Canal may be closed soon
2 Oct 1963The Minister for Local Government, Mr. Blaney, may soon be asked by Dublin Corporation to introduce legislation to enable the Corporation to close 5 miles of the Grand Canal, from Blackhorse Bridge to Ringsend, for drainage purposes. ‘A meeting of the Corporation’s Streets Committee yesterday adopted a comprehensive report from the assistant city manager, B O’ Brolchain, seeking such action. The Grand ‘Canal project, as prepared by the city engineer, outlines a “city only” scheme and a “city and county” combined scheme. If the latter is implemented the cost will be more than £1,300,000. Forty per cent, of the cost would be borne by the Government, the remainder being met by the local authorities concerned.
If the Corporation adopts the Streets Committee’s recommendations, meetings will be held between Mr. Blaney and senior officials of the Corporation and Dublin County Council.
The “city only”‘ scheme proposes the construction of a foul sewer along the bed of the canal from Blackhorse Bridge to the grounds of the main pumping station, Ringsend, at an estimated cost of £353,900.
In conjunction with this scheme, the laying of a surface water pipe from Blackhorse Bridge to Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, and the culverting of the River Poddle (from Kimmage Manor), are also proposed.
The cost of these surface water schemes is estimated at £654,500; The total estimated cost, for the “city only” project is £1,008,400.
Alternative
The “city and county” combined scheme provides for drainage facilities for 3,830 acres in the county area south-west of the city, in addition to the ” cits only” scheme. The total cost of this scheme, apart from the cost of the sewers in the county area, would be £1,262,000:
An alternative scheme, which would provide for drainage of 1,370 acres in the county area, could be