Blessington Street Basin
| Blessington Street Basin | |
|---|---|
| Royal George Reservoir (former name) | |
| Báisín Shráid Bhaile Coimín(Irish) | |
 A fountain in the middle of Blessington Street Basin | |
  Blessington Street Basin  Blessington Street Basin | |
| Location | County Dublin |
| Coordinates | 53°21′N6°16′W/ 53.350°N 6.267°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Basincountries | 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 centralDublinwhich 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[edit]
City Basin (1721)[edit]
Dublin had one drinking water reservoir, theCity Basin,at James' Street, constructed on high ground near theHouse of Industryon the south side of the city, from 1721.[2]The area had been used as a cistern and centre of waterworks for the city for several centuries prior with the water coming from a diversion of part of theRiver Dodderalong what was referred to as the city watercourse at Balrothery Weir inFirhouse.
New City Basin (1803)[edit]
Blessington Street Basin, a new city basin, to supply the northside of the city, was constructed byDublin Corporation[3]beginning about 1803, and finished in 1810. The facility was opened as the Royal George Reservoir, named in honour ofKing George III.[4]
The water came from the Broadstone line of theRoyal 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 architectSpencer Harty,and including the construction of brick walls and a lodge for a park warden.[3][6]
By 1869, the basin was not large enough for purpose, and water collection moved outside the city.[4]The basin continued to serve theJameson'sandPowers'distilleries until the 1970s, and then went out of operation as a reservoir.[7]There were worries about the stagnant water creating a typhoid outbreak in the late 1800s leading the city corporation to consider filling in the basin and the stretch of water connecting the basin to the canal; this connection was finally filled in 1956.[8]
An artificial island was constructed in the basin to provide a home for birds.[3]
Refurbishment[edit]
In 1993 work began on the restoration of the site following a rejected proposal to extensively refurbish it in 1991.[7]The refurbishment was carried out by the Dublin City Council aided byFÁS,and with financial support from theNational Heritage CouncilandA.L.O.N.E.[9]It was reopened as a park on 4 November 1994.
-
Lodge house, built in 1811 -
Plaque commemorating the opening of the park -
West entrance -
-
TheIris MurdochCommemorative Plaque erected in the Basin -
Blessington Street Basin from above
Structure[edit]
The basin is rectangular, about 120 m long and 60 m wide, and holds about 4 million gallons (15.1 million litres) of water.[8]
The site also includes a lodge house built in a Tudor style in 1811,[5]and another modern council building.[7]
Nature[edit]
Since its restoration, the basin now serves as a bird habitat, with an artificial island and a number of fish.[4][10]Amongst the birds that can be seen there areswans,tufted ducks,chaffinches,mallardsandpigeons.[citation needed]
In fiction[edit]
The Basin is one of the locations featured in the book,The Coroner's Daughterby Andrew Hughes, which was selected as the Dublin UNESCO City of Literature One City One Book for 2023.[11]There is a passing mention of the basin inJames Joyce'sUlyssesalso.[12]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^O Conghaile, Pol (2013).Secret Dublin: An unusual guide.France: JonGlez. pp. 32–33.ISBN978-2-36195-071-2.
- ^"Archiseek - Irish Architecture - 1780 - Grand Canal Harbour & City Basin, St. James's Gate, Dublin".10 June 2010.Retrieved6 January2023.
- ^abcdefArchiseek - Irish Architecture (7 April 2010)."1891 – Blessington Basin, Blessington Street, Dublin".Retrieved19 February2023.
- ^abcdDublin City Public Libraries & Archive."Blessington Street Basin, Phibsborough".Dublin City Public Libraries & Archive.Archived fromthe originalon 13 April 2015.Retrieved6 April2015.
- ^abUCD Archaeology."Blessington Street Basin"(PDF).UCD Archaeology.Retrieved6 April2015.
- ^"Dictionary of Irish Architects".dia.ie.Retrieved29 May2024.
- ^abcCassidy, Lisa."Blessington Street Basin, Dublin 7".Built Dublin.Retrieved6 April2015.
- ^abNolan, Conor (2001)."Off the beaten track"(PDF).Inland Waterways News.28(3). Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 12 June 2011.Retrieved6 April2015.
- ^Dublin City Council."Blessington Street Basin".Dublin City Council.Retrieved6 April2015.
- ^Archiseek (7 April 2010)."1891 – Blessington Basin, Blessington Street, Dublin".Archiseek.Retrieved6 April2015.
- ^Halpin, Hayley (12 October 2022)."A mystery novel set during 1816 chosen as the 2023 One Dublin One Book".TheJournal.ie.Retrieved15 October2022.
- ^Joyce, James.Ulysses.Retrieved19 February2023– 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
