2020:313 - King's Island, Limerick, Limerick

Archaeological testing under Ministerial Consent was undertaken between May and September 2020 for the King’s Island Flood Relief Scheme (KIFRS), Limerick City. The project involved the targeted testing of nine areas in the environs of the Limerick City and County Civic Buildings, the Court House, Merchants Quay, the Potato Market, George's Quay, Creagh Lane and St Mary’s Park, King's Island, Limerick City. The proposal includes the construction of new concrete flood defence walls, flood defence glass panelling, new surface water drainage, a new gravity foul sewer pipe at the rear (north) of Civic Offices to Limerick’s Main Drainage manhole on George’s Quay as well as floodwater storage tanks proposed at the rear of the Civic Offices and between the Courthouse and the Potato Market at Merchant’s Quay and near the Abbeyview Estate. To the north of King's Island there are extensive works proposed relating to the construction of an embankment and associated drainage channels. The following details the results of archaeological testing in specified areas.

Area 1   Mill and Brewery site to the rear of the Civic offices along river front      TT 1-5

Area 1 was located south of King John’s Castle and north of the Limerick Council Civic Buildings on a paved projecting bay bounded by parapet walls and a riverside railing. The area has high archaeological potential and is the site of three recorded monuments: a castle (LI005-017101) and two mills (LI005-017074 and LI005-017075). From the mid-18^th century, the area operated as Limerick City Brewery and Golden Mills. In 1890 the superstructure was demolished for the development of 13 terraced dwellings known as Nolan’s Cottages, these were in turn removed in 1987/88 to make way for the new City Hall. Excavation exposed foundations of the cottages overlying the remnants of the brewery building including the intact north-facing elevation of the complete wall with two arches and the haunches of the associated barrel vaults. Internally there was the remains of foundation pads to support structural uprights. To the south of the mill, TT1-4, re-exposed a rubble foundation interpreted as a ‘bridge’ previously found by Celie O’Rahilly in 1988 linking a Mill house set in the river outside the town wall (see SMR LI005-017074-). The exposed foundation was 2.8m thick by 0.6m high and was bonded with a yellow white gritty mortar.

Area 2 Between Civic offices and Courthouse, former site of prison         TT2-1

Area 2 was in a paved area between the Court House and Council buildings on the site of the former City Gaol built between 1811-13, later a Biscuit Factory. The single trench excavated in this area uncovered the foundations of a prison wall 1.07m wide by 1.68m deep over a length of 2.2m. The wall was surrounded by consecutive layers of early 19^th century infill with stone, brick, ash and mortar inclusions.

Area 3   South-west corner of Courthouse, near former north pier and tower TT3-1

Area 3 was situated to the south-west corner of the Court House, near the conjectural northern arm of the medieval quay wall that, based on early maps and illustrations, terminated on a circular, squat tower with crenelated parapet. Flood defences are proposed along the existing quays in this area. Trench 3-1 exposed successive layers of compact clay infill with 18th/early 19th-century material.

Area 4   Potato Market, former site of medieval Quay and New Quay (1760’s)    TT4-1-4

Area 4 was located within the confines of the Potato Market built in 1843. The site was formerly the Medieval Harbour that was remodelled in the 1760s to build the New Quay as shown on Colle’s map of the period. Testing in trenches TT4-1 and TT4-4 uncovered extant sections of this New Quay wall that measured 0.82m wide by 2m deep. The worked facing stone that would have been exposed to the harbour, in both instances, had been robbed-out leaving a rough rubble face. The inner face, that backed onto the quay, was near vertical to a depth of 1.28m where it widened on a 0.3m-wide plinth, continuing to the base of the trench for a further 0.8m. Elsewhere in situ cobbles were found overlaying 18^th and 19^th century infill.

Area 5 Courthouse carpark to Merchant's Quay, former site of medieval quay TT5-1-5

Five trenches were excavated in Area 5, located south-east of Limerick Courthouse, in the parking area between the River Shannon to the west and the Merchant’s Quay to the east on the site of the medieval harbour. Quay walls were found in four locations and dating from both the medieval period and the later 18^th century New Quay development surrounded by mostly 19^th century infill. In TT5-1 at a depth of 2.38m below the existing surface a foundation 1.4m thick was found in a 1.5m-wide trench. At the car park entrance Trenches TT5-2 and 3 exposed a wall with a matching north-west/south-east alignment; these walls were interpreted as being part of the landward port wall, the other walls being pier-like arms terminating in towers guarding the harbour mouth. In TT5-5 near the bend in the road to Curragower Boat Club was the junction of two walls, the later only visible in the section face as the inner face of a section of the 1760’s New Quay wall built over an earlier foundation. Note the later wall corresponded in its orientation and build quality with the walls found in Area 4, the Potato Market.

Area 6   Merchant's Quay extending from Bridge Street towards plaza outside Courthouse TT6-1-5

Area 6 extended north-east/south-west from the Court House Plaza along Merchants Quay to Bridge Street and involved the excavation of five trenches. TT6-1, on the junction of Bridge Street and Merchant's Quay was was dug in four sections to facilitate traffic. Excavations exposed a regularly sorted layer of cobbles abutting a north-south-running stone foundation attached to a mortared structure; these features were interpreted as the structural remains of Quay Lane Gate, a connecting wall and the foundations of a bastion. Quay Lane Gate survived until the 1760s when it was demolished to make way for the development of the new harbour, and a new connecting bridge to the south. These features were found at an average depth of 1.4m below the present level. The maximum depth of excavation in this trench was a pit to water level at 4.2m deep.

TT6-2 extended 8m north-north-east/south-south-west from the southern kerbside of Merchant’s Quay to the centre of the roadway near the entrance to the Potato Market. Digging exposed a number of built features including two levels of cobbles and an ‘L’-shaped foundation that may relate to a ‘Watch House’ as featured on Colle’s map of 1760 for the New Quay. Earlier deposits with animal bone inclusions were found at the base of the trench.

TT6-3 in the middle of Merchant’s Quay opposite the exit from the Potato Market uncovered the foundations for a building, one of fourteen, that are featured on the OS first edition maps. The building overlay a box culvert over an earlier foundation that continued to the base of the trench.

TT6-4 located at the north-west end of Merchant's Quay was orientated north-east/south-west and measured 6.1m by 1.5m. Below a cobbled surface were a succession of infills (C6-4-07 - C6-4-10) containing glazed pottery, two floor tile fragments and a thin strip of gold.

Groundworks for TT6-5 outside the entrance to the Court House exposed a layer of cobbles (C6-5-05) contemporary with its development in 1809 overlying earlier infills containing mostly 19th-century material. At the base of the trench were some quarried unhewn stone blocks, likely used as solid infill.

Area 7   Georges Quay and Creagh Lane TT7-1-4

Four trenches were excavated in Area 7, two along George’s Quay directly east of Bridge Street along the north bank of the Abbey River and two on Creagh Lane, that runs north of George’s Quay to Mary Street. TT7-1 on the road outside the Locke Bar was sited to intersect with the projected alignment of the town wall before it was removed to allow reclamation and construction work for George’s Quay in 1763. Testing identified an intact, mortared foundation measuring 1.8m wide at a depth of 2m. The wall, better preserved to the north, was exposed to a depth of two irregular courses of 0.24m. The southern side was rougher, the face either collapsed or the facing stone robbed out.  Elsewhere in trenches TT72-4 was a mix of modern services and an earlier stone culvert reused to house a sewer pipe.

Area 8   Greenfield sites opposite Abbeview Estate and at Athlunkard Boat Club               TT8-1-3

Three test trenches were excavated in Area 8 in a green space between the Abbeview Estate and at Athlunkard Boat Club. Nothing of archaeological significance weas noted in this infilled ground.

Area 9   North-west of King's Island, green space near St. Mary’s Park TT9-1-3

Area 9 was located in a green space in the north-west corner of King's Island west of St. Mary’s Park. All three trenches had the same general stratigraphy of infilled ground between 1.1-1.3m deep containing medium-sized stones and boulders and modern rubbish, including asphalt and plastic. This thick layer was directly over a thin peaty layer that overlay compact natural clay. No archaeology was found in these trenches

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