Water mill - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

A medieval watermill standing on the W bank of the Groody River is depicted on the Down Survey map of Clanwilliam barony. The mill is shown standing on a bend of the river which is shown on the 1840 OS 6-inch map. This mill site was described by Lynch (1911-13, 27) as following; 'On the river Groody, near the hill, is the site of a mill, and a field near the site is called the mill field'. This watermill is depicted standing on the W bank of the Groody River to the SE of Knockatanacashlane Castle (LI014-039----) on the Down Survey map of Clanwilliam Barony (Hib. Reg.). The watermill is depicted as a rectangular-shaped single storey building with waterwheel on W gable on the Down Survey map of Caherconlish parish (NLI, MS 718). The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Limerick recorded that Lord of Brittas was the owner of the lands of Knockatanacashlane on which there stood 'a Castle [LI014-039----] and a Mill in reparation' (Simington 1938, 64). According to Lynch (1911-13, 27) the townland of Knockatanacashlane depicted on the Down Survey map included a 'portion of the present village of Caherconlish, and the name means hill of the old castle, of which nothing is left save portions of the bawn walls and small towers'. Only one watermill is depicted in the area around the village of Caherconlish on the Down Survey maps. Earthworks on the W bank of the Groody River which are visible on OSi orthoimages may be related to the medieval watermill depicted on the Down Survey maps. A linear earthwork running parallel to the river and to the south of the mill site visible on OSi orthophotos may be the remains of a mill race belonging to the mill.

See attached images showing the watermill to the SE of Knockatanacashlane and W of Boskill House in Templemichael

Compiled by: Martin Fitzpatrick

Date upload: 6 July 2020

References

Lynch, J. F. 1911-13 Notes on Place Names in North East of County Limerick, North Munster Antiquaries Journal 2, 23-28

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1938 The civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. IV: county of Limerick, with a section of Clanmaurice barony Co. Kerry. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

Hibernia Regnum: A set of 214 barony maps of Ireland dating to the period AD 1655-59. The original parish maps have been lost but the Hibernia Regnum maps are preserved in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris (Goblet 1932, v-x). Photographic facsimiles of these maps were published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton in 1908.

NLI, MS 718 - National Library of Ireland, Parish maps with terriers, showing forfeited lands in County Limerick, commonly known as the "Down Survey", executed under the direction of Sir William Petty, 1657, and copied by Daniel O'Brien, 1786.