When Dublin Monks had trading fleet – City’s Ancient Rivers

When Dublin Monks had trading fleet – City’s Ancient Rivers

22 Nov 1938

Much of the interesting history of Dublin’s old rivers was told to a meeting of the Old Dublin Society by Miss Lily M. O’ Brennan . when she dealt with the rivers Poddle. Bradoge, Swan, Camac, and Coleman’s Brook.

All those rivers, she said, had almost disappeared from view except the Camac.

CITY’S WATER SUPPLY.

The Poddle supplied the city with water until the 13th century, when a supply was taken also from the Dodder. Both rivers flowed as one stream to the Tongue Fields, where one-third of the water supply was diverted to the Basin in James’s St., the remainder flowing by St. Paul’s Retreat, Mount Argus, Patrick St. the Castle, to the Liffey a little below Cork Hill.

The waterworks in James’s St. was a fashionable resort of the citizens during the 18th century, and bands and concerts were provided.

The Camac and the Poddle turned the wheels of innumerable mills in their days. The Bradoge rose in Upper Cabra, flowed by Grangegorman to the Liffey at Ormond Quay. It’s little harbour belonged to St. Mary’s Abbey, and the Community had a fleet of trading vessels which sailed to France and England. The Bradoge was an open river in 1817.

Old residents of Rathmines still remembered the Swan and when water was sold at 1d. a puncheon. The population of Rathmines in 1836 was only 1600, and the township did not develop until the middle of the 19th century. Coleman’s Brook flowed across Thomas St. down Bridge St. and Cook St. to the Liffey and turned a mill at Mullinahack. Old citizens still referred to St. Augustine’s St. as Mullinahack.

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