2000:0544 - GREEN’S BRIDGE COMPLEX, Newpark Lower/Roachpond/Gardens, Kilkenny, Kilkenny

Test-trenching was carried out for the proposed Kilkenny Flood Relief Scheme upstream and downstream of Green’s Bridge, Kilkenny. This area contains a number of archaeological sites and crosses three townlands within the parishes of St Maul’s and St John’s. The majority of testing was undertaken on the east bank, with four trenches on the opposite bank.

The present Green’s Bridge connects north-east Kilkenny to Irishtown and St Canice’s Cathedral. The present bridge is an ornate 18th-century cut-stone structure, which replaced an earlier stone bridge that was swept away in 1764, still visible 40m upstream. In 1178 Green’s Bridge, or The Great Bridge, was the only bridge to Kilkenny (Archaeological Urban Survey of Kilkenny, Ref. Map 4a: 3). The bridge led to ‘Green’s Gate’ on the right bank (Ref. Map 4a: 40) from a medieval mill and 12th-century mill-stream (Ref. Map 4a: 42, 43, 77). This watermill has been associated with the Augustinian foundation of St John’s and is marked on both Rocque’s map (1758) and Byron’s map (1786) of Kilkenny.

Downstream of the present bridge is a V-shaped stone weir spanning the river channel. The stone weir probably dates to the 18th century but is presumed to replace a 17th-century example (Ref. Map 4a: 41). The weir divides the river into two channels, which serve three mills on both sides of the river. Of these, the ‘Bishop’s Mills’ lie on the left bank and survive only as a tail-race and island, known as Mill Island.

The proposed development is to widen the banks of the River Nore by 15m along the east bank, upstream of Green’s Bridge, by 3m along the west bank, and to remove Mill Island and the weir. It is also proposed to construct a new weir at Newpark Lower.

Nine test-trenches were excavated at this complex. Trenches 1 and 2 were on Mill Island and Green’s Weir, downstream of the bridge in Gardens townland. Trenches 3, 4 and 5 were close to the original bridge site, upstream of the present bridge in Roachpond townland, and Trenches 6–9 were upstream of the bridge in Newpark Lower townland.

Trench 1, on Mill Island, was 4m long, 1m wide and up to 1.7m deep. This trench revealed modern overburden and brick rubble. Trench 2 was across the weir, close to Mill Island, and was 3m long, 2m wide and 1.5m deep. This trench revealed an earth and boulder core laid directly on river gravels and an outer limestone facing, giving a curved face upstream and shallow slope downstream, resting on a small stone plinth. A single piece of handmade orange brick was recovered from the core, suggesting that the weir is 18th-century in date.

Trench 3 was not opened. Trench 4 was at the site of the earlier bridge landfall, on the eastern bank, and was 4m long, 3.5m wide and 3m deep. This revealed modern and early modern clay and rubble fills making up the 2.8m-deep bank material resting on river gravels. All layers produced disturbed rubble and mortared masonry from the bridge. Two medieval cut-stone fragments were recovered from the river gravels, along with a post-medieval leather shoe. Trench 5 was located opposite Trench 4 on the west bank, on the site of the bridge landfall and Green’s Gate. It was excavated in four segments over an area 30m long, 1m wide and 2.4m deep. The trench revealed a similar picture to Trench 4, but river gravels, producing post-medieval and early medieval material, were revealed at a lesser depth of 2–2.2m.

Trenches 6 and 8 were 6m long, 1.5m wide and 3m/2.2m in depth. Trenches 7 and 9 were 4m long, 1.5m wide and 2.4m deep. All trenches revealed a similar profile of modern clay bank fill with a 1m-wide stone hedge-line, over sterile, silty sand and sandy clay containing roots, over river gravels at a depth of 2.1–3m.

Further archaeological monitoring of development was recommended.

2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin