What is recorded here

That well stood between the convent and James's Street, drawing water for generations before concrete and commerce buried it. It is not lost, only lowered, still holding its shape beneath the shopping centre where people now pass without knowing the depth below their feet.

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that stretched from High Street to the western stretch of the town wall of the Hightown of Kilkenny (Channing 1992, unpublished; 1993).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 10.36m) between the NW corner of the former convent building and James's Street and another (KK019-026095-) at the W end of Red Lane. 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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