Water mill

In reclaimed land which had originally been poorly drained and marshy, c. 6m to the S of the Delehinagh River. Three well-preserved oak timber beams were discovered in this area during reclamation in the late 1990s (Cleary 1999a). The largest of the beams (L 4.4m; Wth 0.35m; T 0.25m) had two mortises (Wth 0.13m; D 0.1m) cut into either end of the beam. The smallest beam (L 2.3m; Wth 0.35m; T 0.2m) was rectangular in cross-section and was well preserved. One end of this beam was slightly splayed while the other was straight-edged. The third beam (L 2.85m; W 0.3m; T 0.2m) was weathered and irregular in shape. According to Cleary (ibid.), the first two beams were obviously structural timbers and, though more weathered and featureless, the third beam probably also came from a structure. Cleary (ibid.) suggests that they may have been part of a water mill, given their structural nature and their location adjacent to a stream. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). Date of upload: 22 December 2009