Survey Data
Reg No
30337010
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Archaeological, Technical
Original Use
Mill race
In Use As
Mill race
Date
1225 - 1810
Coordinates
161664, 216473
Date Recorded
04/09/2009
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Millrace, constructed c.1800, running westward from north-east of Loughrea Town and turning southward to flow into Lough Rea, and following line of medieval town fosse of c.1250. Cast-iron sluice gates set on four-arch footbridge at south-west. Semi-circular arches with dressed limestone voussoirs and rubble limestone walls. Aluminium railings. Square-based millrace with coursed rubble limestone walls with some limestone slab copings, some curved rendered copings and some rubble limestone copings. Some rubble limestone revetment walls. Curved dressed limestone walls to some turns in millrace. Some pedestrian doors opening onto footbridges over millrace. Round-headed door openings with rubble voussoirs having timber battened doors. Elliptical arched footbridge at south-west having rendered arch, rendered walls and rendered over span. One flat arched road bridge over millrace at north-west having cast-iron H-bar supports and rubble limestone walls with rendered copings. Sixteen single-arch footbridges to north-eastern stretch of millrace. Coursed rubble limestone walls. Semi-circular arches with dressed limestone and sandstone voussoirs. Some with rendered road surface. Pedestrian doorways to north-eastern section with round-headed door openings having some cast-iron gates and some timber battened doors. One decorative pedestrian doorway with tooled limestone lined-and-ruled surround having fan-shaped opening over with stepped tooled voussoirs and timber battened door. Some tooled limestone steps to millrace. Part of the millrace now forms part of amenity site.
Appraisal
This millrace, now disused, is a fine engineering achievement. The sluice gates remain to add context to this extensive waterpower system which surrounds the town, a reminder of the industrial past in the area while also functioning as a valuable amenity for the community. The detailing of the stone arched bridges and associated pedestrian doors gives it an elegant quality greater than its utilitarian function. The millrace coincides with the line of the fosse of Loughrea's medieval town defences.