0038) was carried out by John Channing in 1992 within plot that stretched from High Street to the western stretch of the town wall of the Hightown of Kilkenny (Channing 1992, unpublished; 1993). The plot is shown as wholly occupied by buildings extending N-S from Red Lane to James Street and E-W from High Street to the town wall on John Rocque's 1758 map of Kilkenny. The site was occupied by the Presentation convent school and chapel, James's Street from 1800 until 1992, at which time it was demolished for construction of the present Market Cross Shopping Centre (Bradley 2000, 14). The excavations, in advance of construction of the shopping centre, uncovered two circular drystone-built wells, this well (D > 8m) at the W end of Red Lane (D > 8m) and another (KK019-026082-) between the NW corner of the former convent building and James's Street. Both wells had been backfilled in the 20th century. Portions of the wells were preserved in situ below the formation level of the present shopping centre. Stone-lined and unlined pits (KK019-026149-) containing medieval pottery were also recorded adjacent to James's Street. Compiled by: Cóilín Ó Drisceoil Date of upload: 28 March 2022

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