King’s Island Flood Relief Works Unearths Old Limerick City Gaol and Other Archaeological Finds

Kings Island archaeological excavation was carried out under Ministerial Consent, recorded part of the site of the former Limerick City Gaol.

Kings Island archaeological excavation finding include the walls and other structural remains of the City Gaol

As part of the King’s Island Flood Relief Scheme a team of archaeologists from Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit (ACSU) is working across the island. This project is being undertaken by Limerick City and County Council in partnership with the Office of Public Works (OPW).

In this early stage of the construction programme, an archaeological excavation has been undertaken near the Civic Buildings on Merchant’s Quay, Limerick and there are further archaeological sites to be excavated within the Scheme.

Despite the fact that by the early-nineteenth century King’s Island had been eclipsed by Newtown Pery, developments still continued within the historic centre. The County Courthouse was constructed on Merchant’s Quay in 1809 and the (now demolished) City Gaol was constructed in 1813, on a site just to the north of the courthouse. To the south of the courthouse, the Potato Market was laid out and opened in the early 1840s. Barrington’s Hospital was constructed along George’s Quay in 1829-30 and the visually striking Toll House, overlooking Thomond Bridge, was built in 184

The Kings Island archaeological excavation, which was carried out under Ministerial Consent, recorded part of the site of the former Limerick City Gaol. The City Gaol operated between 1813 and 1904, after which the gaol complex became Geary’s biscuit factory. Geary’s factory, and the remains of the City Gaol facing the River Shannon, were demolished in the late 1980s to make way for the Civic Offices

Findings include:

• the walls and other structural remains of the City Gaol, including interior buildings and boundary walls
• the site of a possible treadmill – a machine where several prisoners were forced to walk as a form of hard labour
• the prison’s hospital and yard areas
• historical human remains

The human remains appear to date to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century when the site had been established for the new Gaol. Preliminary research suggests they may be the remains of persons who died or were executed either just before the City Gaol was built, or during the gaol’s operation.

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The team of archaeologists, osteoarchaeologists, finds specialists and historians, led by Donald Murphy of ACSU, carefully recorded and excavated the archaeological remains and the at least 36 burials associated with the City Gaol, to better understand these important parts of Limerick’s heritage and preserve this knowledge for future generations.

Based on historical records, the presence of human remains had been anticipated and was confirmed during excavation. The archaeological work was scheduled in advance of the main construction timeline. By securing early approval and beginning the excavation ahead of the contractor’s programme, the discovery of remains has not impacted the overall delivery schedule of the project.

The project team remains committed to preserving Limerick’s cultural legacy while delivering essential flood protection infrastructure for the King’s Island community.