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THE LACKEN WALK INCLUDING THE LONG DERELICT LACKEN MILL

January 16, 2024 by infomatique

BUT EXCLUDING THE BOARDWALK SECTION

Leaca, leacain or leacan in Irish means the side of a hill.

The Lacken Walk, which forms part of the River Nore Linear Park, follows the east bank of the River Nore as it flows south for Bennetsbridge. Access from either the ring road at Ossory bridge or from the “Lacken Steps” at the end of Maudlin Street/Dublin Road (near the viewing area). The Lacken Walk comprises a mix of old pathway dating back to the 1950’s which travels to the rear of the old Health Board grounds at St. Canice’s. As the path opens out into the flood plain a board walk is provided to take walkers across the often wet and flooded ground. This in turn leads to a new pedestrian bridge which crosses over the Nore and links to the Canal Walk on the western bank of the river. From here one can walk back towards the city centre and access the Castle gardens when the pedestrian door in the Castle is open during opening hours.

The medieval origins of Lacken Mill, which stands across the River Nore, opposite Ormode Mill, remain visible today. Discoveries made in the 1980s revealed a medieval stone arch as well as a stone slab bearing an incised carving of a man in 16th century costume, part of the Archer’s coat of arms. The mill’s brick façade is also built on a 15th/16th century structure. In the 19th century, the Sullivan family, who lived in Lacken Hall and owned the Brewery on James’ Street, renovated the mill, bringing it up to 19th century standards.

A well-composed large-scale building forming an important element of the long-standing industrial legacy of Kilkenny occupying a site that has had associations with milling for many centuries: a mill is identified as having operated on site as early as the fourteenth century. Although having fallen into ruins the composition survives substantially intact as identified by the regular pattern of openings across each elevation with the mill presenting a picturesque feature of some Romantic quality overlooking the River Nore.

THE TEA HOUSES AT BATEMAN QUAY IN KILKENNY

January 15, 2024 by infomatique

ALSO THE TREE OF HEAVEN

There were two buildings on the banks of the river Nore and they were collectively known as The Tea Houses and as part of the ongoing development of the Abbey Quarter site, Kilkenny County Council recently completed the refurbishment of the Tea Houses on Bateman Quay. The buildings are located at the entrance to the new Riverside Garden and Skatepark amenity area which was officially opened in the summer of 2021. The Tea Houses are also strategically located adjacent to the bus stops for the City Bus Service and the Market Yard car park.

The Houses, dated 19th Century, and were known as “Pleasure Houses” have a history of operating a coffee/café type service as historically they were used by the gentry to take their afternoon tea on the banks of the River.

There is also a memorial tree here the “Tree Of Heaven” erected by the Bereaved Parents Support Group Kilkenny

There is now a pedestrian bridge connecting John’s Quay to Bateman Quay which is home to a courthouse and the new Thomas Woodgate Memorial.

On the former Smithwick’s Brewery and Bateman Quay sites, historical maps reveal that the area was subdivided into long plots of ground with one end on the main street known as burgage plots. These burgage plots were first established by William Marshall in 1207. A ‘burgess’ rented a burgage plot for a shilling a year and built a house on the street. Behind the house stretched a long narrow garden for growing fruit and vegetables. The burgesses built sheds in these gardens and in some instances, a dovecote, which ensured a supply of fresh meat for the family all year around.

PUBLIC HANDBALL ALLEY AT MICHAEL STREET IN KILKENNY

January 14, 2024 by infomatique

PHOTOGRAPHED AUGUST 2018

Pair of freestanding mass-concrete handball alleys built in the 1920s. Unpainted mass-concrete walls incorporating section of random rubble stone wall to north-east forming part of boundary wall, and rendered rounded coping having iron posts with iron mesh panels. Set perpendicular to road.

Many towns in Ireland have a public Handball Alley/Court this one is located at Michael Street Gardens in Kilkenny and it does not appear to be in great condition as is often the case. From the 1880s to the 1970s handball was a popular sport in religious and military institutions, with most seminaries, secondary schools, psychiatric hospitals, RIC barracks (and later Garda stations), army barracks and fire stations typically containing multiple alleys. These tended to be built side by side, back to back or in rows.

Gaelic handball (known in Ireland simply as handball) is a sport where players hit a ball with a hand or fist against a wall in such a way as to make a shot the opposition cannot return, and that may be played with two (singles) or four players (doubles). The sport, popular in Ireland, is similar to American handball, Welsh handball, fives, Basque pelota, Valencian frontó, and more remotely to racquetball or squash. It is one of the four Gaelic games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). GAA Handball, a subsidiary organisation of the GAA, governs and promotes the sport.

Handball is played in a court, or “alley”. Originally, an alley measuring 60 by 30 feet (18.3 by 9.1 m) was used with a 30-foot (9.1 m) front wall, off which the ball must be struck.

A smaller alley was also introduced, measuring 40 by 20 feet (12.2 by 6.1 m) with a front wall 20 feet (6.1 m) high. The first alley of this size was built in Ireland in 1969. This smaller size is now the standard in the international version of the game, but both alleys are still used in the Gaelic game, with two separate championships run by the GAA in the two codes.

The objective of a game is to be the first to score a set total of points. Points are only scored by the person serving the ball. In other words, if a player wins a rally but did not serve at the start of that rally they only win the right to serve, and thus the chance to score after a subsequent rally. The serving player has two opportunities to hit the ball, from the “service area” (between the two parallel lines), off the “front wall” and across the “short line” (which is located exactly halfway down the court from the front wall).

Players take turns at hitting the ball off the “front wall” before the ball bounces twice on the floor of the court following their opponent’s previous shot. Most handball games take place in a four-walled court but there are also three-walled and one-wall versions of the game.

THE NEW ST FRANCIS BRIDGE IN KILKENNY AND THE SURROUNDING AREA

January 14, 2024 by infomatique

OPENED IN 2017 PHOTOGRAPHED IN AUGUST 2018

Despite many protests and legal objections the St Francis Bridge in Kilkenny was opened in 2017 after massive cost overruns.

The bridge was constructed in the centre of the Medieval City of Kilkenny and there were numerous potential sites of archaeological significance in the vicinity of the route. A complex route selection was undertaken along with extensive archaeological testing and investigations to determine a route which traverses mainly derelict industrial sites and avoid where possible known areas of archaeology. Given the sensitive location the bridge is specifically designed to be unobtrusive and indeed when viewed from the focal point of St. John’s bridge the bridge barely features on the horizon, a significant achievement.

One thing that caught my attention was the number Belisha Beacons in Kilkenny especially near this new bridge. Before the law was changed in 2022, Belisha beacons, named after a former UK transport minister, were legally required to be used as part of zebra crossings in Ireland. The change will allow for much cheaper installation of the crossings by reducing the significant cost linked with the supply and installation of the beacons.

It was also was fairly obvious that there was an encampment of homeless people under the bridge I heard a number of claims relating to this during my visit. However, it would appear that there were two homeless families.

WHEN I FIRST ENCOUNTERED THIS SMALL CROSS I WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE ITS PURPOSE OR HISTORY

January 13, 2024 by infomatique

THE BUTTS CROSS IN KILKENNY

The Butts is without doubt Kilkenny City’s best known housing estate and I visited the immediate and general area in August 2018.

While exploring the area I came across this small cross but when I asked locals no one was able to tell me anything about the history or the purpose of the cross but they suggested that I should visit the nearby home of the greatest Elvis fan in Ireland … Myles ‘Elvis’ Kavanagh is a well-known personality around the city. He’s a big fan of Rock’n’roll legend Elvis Presley (I did get to meet him).

The Butts Cross is located at Butts Green on the south-east side of the junction with Lord Edward Street, on the north side of Kilkenny City. My understanding is that the Butts derived its name because it is an area where male citizens were compelled to practice archery by shooting at targets know as “butts”.

In the seventeenth century there were several private crosses, like that a portion of which still exists at the Butts, erected in different parts of Kilkenny by the wealthy inhabitants, as tributes to the memory of departed friends and relatives.

In 1758, when it was included on Rocque’s map, it was in the centre of the road and around 1900 it was positioned to the north-east of its current location. The cross itself is a nineteenth century pseudo-Celtic cross on a stone plinth that hold a plaque that reads: ‘Improved by Kilkenny Corporation, Michael Kennedy Mayor 1891’. The base is however much older. John Prim recorded traces of an armorial plaque to the Fagan family on the cross base, indicating it is part of a late 16th-early 17th century roadside memorial cross. Similar examples are known from Freshford and Dunamaggin, the idea being that they encouraged prayers for the soul of the deceased. Some local historians regarded the cross as a memorial for the construction of what is now known as Lord Edward Street, though this is probably incorrect

Below I have produced some accounts of events related to the cross:

The most vivid explanation for the cross however comes from young Michael Walsh of the Butts National School. Writing for the Irish Folklore Collection in 1937 he describes how an English soldier attacked a group of catholics who had congregated around the cross. The soldier’s horse reared up, felling the soldier who was killed in the accident. The soldier’s wife is said to have then erected the cross in his memory and the horse was buried beneath it! Strange as it may seem there may be a grain of truth in this story for there have been accounts of human remains found at the adjacent cross-roads. These are probably part of the graveyard that surrounded the suburban church of St Nicholas which was located somewhere in the vicinity. The memorial cross would therefore have been deliberately sited next to the church.

There is a delightful story Nancy Meade, 88 Patrick Street, Kilkenny: Many years ago when no cars were used only horses a large procession was to be seen coming out of the Church. This procession was part of the Forty Hours Adoration and the Blessed Sacrament was being carried around. From the opposite direction a horse man came into view, The gentleman was a protestant with no respect for the Blessed Sacrament and he intended to ride by without getting down from his horse. When the children saw him do this they raised their hands and ordered him to dismount. The story is that he said he would get from his horse if the horse would kneel down. As though he understood the words he immediately went down on his fore-knees and the man got down. After this amazing happening the protestant was converted and believed in the truth of the True Faith. The cross was erected in honour of this.