Willington / Osprey Roads
The Willington and Osprey estate are a series of roads, at the east side of Tymon park. The River Poddle runs between these roads and Limekiln Road. The roads are close to Wellington Lane, which may account for the Willington name.
It was the scene of a famous arrest of a burglar and housebreaker. When 30-year-old John Broe, known as “The Phantom,” was captured in the Wellington Lane area of Rathfarnham. Detective Officer Christopher Lang spotted Broe hiding under a haycock and pursued him to the River Poddle, where a struggle ensued. Lang subdued Broe after a 20-minute fight. Despite Broe’s escape attempt, Lang called for reinforcements. Gardaí John Egan and Walter Dowd soon located Broe in a ditch nearby. This capture ended Broe’s criminal career, which had intrigued Dublin with his Raffles-like burglaries. The arrest took place near the intersection of Wellington Lane and the Poddle River.
These initial development of these estates and the nearby Glendown estate, building over the 700 year old Dodder branch of the City Watercourse concerned environmentalists and historians at the time in the 1970s but the building proceeded and the branch of the river under the neighbouring Glendown estate was culverted and hidden. This destruction raised concerns about preserving Dublin’s heritage amidst modern development pressures, prompting a call to save this historic watercourse for future generations.
In 1978, only six years after housing development, storms caused severe flooding across Dublin, notably impacting the Osprey Drive area and new housing estates like Wellington Lane. The Poddle River burst its banks at Templeogue, exacerbating the situation. Floodwaters overwhelmed homes, with residents at Osprey Drive, such as Peter and Kathleen Smith, struggling with repeated inundations and inadequate emergency responses. Councillor Sean Walsh noted that insufficient drainage, particularly a culvert at Wellington Lane, was a factor in the flooding. Efforts to address the crisis included deploying sandbags and pumps, with the County Council investigating the causes and working to mitigate future damage. Residents thought that a culvert at Willington Lane was insufficient to drain the flood waters from the large new housing estates. Many believe the council didn’t act quickly enough and the government, not the developer had to pay into an emergency fund to restore people’s house and the remedial work to the culverts.
Association with Poddle
The river is nestled between the housing estate and Limekiln Road. It flow from Wellington Lane into Tymon Park.
What the Newspapers Say
- In 1954, a 30-year-old John Broe, known as “The Phantom,” was captured in the Wellington Lane area of Rathfarnham by Roscommon-born Gardaí. Detective Officer Christopher Lang spotted Broe hiding under a haycock and pursued him to the River Poddle, where a struggle ensued. Lang subdued Broe after a 20-minute fight. Despite Broe’s escape attempt, Lang called for reinforcements. Gardaí John Egan and Walter Dowd soon located Broe in a ditch nearby. This capture ended Broe’s criminal career, which had intrigued Dublin with his Raffles-like burglaries. The arrest took place near the intersection of Wellington Lane and the Poddle River.
- In 1972, concerns were raised about the preservation of the Ancient (City) Watercourse, a historic canal connecting the Dodder and the Poddle, which had been operational since 1245. This watercourse, vital to Dublin’s water supply until 1867, faces destruction due to a new housing development at Wellington Lane. Although the Corporation has planned a diversion, there is no official preservation plan for the watercourse in the Draft Development Plan. Its historical significance is at risk as urban expansion encroaches, overshadowing its potential as a cultural and recreational asset. Documentation and preservation efforts are urged before it’s too late.
- About six months ago, Sister Ann Fitzgerald highlighted the plight of the 700-year-old City Watercourse, linking the Dodder to the Poddle. This medieval canal, crucial to Dublin’s water supply until 1776, is now being destroyed by a developer at Wellington Lane. This loss comes despite its potential as a significant historical and natural amenity. The watercourse, which once flowed through Templeogue House’s garden, is at risk of complete eradication as another developer acquires the land. This destruction raises concerns about preserving Dublin’s heritage amidst modern development pressures, prompting a call to save this historic watercourse for future generations.
- In 1978, Storms caused severe flooding across Dublin, notably impacting the Osprey Drive area and new housing estates like Wellington Lane. The Poddle River burst its banks at Templeogue, exacerbating the situation. Floodwaters overwhelmed homes, with residents at Osprey Drive, such as Peter and Kathleen Smith, struggling with repeated inundations and inadequate emergency responses. Councillor Sean Walsh noted that insufficient drainage, particularly a culvert at Wellington Lane, was a factor in the flooding. Efforts to address the crisis included deploying sandbags and pumps, with the County Council investigating the causes and working to mitigate future damage.
- In 1978, many residents blamed the flooding on the diversion of the river Poddle but he thought that a culvert at Willington Lane was insufficient to drain the flood waters from the large new housing estates. Many believe the council didn’t act quickly enough.
