Water mill - horizontal-wheeled

The National Monuments Service's description

On a low-lying level landscape. Archaeological excavation (E3369) during 2007 at Kilbegly 2 as part of the Athlone to Ballinasloe N6 road development recovered an almost complete horizontal water mill. Part of a millpond, a complete flume and the wheel-pit were excavated by N. Jackman for the NRA (Jackman 2010a). The pond (area c. 340 square m) arose through natural springs, and was directed by large re-used beams and wattle fences to an oak flume (L 2.75m; Wth 0.45-0.65m; H 0.55m) carved from a single piece with a separate lid and a yew aperture plate at the lower end secured with iron rivets. The undercroft (dims c. 1.4m x 1.4m) had wooden walls (H 1m) on three sides and a floor of six wooden planks. The tail-race was a cut (Wth 3m; max. D 1.5m) that ran NE-SW and was excavated for a length of 25m. Within the tail-race and c. 5.5m from the undercroft was a wooden platform (dims 2.6m x 2.15m) of seven oak planks that is interpreted as an earlier mill with dendrochronological dates after AD 601 and AD 534. In addition two earlier head-races (Wth c. 1.2m; D 0.45-0.65m) lined with wattle ran NE-SW towards the mill but did not communicate with it. Parts of the wheel hub and two of its paddles were also recovered. Radiocarbon and dendrochronological dates were recovered ranging from the fifth to the ninth centuries AD, but the structure is likely to date from the mid-seventh to the mid-ninth centuries. The mill has produced a wealth of environmental and technological data. The corn-drying kiln (RO054-070----) is c. 110m to the NE, and Kilbegley church (RO054-027001-) is on a rise c. 500m to the ENE. The fulacht fia (RO054-069----) is c. 30m to the NE. When the conservation of the flume and undercroft is completed it is intended to display them at a suitable venue. (Jackman 2009, Jackman 2010; Jackman 2013; Jackman et al. 2013, vol. 1)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010
Amended: 30 July, 2013; 25 November, 2013

References

Jackman, N. 2010 Kilbegly 2: early medieval horizontal mill with adjacent possible prehistoric burnt mound. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2007: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 412, No. 1494. Dublin. Wordwell.

Jackman, N. 2013 Kilbegly mill – the excavation of an early medieval mill in south Roscommon. Journal of the Roscommon Historical and Archaeological Society 12, 23-6.

Jackman, N., Moore, C. and Rynne, C. 2013 The Mill at Kilbegly: an archaeological investigation on the route of the M6 Ballinasloe to Athlone national road scheme. NRA Scheme Monographs 12. Dublin. National Roads Authority.

Jackman, N. 2009 Early medieval food-processing at Kilbegly, Co. Roscommon: the millar's tale. In M. Stanley, E. Danaher and J. Eogan (eds.), Dining and dwelling. NRA Monograph Series No. 6. Dublin. National Roads Authority.

Jackman, N. 2010a N6 Ballinasloe – Athlone National Road Scheme. Final report on the excavation of an early medieval horizontal mill and a prehistoric burnt mound in the townland of Kilbegly, Co. Roscommon. Licence No. E3369, Kilbegley 2. Unpublished report. Valerie J. Keeley Ltd.