1997:351 - LIMERICK: Fish Lane/Sir Harry's Mall, King's Island, Limerick

The excavation was conducted between 14/10/1996 and 25/7/1997, in advance of the Northern Relief Road running from Athlunkard Street, King’s Island, through to a proposed new bridge across the Abbey River.

The site is located on the south-east corner of King’s Island, between Fish Lane and Sir Harry’s Mall. This area of the island is clearly depicted on Hardiman’s map of Limerick (c. 1590). The south-east corner of the medieval town wall is depicted with what appears to be a corner-tower. Inside this the priory of the Fratres Cruciferi is marked as St Mary’s House. This priory is referred to in the Irish Pipe Rolls of 1211–12 and was dissolved in 1537, when it was partially converted into a fish-house.

The excavation was confined to the line of the proposed road and its principle aims were to locate and examine the medieval town wall, if present; to examine whether or not a corner-tower existed; and to locate and examine the priory of the Fratres Cruciferi. As the new road was designed to rise above the site, it was decided that it was not necessary to remove all the archaeology from the site. Once the key research goals were met, the remaining archaeology would be covered and left undisturbed.

The site was partially cleared in September 1996 by Celie O Rahilly (Excavations 1996, 70–1, 96E213). The excavation proper commenced in October 1996 with Cuttings 1 and 2. Cutting 2 was later extended to the west and Cutting 3 was opened to the south.

An initial trial-cutting by O Rahilly had revealed a large limestone wall running north–south, roughly in line with the perceived line (based on mapping evidence) of the medieval town wall. This area was extended to form Cutting 1. The cutting measured 7.5m north–south x 14m east–west and was excavated in tandem with Cutting 2. The cutting revealed a series of limestone walls that subsequently turned out to be one of six Georgian houses built by Sir Harry Hartstonge c. 1779, facing east onto the then newly constructed Sir Harry’s Mall. After approximately 80–85 years of use the house was eventually abandoned and destroyed. By 1870 the plot was vacant and owned by the corporation.

The Georgian houses were known to have been built outside the town wall in order to be ‘free…from corporation claims and other city taxes’. This suggested that the town wall was located to the west of Cutting 1. As the aim of the cutting was to examine whether the exposed walls were part of the town wall (and because it was outside the line of the road) the excavation of Cutting 1 was discontinued at c. 1.13m OD before any medieval levels were exposed.

The main aim of Cutting 2 (12m east–west x 14m north–south) was to identify the line of the town wall and locate the priory. This cutting was to the south of Cutting 1. To the west of the cutting (at 1.43m OD) was a limestone paving area. It is not known if this was an internal or external feature and there were no associated finds or features. This was followed by the development of c. 0.55m of organic and humic deposits. In one area a large limestone building was inserted. This measured 9m x 7m (min.). This was possibly an earlier priory structure.

To the north of this a low revetment wall was built with a pathway to its south. Both structures ran in an east–west direction. To the north of these was an industrial kiln area. Finds from these features suggested an early medieval date. A series of organic deposits developed across the site, covering the kiln activity and the large limestone building. Some other sections of thick medieval limestone walls were revealed, but their function could not be identified. One of these was truncated by a late medieval vertical shaft, lined at the base by a series of limestone flags. Pick-dressed steps led from this to the west. They were flanked to the north by a limestone revetment.

To the east of the cutting another large limestone building, 1.2–2m wide, was uncovered. It may have been part of the medieval priory. The western end of this structure was originally misinterpreted as being part of the medieval town wall. This building was eventually destroyed in the post-medieval period.

The continuation of the Georgian properties was also exposed leading from Cutting 1. To the rear of two of the excavated houses a garden wall was revealed that divided two post-medieval garden areas, each of which appeared to have had an external limestone latrine. There is strong evidence to suggest that the foundation trench for the Georgian houses in Cutting 2 consisted of a large, single, rectangular box trench. This foundation trench appears to have destroyed a large volume of medieval strata.

At the western end of the cutting was a large 18th/19th-century ‘hall-shaped’ structure, linked (to the north) to an earlier medieval wall. On its western side it had two large openings in the wall. It is not clear whether this structure was ever roofed. The internal area consisted largely of mixed clays with a small residue patch of cobbling. To the east a long limestone wall was built, parallel to the hall-shaped structure. This formed an early lane running north–south through the heart of Cutting 2. The lane was initially cobbled and later resurfaced, forming O’Doherty Terrace.

To the north was a series of post-medieval properties flanking Fish Lane. They consisted of small, 6m x 6m, limestone-built ‘rooms’. Below these was a series of cobbled surfaces, probably representing some external yard spaces.

Cutting 3 was situated to the south of Cutting 2 along the line of the proposed road. The aim of this cutting was to examine whether the town wall ran below or near the medieval Little Fish Lane. It was also intended to examine whether or not a corner-tower existed, as some of the early mapping evidence suggested (Hardiman, 1590; Speed, 1611).

After the initial clearance, the line of the town wall, abutting an earlier (10m x 1m) limestone wall which ran east–west, was revealed. To the south of this wall a series of three human burials was exposed. It was decided to excavate a small trial-cutting (7m x 1m) in order to examine whether the town wall continued south beyond the large medieval wall and to examine the nature of the burials. The test-trench revealed that the town wall did not continue and that the burials represented a prolonged period of inhumation, medieval in date. This suggested the presence of a medieval cemetery.

It was decided to widen Cutting 3 in order to evaluate the extent of the cemetery. This revealed that the eastern part of the cemetery had been largely destroyed by subsequent post-medieval activity. No burials were identified to the north of the large medieval wall, suggesting that the wall delimited the cemetery to the north. There was also evidence that some of the burial activity post-dated the medieval wall. The function of this wall was unclear. It was abutted to the north by the town wall, which ran from Cutting 2. The extent of the cemetery to the south and the east is not clear as these areas ran beyond the limit of the cutting. In all, 31 burials (including partial burials) were excavated. Based on the concentration of burials found in the 7m x 1m trial-cutting and the known extent of the cemetery, it is broadly estimated that the total number of burials in the cemetery could be between 100 and 200.

Other features identified included some structural remains involving the remains of a wall with a triple row of stake-holes leading west from it. It is not clear what this feature represents. So far their age is unknown but they are believed to be medieval. The significance of the burial-ground is twofold: to date there is no known record of a cemetery in this area of King’s Island (though more detailed research may reveal some evidence), and also its proximity to the Abbey River.

The initial road design involved extensive piling in this area. It was decided to change the road design in favour of a self-supporting earthen embankment in order to prevent any disturbance to the cemetery. The rest of the cemetery was recorded but left unexcavated.

Some post-medieval walls crossed Cutting 3. Some appear to have been part of the earlier (18th-century) houses, which were constructed facing the then newly built Sir Harry’s Mall. A circular well was uncovered in the north-western corner of the cutting. The upper fills of this produced some post-medieval pottery and glass. This feature was not excavated fully, but it had been cut into post-medieval levels. The plot of Georgian houses continued into Cutting 3, although the southern gable was missing.

The excavation has revealed some interesting insights into the early development of Limerick. It is known that a substantial medieval landscape existed outside the line of the early town boundary and that it was only later incorporated into the town. There is also the possibility that the earlier medieval town boundary was located south of Fish Lane.

There was no evidence of a corner-tower as depicted on several of the early maps, nor was there direct evidence of the priory. Several walls have been excavated which were medieval in date and would have been contemporary with the priory, but none of these could (as yet) be positively identified as being part of it.

44 Eaton Heights, Cobh, Co. Cork