Weir

The fish weir depicted crossing the River Liffey between Lucan Demesne and Coldblow townlands on the 1837 ed. OSi 6-inch map may have been built on the site of the medieval fish weirs belonging to the medieval 'fishery of Lucan'. A second weir (DU017-019005-) depicted on the 1837 ed. OSi map located on the River Liffey 1.2km to the E is an alternative possible location for the medieval fishery of Lucan. In 1295 Hugh de la Felde and Alianora his wife, were dispossessed or disseised of their freehold in Lucan which included 'a third of the fishery of the water of Lyuekan from the ford of Mich[ael]. Luterel to the ford of Athbo' (Cal. justic. rolls, Ire. Edw. I, 222). In response to this dispossession Hugh de la Felde and his wife Alianora replied that; 'As to the fishery, they say that Rob[ert]. de Wyleby and his wife are in seisin of the third part, and they pray judgment. And Hugh and Alianora say that Robert and his wife have nothing in the fishery, and put themselves on the assise' (ibid.). A few years later in 1306 King Edward sent his writ to John Wogan Jusiticiar of Ireland; 'on the part of John de Hausteyd and Roesia his wife, it is shown that whereas they ought to have a moiety of the fish taken in the water of Anneliffy [Liffey], between their land of Lyuekan on one side, and the land of the Salmon Leap [DU017-014----], which was of Ralph Pipard, on the other side of the water. And they, and the ancestors of Roesia, had the moiety of the fish taken in said water between said lands, and Ralph Pipard and his ancestors had the other moiety, while the land of Salmon Leap was in their hands. Ric[hard]. de Bereford treasurer of Ireland, when said land of the Salmon Leap, by grant which Ralph made to the King, came to the King's hand, immediately impeded John and Roesia from having the moiety of the fish. Wogan is to enquire, and if it appear that John and Roesia and her ancestors had the moiety of the fish in said water until so impeded, then to permit them to have the moiety of the fish taken' (Cal. justic. rolls, Ire. Edw. I, 257). A response to this legal writ from local jurors stated that; 'the fish taken between the land of Lyuecan and the land of Salmon Leap were never accustomed to be divided between the lords of those towns, but each of the lords was accustomed to have his fishery to the middle (ad medittatem) of the water, in places where the river of Aneliffy separates their lands from each other on opposite sides, so that the lord of Lyuecan had fish taken towards his land, and Ralph towards his land; and they were accustomed to fish with engines or nets. They say also that the weirs of Kilmaynan [Kilmainham], Chapel Isolde [Chapelizod], Palmereston [Palmerstown], Lyuecan [Lucan], and S. Katerine [St. Catherine's] are raised, and the water in them much narrowed, in prejudice of the King, and deterioration of his weirs and fishery. Because they say that in those weirs, the course of the water was accustomed to be of) the breadth of 16 feet at least, with sufficient depth for the passage of boats, bundles of firewood, and fish. Therefore the Sheriff is commanded to go to those parts, and cause the weir newly raised at Lyuecan [Lucan] to be whiolly pulled down, and the other weirs, by view of the jurors, reduced in height, and the course of the water widened. So that those weirs be in the same state as they were of old accustomed to be, and the course of the water likewise. And that said injurious things be wholly put away' (Cal. justic. rolls, Ire. Edw. I, 258-9). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 10 May 2023