Fish-pond

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on a gentle S-facing slope on the N bank of the Broad Meadow River and c. 15m from the stream. The church at Killegland (ME045-004----) had been granted to the Augustinian abbey of St. Thomas’ (DU018-020051-) by Hugh de Lacy, and this was endorsed in later grants up to the early thirteenth century (Gilbert 1889, 8, 11, 26, 45-6), one of which, probably from the 1190s, mentions a mill and fish stocks.

The ponds are depicted on the 1836 and 1908 editions of the OS 6-inch map. A topographical survey identified three connected hollows in an ENE-WSW line this area. At the W end a rectangular depression (dims c. 10m x c. 10m) is fed by a broad leat (Wth c. 5m) from the river approaching from the SW. About 5m to the E and fed by a leat from the W pond is a larger rectangular pond (dims c. 15m x c. 15m) that merges into the third pond (dims c. 45m ENE-WSW; c. 15m NNW-SSE), which connects with the stream again. (Frazer 2007, fig. 7)

See the attached plan from Frazer (2007, fig. 7)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 21 December 2021

References

Gilbert, J.T. 1889 Register of the abbey of St Thomas the Martyr, Dublin, 2 vols. London.

Frazer, W. O. 2007 Final Report on the Archaeological Excavations at Lidl Site, Ashbourne Town Centre Development, Co. Meath. Licence: 04E1213. Unpublished report, Margaret Gowen and Co.