2021:498 - King's Island, Limerick City, Limerick

Archaeological testing under Ministerial Consent (Consent no. C000980, Excavation Registration Number E005120) was undertaken in two phases between May and September 2020 and July 2021 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 Civic Buildings, the Court House, Merchant's 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 is the site of three recorded monuments: a castle (LI005-017101) and two mills (LI005-017074 and LI005-017075). From the mid-18th 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 for the cottages overlying the remnants of the brewery building. This structure, featured on historic photographs, projected into the river and had two side-by-side infilled arches facing upstream on its northern elevation. Over the arches digging partially exposed the crown and the haunches of these barrel vaults and the remains of foundation pads to support structural uprights. To the south of the brewery excavation in TT1-4, exposed a rubble foundation. This feature previously found by Celie O Rahilly in 1988, was interpreted as a ‘bridge’ that linked an ope in the town defences to a mill set in the river (see SMR LI005-017074-). A map of the ‘Citie of Limrick, per Joanes’ shows this site as "Thos. Arthur's" [LI005-017074-] and the "Queen's Mills". 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 19th-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 at 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 in 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 part of 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 820mm 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 300mm wide plinth, continuing to the base of the trench for a further 800mm. Elsewhere, in-situ cobbles were found overlaying 18th- and 19th-century infill.

Area 5 Courthouse carpark to Merchant's Quay, former site of medieval Quay TT5-1-5
Area 5 was located in the Courthouse car park between the Shannon to the west and Merchant’s Quay to the east and formerly the site of the city's medieval harbour. Excavation, over two seasons, involved the digging of 14 different trenches across the area with an average depth of 4m. These trenches were devised to eliminate the risk of finding significant wreck or other underwater elements present, below or as part of the 18th/19th-century fill. Testing in seven trenches along the southern and eastern range of the car park exposed heavily mortared, limestone rubble foundations averaging 1.2m wide below 2m of modern road base, cobbles and 18th- and 19th- century infill. Overlaying the results of the excavations using GIS onto historical maps it was evident that these foundations corresponded to the northern and eastern face of a projecting quay as shown on Colle’s plan of 1764. Notably the waterside faces of these structures was ragged indicating that the original cut stone masonry had been robbed out for re-use prior to the quays being infilled.

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 Merchant's Quay to Bridge Street and involved the excavation of five trenches. TT6-1, on the junction of Bridge Street and Merchant's Quay 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 Merchants 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 was some quarried unhewn stone blocks, likely used as solid infill.

Area 7 George's 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 240mm. 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. No archaeology was noted in this infilled ground.

Area 9 north-west of King's Island, greenspace near St Mary’s Park TT9-1-3
Area 9 was in a greenspace 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. No archaeology was found in these trenches.

Moore Archaeological and Environmental Services Ltd. 3 Gort na R, Athenry, Co. Galway