Survey Data
Reg No
13400206
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Social, Technical
Original Use
Water pump
Date
1860 - 1880
Coordinates
222216, 294847
Date Recorded
09/08/2005
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding cast-iron water pump, erected c. 1885. Comprising banded shaft with fluting to spout, decorative cap and finial, and with curved pumping arm. Cast-iron foundry badge to base reading ‘Shannon Foundry Limerick’. Set on concrete base in rectangular enclosure with rendered boundary walls, open to road-frontage to the west. Flight of rendered steps to the rear (east). Located adjacent to road, to the northeast of Ballinamuck.
Appraisal
The appearance of this functional mass-produced object is enlivened in its detailing such as the banded shaft, fluted and decorative cap with finial, and an elegantly curved handle. Water pumps such as this once played an important social and functional role providing a communal water source before the introduction of the mains water supply. It was made at the Shannon Foundry, Limerick. The simple enclosure adds to its setting, while the good maintenance of this site augments its significance.