Blessington Street Basin
Blessington Street Basin | |
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Royal George Reservoir (former name) | |
Báisín Shráid Bhaile Coimín (Irish) | |
Location | County Dublin |
Coordinates | 53°21′N 6°16′W / 53.350°N 6.267°W |
Type | reservoir |
Basin countries | Ireland |
Built | 1803 |
Max. length | 120 m (390 ft) |
Max. width | 60 m (200 ft) |
Water volume | 15.1 megalitres (12.2 acre⋅ft) |
Blessington Street Basin (Irish: Báisín Shráid Bhaile Coimín) is a former drinking water reservoir in northern central Dublin which operated from 1810 until the 1970s, serving the north city. It became the central feature of a public park in 1891, and this park was renewed and reopened in 1994.[1]
History
Dublin had one drinking water reservoir, the City Basin, at James' Street, constructed on high ground near the House of Industry on the south side of the city, from 1721.[2]
Blessington Street Basin, a new city basin, to supply the northside of the city, was constructed by
The water came from the Broadstone line of the Royal Canal, and so ultimately from Lough Owel in County Westmeath.[4][3] It came by pipe into the basin at the western end of the Blessington Street.[3]
From its construction, the area around the reservoir was used as a park,[5] but it was formally developed as a public park in 1891.[3] The park project was supervised by architect Spencer Harty, and including the construction of brick walls and a lodge for a park warden.[3]
By 1869, the basin was not large enough for purpose, and water collection moved outside the city.
An artificial island was constructed in the basin to provide a home for birds.[3]
Refurbishment
In 1993 work began on the restoration of the site following a rejected proposal to extensively refurbish it in 1991.
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Lodge house, built in 1811
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Plaque commemorating the opening of the park
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West entrance
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Plaque unveiled by David Norris in 2018, with a quote from James Joyce's Ulysses that mentions the Basin
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The Iris Murdoch Commemorative Plaque erected in the Basin
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Blessington Street Basin from above
Structure
The basin is rectangular, about 120 m long and 60 m wide, and holds about 4 million gallons (15.1 million litres) of water.[7]
The site also includes a lodge house built in a Tudor style in 1811,[5] and another modern council building.[6]
Nature
Since its restoration, the basin now serves as a bird habitat, with an artificial island and a number of fish.
In fiction
The Basin is one of the locations featured in the book, The Coroner's Daughter by Andrew Hughes, which was selected as the Dublin UNESCO City of Literature One City One Book for 2023.[10] There is a passing mention of the basin in James Joyce's Ulysses also.[11]
See also
References
- ISBN 978-2-36195-071-2.
- ^ "Archiseek - Irish Architecture - 1780 - Grand Canal Harbour & City Basin, St. James's Gate, Dublin". 10 June 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Archiseek - Irish Architecture (7 April 2010). "1891 – Blessington Basin, Blessington Street, Dublin". Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d Dublin City Public Libraries & Archive. "Blessington Street Basin, Phibsborough". Dublin City Public Libraries & Archive. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ a b UCD Archaeology. "Blessington Street Basin" (PDF). UCD Archaeology. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ a b c Cassidy, Lisa. "Blessington Street Basin, Dublin 7". Built Dublin. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ a b Nolan, Conor (2001). "Off the beaten track" (PDF). Inland Waterways News. 28 (3). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ Dublin City Council. "Blessington Street Basin". Dublin City Council. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ Archiseek (7 April 2010). "1891 – Blessington Basin, Blessington Street, Dublin". Archiseek. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ Halpin, Hayley (12 October 2022). "A mystery novel set during 1816 chosen as the 2023 One Dublin One Book". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ Joyce, James. Ulysses. Retrieved 19 February 2023 – via Project Gutenberg.
As they turned into Berkeley street a streetorgan near the Basin sent over and after them a rollicking rattling song of the halls