Donore Avenue
Donore Avenue, previously called Love Lane is a road located between Cork Street, South Circular Road and the Parnell Bridge on the Grand Canal. It contains Grenville Industrial Estate, St. Catherine’s School and Church, St. Teresa’s Church and St. Teresa’s Gardens. Although the Poddle is now culverted it can be seen in the Greenville Industrial Estate. The Abbey Stream runs down Donore Avenue were it meets the Tenters Stream near the entrance of St. Teresa’s Flats. The Abbey Stream continues and turns at the junction of Brown Street, and then serves the Coombe Hospital.
Association with Poddle
Research by Father Myles Ronan confirmed that the Abbey mill stream flowed from Harold’s Cross to Donore Avenue, passing through Pimlico, Ardee Street, and Warrenmount before rejoining the old Poddle course. When the two national schools were being built on Donore Avenue, it was noted that the uncovered condition of the Poddle was a drawback but would be dealt with by the Corporation. Many of the large factories and industrial estates on Donore Avenue and the South Circular Road., the Poddle was integral to local water supply and industry. In 1938, when the Corporation were building St. Teresa’s Gardens, the widened Donore Avenue and the diverted a section of the Poddle River that flowed through the site. There was a footbridge visible until recently and the Poddle can be seen in the Greenville Industrial Estate but otherwise it was culverted. This branch, diverted near Mount Jerome, served St. Thomas’s Abbey, which, at the time of the monasteries’ suppression in 1540, operated four watermills fed by this stream: the Wattle Mill, the Wood Mill, and the Double Mills. F
What the Newspapers Say
- On Saturday afternoon, the foundation stone for the new National Schools on Donore Avenue was successfully laid by the Protestant Archbishop of Dublin, accompanied by Lord Justice FitzGibbon and the Mayor of Dublin. The event attracted significant attention, with the schools designed to accommodate 490 pupils. Rev. Mr. Greer noted the necessity for new schools due to the condemnation of the old ones in Thomas Court. He mentioned the Poddle River’s uncovered condition as a drawback, but assured that the Corporation, particularly Mr. J. Cox, was addressing this issue. The Lord Mayor echoed the Archbishop’s sentiment on integrating education with religion, and noted the Corporation’s commitment to resolving the Poddle River issue.
- On November 28, 1902, the Local Government Board approved several loans for the Corporation’s improvement projects. Among these was a £450 loan for covering the Poddle River at Donore Avenue. Other sanctioned loans included £2,563 for concreting and asphalting, £2,500 for widening Wicklow Street, £2,250 for purchasing land at Castle Street, and £1,105 for sewage works. Additionally, £2,409 was allocated for building dwellings in Drumcondra, £4,000 for acquiring a site in Kilmainham for similar housing, and £1,010 for advances under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Act, 1899.
- In the past, Dublin’s water supply was significantly influenced by the Poddle River. As early as 1254, water from the Dodder River, augmented by the Poddle, was essential for the city’s needs. By 1303, a notable cistern was constructed at Cornmarket to manage this water, funded by Mayor John Le Decer. The area around Donore Avenue benefited from this system, as the Poddle was integral to local water supply and industry. However, by 1760, Dublin faced challenges with outdated and leaking infrastructure. Despite such issues, the Poddle continued to play a crucial role until improvements like the Grand Canal in 1775 transformed the city’s water system.
- In a past inquiry into the compulsory acquisition of properties on Donore Avenue and Crumlin Road, Mr. I. Rice, the Corporation Law Agent, discussed potential revisions to laws concerning monthly and weekly tenancies. The inquiry addressed objections from tenants, including Mrs. Susanne Fox and Mr. Thomas Byrne, who argued for compensation equal to that of leaseholders due to outdated legal protections. The Corporation planned to acquire several properties, including Mrs. Annie Day’s horse training premises and the Mirror Laundry, both of which would be impacted by the proposed development, including possible diversion of the Poddle River.
- In January 1938, Dublin announced a £250,000 housing scheme as part of a broader £7,000,000 plan. The project aimed to build 556 flats for 550 families on land between Dolphin’s Barn Street and Donore Avenue. The development, which would displace only 10 families from existing houses, featured 165 four-roomed, 360 three-roomed, and a few two-roomed flats with modern amenities. A key aspect of the scheme included road widening on Dolphin’s Barn Street and Donore Avenue, and the diversion of a section of the Poddle River that flowed through the site.
- St. Kevin’s National School for boys was built between 1894 and 1895 and opened on April 20, 1895. Although directories listed the school as fronting Blackpitts, historical maps and Liam’s drawing showed it actually bordered Donovan Lane. The boundary of Blackpitts historically marked the division between St. Thomas’s Abbey and St. Patrick’s Cathedral lands. This area had been modified between 1245 and 1324 to accommodate new mills for St. Thomas’s Abbey. Research by Father Myles Ronan confirmed that the Abbey mill stream once flowed from Harold’s Cross to Donore Avenue, passing through Pimlico, Ardee Street, and Warrenmount before rejoining the old Poddle course.
- With assistance from the White Swan Laundry, Liam drew from a footbridge over a branch of the Poddle near Donore Avenue, previously called Love Lane. This branch, diverted near Mount Jerome, served St. Thomas’s Abbey, which, at the time of the monasteries’ suppression in 1540, operated four watermills fed by this stream: the Wattle Mill, the Wood Mill, and the Double Mills. Father Myles V. Ronan placed the creation of this stream between 1245 and 1324. The Poddle, an artificial stream demonstrating medieval engineering, was later known as “the Earl of Meath’s Watercourse” after the Reformation.