2025:565 - Suir Island (Oldbridge), Clonmel, Tipperary

Ground works associated with the creation of a public garden amenity in the immediate environs of Suir Island House, Suir Island, Clonmel were archaeologically monitored.  An intermittent project, works commenced in 2024 and continued into 2025. The works were monitored due to a substantial part of the project being within the constraint area for the Historic Town of Clonmel (TS083-019), which is located c. 150m to the north of the development site, on the opposing bank of the river Suir.

Formerly used as private gardens associated with Suir Island House, the development covered a total area of 0.9 hectares.  Suir Island House, a Protected Structure, was built c. 1760. Now derelict, it was a miller’s house associated with the very successful eighteenth- and nineteenth-century milling industry in Clonmel. The house has associated outbuildings and a large garden.

Works for the public garden amenity included hard and soft landscaping and ancillary site development works such as drainage, provision of water and electrical supply for feature lighting, signage, seating, picnic benches and removal and reconstruction of almost 20m of boundary wall.

The ground works associated with the creation of a public garden amenity in the immediate environs of Suir Island House had no archaeological impact on the nearby historic town of Clonmel (TS083-019). However, sub-surface evidence associated with the former milling activity on the island emerged. A number of walls and a flagstone floor were revealed, all of which were preserved in situ.

Three areas around Suir Island House were the focus of the monitored works; one area to the northwest (Area 1), another to the west (Area 2) and the final one to the north (Area 3) of the house.

Works on Area 1 concentrated on topsoil stripping and laying of utilities to the northwest of Suir Island House. Following the topsoil stripping and laying of the utilities the area was surfaced with fine crushed stone/hardcore for the hard landscaping and imported topsoil laid for any required soft landscaping.

Within this area the remains of walls and a flagstone floor were exposed which were part of former structures/buildings on the site.  Sealed by garden soil, the flagstone surface [F.1] extended from the west edge of Area 1 for a width of 7.2m (east-west) and southwards for a length of 17m, to the south edge of Area 1. It comprised rectangular and square slabs ranging from 300mm x 300mm to 450mm x 1m in size and 50mm thick. The remains of a wall [F.2] was exposed 3.3m south of the area’s north boundary wall and 2.8m east of its west boundary wall. Occurring just below ground level, it comprised a sandstone curved wall, with a width of 450mm and 2.8m in length (north-south) along its long axis and curving at both its west and east ends.  Where the flagstone surface terminated at its east side, another wall [F.3] was exposed. This north/south aligned sandstone wall had a width of 600mm and was the remains of a wall which still survives at the north end of Area 1.  A wall foundation [F.4] extended at right angles from the east face of the north-south aligned wall [F.3]. Extending for at least a length of 4.8m, it was of similar construction and width to wall [F.3].   All of the walls and the flagstone floor were preserved in situ.  Where there was no flagstone surface the dark brown garden soil/topsoil overlaid a demolition layer which was likely from the structures that once stood on the site.

Area 2 extended from the west side (front) of Suir Island House to the west end of the Island. Works were relatively shallow in this area concentrating on topsoil stripping for soft landscaping and laying of seats, picnic benches and limited stone paving and the excavation of a trench to accommodate a storm drain to discharge into the river Suir.  No remains of structures were uncovered in this area, suggesting this part of the island was devoid of any buildings and part of the front garden area associated with Suir island House.

Area 3 extended north of Suir island House, incorporating the laneway linking Suir Island car-park and the island. The main focus of works in this area was laying utilities – watermain and electric ducting.  Topsoil stripping was limited in this area once the vegetation and trees had been cleared to the north and around Suir Island House.

This area was dominated by the presence of two infilled mill races extending on an east/west alignment and disturbance from the time of building of defence walls associated with the River Suir Flood Alleviation Scheme in 2010. Extensive modern infilling was also undertaken to the north of the house with there being no trace of garden soil/topsoil.

In the course of the trenching works the remains of two walls [F.5&F.6] were exposed. Apart by 4.5m and occurring 400mm below ground level, they were overlaid by modern infill. The walls were very hard, built of limestone and bonded with a very strong lime mortar.  Of substantial exposed length, 3.5-4.5m long and of indeterminate width, the two walls were left in situ with the piping/ducting overlying both.  Were the walls to be removed, a kango hammer or rock breaker would be required such was their solid construct.