Blessington Street Basin

Former reservoir, now part of a park, central Dublin, Ireland

Body of water

Blessington Street Basin

Royal George Reservoir (former name)

Blessington Street Basin

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Blessington Street Basin

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Location| County Dublin
Coordinates| 53°21′N 6°16′W﻿ / ﻿53.350°N 6.267°W﻿ / 53.350; -6.267Coordinates: 53°21′N 6°16′W﻿ / ﻿53.350°N 6.267°W﻿ / 53.350; -6.267
Type| reservoir
Native name| Báisín Shráid Bhaile Coimín (Irish)
Basin countries| Ireland
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[edit]

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 Dublin Corporation[3] beginning about 1803, and finished in 1810. The facility was opened as the Royal George Reservoir, named in honour of King George III.[4]

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.[4] The basin continued to serve the Jameson's and Powers' distilleries until the 1970s, and then went out of operation as a reservoir.[6] 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.[7]

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.[6] The refurbishment was carried out by the Dublin City Council aided by FÁS, and with financial support from the National Heritage Council and A.L.O.N.E.[8] It was reopened as a park on 4 November 1994.

* Lodge house, built in 1811

* Plaque commemorating the opening of the park

* West entrance

* Plaque unveiled by David Norris in 2018, with a quote from James Joyce's Ulysses that mentions the Basin

* The Iris Murdoch Commemorative 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.[7]

The site also includes a lodge house built in a Tudor style in 1811,[5] and another modern council building.[6]

### Nature[edit]

Since its restoration, the basin now serves as a bird habitat, with an artificial island and a number of fish.[4][9] Amongst the birds that can be seen there are swans, tufted ducks, chaffinches, mallards and pigeons.[citation needed]

## In fiction[edit]

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[edit]

* Blessington, County Wicklow

## References[edit]

1. ^ O Conghaile, Pol (2013). Secret Dublin: An unusual guide. France: JonGlez. pp. 32–33. ISBN 978-2-36195-071-2.
2. ^ "Archiseek - Irish Architecture - 1780 - Grand Canal Harbour & City Basin, St. James's Gate, Dublin". 10 June 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
3. ^ a b c d e f Archiseek - Irish Architecture (7 April 2010). "1891 – Blessington Basin, Blessington Street, Dublin". Retrieved 19 February 2023.
4. ^ 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.
5. ^ a b UCD Archaeology. "Blessington Street Basin" (PDF). UCD Archaeology. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
6. ^ a b c Cassidy, Lisa. "Blessington Street Basin, Dublin 7". Built Dublin. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
7. ^ 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.
8. ^ Dublin City Council. "Blessington Street Basin". Dublin City Council. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
9. ^ Archiseek. "1891 – Blessington Basin, Blessington Street, Dublin". Archiseek. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
10. ^ 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.
11. ^ Joyce, James. Ulysses. Project Gutenberg. Retrieved 19 February 2023. "As they turned into Berkeley street a streetorgan near the Basin sent over and after them a rollicking rattling song of the halls"

* v
* t
* e

Parks in County Dublin

North of River Liffey
(Northside)|

* Albert College Park
* Ardgillan Castle and Demesne
* Ardmore Park
* Ashington Park
* Balgriffin Park
* Beaumont Woods
* Belcamp Park
* Beresford Park
* Blessington Street Basin
* Bram Stoker Park
* Bull Island
* Charlie Moore Memorial Park
* Chancery Park
* Clontarf Promenade
* Coolock Lane Park
* Corduff Park
* Crescent Park
* Croppies' Acre
* Darndale Park
* Donahies Field
* Edenmore Park
* Ellenfield Park
* Fairview Park
* Farmleigh Estate Gardens
* Father Collins Park
* Garden of Remembrance
* Griffith Park
* Hartstown Park
* Hazelbury Park
* Johnstown Park
* Kildonan Park
* King's Inns Park
* Lady's Well Park
* Lanesborough Park
* Littlepace Park
* Malahide Castle and Demesne
* Mayfield Park
* Mellowes Park
* Mount Bernard Park
* Mountjoy Square
* Botanic Gardens
* Newbridge Park
* Oscar Traynor Park
* Our Lady's Park
* Phoenix Park
* Pope John-Paul II Park
* Poppintree Park
* Portrane Park
* Rivervalley Park
* Rockfield Park
* Royal Canal Park
* Saint Anne's Park
* St. Anne's Road Pocket Park
* St. Catherine's Park
* St. Michan’s Park
* Santry Park
* Seabury Park
* Seagrange Park
* Spencer Dock Park
* Stardust Memorial Park
* Tolka Valley Park
* Tyrrelstown Park
* Waterville Park
* Wolfe Tone Square

South of River Liffey
(Southside)|

* Ballawley Park
* Bancroft Park
* Belgrave Square
* Blackrock Park
* Brickfield Park
* Bridgefoot Street Park
* Bushy Park
* Cabbage Garden
* Cabinteely Park
* Carysfort Park
* Corkagh Park
* Dartmouth Square
* Deerpark
* Dillon's Park
* Dodder Park
* Éamonn Ceannt Park
* Eaton Square Park
* Fernhill Park and Gardens
* Fitzsimon's Wood
* Fitzwilliam Square
* Grattan Crescent Park
* Griffeen Valley Park
* Herbert Park
* Hermitage Park
* Herzog Park
* Irish National War Memorial Gardens
* Irishtown Nature Park
* Iveagh Gardens
* Jim Mitchell Park
* Kenilworth Square
* Killbogget Park
* Killiney Hill Park
* Lansdowne Valley Park
* Loreto Park
* Markievicz Park
* Marlay Park
* Merrion Square
* Moran Park
* Mount Pleasant Square
* Oscar Square
* Palmerston Park
* Peace Park
* Pearse Park
* Pearse Square
* People's Park
* St. Audoen's Park
* Saint Enda's Park
* St Kevin's Park
* St Patrick’s Cathedral Park
* Saint Stephen's Green
* Sandymount Green (park)
* Shanganagh Park
* Sorrento Park
* Thomastown Park
* Tranquila Park
* Turvey Park
* Tymon Park
* Waterstown Park
* Weaver Park
* Willsbrook Park
* Wilton Park

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