Weir - regulating

The National Monuments Service's description

Less than a mile E of Clonmel, immediately S of the River Suir, in an area formerly in Co. Waterford. Lyons (1942, 72-3) speculates that the weir in the Suir, N of Millbrook House, was 'a Franciscan salmon-weir, amplified by an extension westward in late times by the Dudley family who built the contiguous corn-mill-finished in 1782'. The associated mill complex, Suir Mill, dates from the 18th-century. The weir extended from the Suirville mill complex westward, crossing the river obliquely for c. 260m. The weir (Wth at top c. 1-1.25m) is constructed of limestone walling with rubble infill (Withers 2006, 13). The eastern portion of the weir included an exit sluice with a brick arch (ibid., 10). Several gaps (Wth from 5m to 20m) in the weir had been artificially broken through by fishermen during the course of the 20th century to facilitate access into quieter fishing waters (ibid. 11). In these cases only the upper courses of the weir, to just below the water level, were tumbled to allow through passage (ibid.). It is likely that the weir dates to the late 18th century and was constructed in tandem with Suirville mill. There is insufficient evidence to substantiate Lyon’s claim that the weir has an earlier function as a fish weir.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of revised upload: 20 January 2015

References

Withers, B. 2006 Dudley's Weir, Clonmel. Unpublished monitoring report, National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin.

Lyons, P. 1942 "Creagh's Pond", Clonmel. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 72, 71-3.