Deputy Lemass will not submit to threats

30 Nov 1967

Sir – In July 1961 approval in principle was recommended by the Streets Committee of the Dublin, Corporation to a proposal to use the line of the Grand Canal for a new interceptor sewer from “Blackhorse Bridge to Ringsend Outfall, and a surface water drain along the same route discharging into the Liffey at Grand Canal: Dock, If and when the: City-portion of the Canal ceased; to be available for navigation.”

The city Engineer reported in a meeting that the Committee on October 1st 1963, in his report dated September 3, 1963: “The only economical solution and the only engineering scheme that I could put forward with confidence that it was a proper solution, required, ‘that these large drain pipes should be laid at a grade in the .bed of the canal, and that, the canal would have tape abandoned as a stepped high level waterway and: become a graded underground culvert with a grade sewer alongside.’ The scheme included the culverting of the river Poddle (long, overdue). The City Engineer also assured the, Committee that, if the canal (Grand) through the city were to” be closed, the proposals would not interfere with the negotiation of the canal from a point westward of Inchicore and that arrangements could be made for this. The Committee approved of the outline plans and estimates for submission to the Department of Local Government as soon as possible, together with a request for the enactment of the necessary legislation for the closing of the city portion of the Grand Canal.

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