Seen and Heard – Notes on notions for Men and Matters
Seen and Heard – Notes on notions for Men and Matters
20 Jun 1923An adequate supply of clear water is one of the first essentials looked for by colonists, and the early visitors to what is now the city of Dublin found that the Liffey, while supplying lots of water was not suitable owing to floods and other causes. They, therefore drew their first supplied from the Poddle a clear stream which rose at the foot of the Tallaght hills and flowed down what is now Cork Hill into the Liffey. Until 1200 the citizens of Dublin secured all the water for the City from the Poddle and whatever wells extended from James’s Gate to College Green, east and west and from the Coombe to the Liffey north and South
The Poddle and The Dodder
As the population increased and the boundaries extended somewhat, this supply became inadequate and in 1244 a watercourse was constructed from the Poddle to the Dodder. This watercourse, still in existence, started from a weir at Firhouse flowed across fields, under the Tallaght road, through the grounds of Templeogue House and turned northward joined the Poddle at a lower level near Whitehall cross roads. From this the united streams flowed on to “The Tongue” at Kimmage.
Here they were divided and the wedge-shaped stone or tongue is still there. Two thirds flow through the original course to the city by Goodbody’s factory through Blackpitts, past St Patrick’s Cathedral and down Palace and Castle streets to Wellington quay, where the stream joins the Liffey. The remainder flows to Dolphin’s Barn and thence by the rampart known as “The Back of the Pipes” to the old City Basin at James’s street.
Private Supplies
The parts of these streams running through the city are, of course, underground and are seldom hear of in former times they frequently flooded low-lying districts, while St. Patrick’s Cathedral was often much damaged by the floods. In the beginning the citizens drew their supplies direct from the stream but in 1254 water was supplied by means of watercourses to the public fountain and by pipes to private houses. The watercourses were open and the water flowed along the street in wooden pipes to the houses specially supplied. It was only the wealthy or important people who have water supplied to the house, and it was usually stipulated that the diameter of the pipe supplying the water should not exceed the diameter of a good quill.
Necessary Precautions
Naturally this was not a very abundant flow, and as there was no taps in these days the water flowed into a tank. In 1325, the rent for such services was 6d a year for a subsidiary supply from another person’s cistern the charge was 1d a year. As may be imagined it was difficult to prevent the water from being polluted and the city records contain many statues wit the matter. One of these prescribed a fine of 12d for “washing puddings and tripes” in the water course.
A gigantic task
With the addition of another conduit erected at the Cornmarket, this was the only method of supplying water until the canals were opened little over a century ago. The canal water supplied, however, was only intermittent and had very little pressure. In 1850, Sir John Gray and Alderman Kinahan were requested to select an engineer to advise as the best way to obtain an abundant supply of pure water. From the time onwards Sir John Gray devoted himself with remarkable zeal and energy to the problem. Many schemes mentioned before it was finally decided to impound the waters of the river Vartry at Roundwood. The work was commenced in 1863 and completed in 1868. Ten years afterwards the citizens of Dublin erected the statue of Sir John Gray, which stands in the O’ Connell St. at the junction of Middle and Lower Abbey Streets